Building entrepreneurial ecosystem: lessons from Houston’s startup incubator The Cannon [INTERVIEW]
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During our last mission to USA, we had a pleasure to visit The Cannon – a startup incubator based in Houston. We talked about ways to successfully build a startup infrastructure from the scratch and discussed prospects for cooperation with Poland.
The Cannon is currently experiencing a lot of traction and garnering attention from blue chip customers and investors. What can Polish facilitators learn from Houston’s example and what possible cooperation opportunities are out there for the Polish companies that want to go global? Read more in our conversation with The Cannon’s founder and CEO, Lawson Gow.
Invest in Pomerania: Can you tell us a bit about what The Cannon stands for and what are your main goals?
Lawson Gow: Our mission is to create a global entrepreneurial campus – we have acquired and are developing 32 acres to do so! And much like a college campus that has many different types of organizations and entities all there to support the student body in different ways, we are building or partnering with groups to develop campus resources that support our entrepreneurial population – a gym, a market space, a juice bar, a coffee shop, micro-housing, etc. – all on a walkable campus with over 140,000 square feet of various types of coworking space. We chose our location because it is the demographic epicenter of our city. Located at the intersection of I-10 and Beltway 8, we are convenient for millions of Houstonians to get to.
IP: When talking about startups, the first thing that comes to mind is Silicon Valley. Houston is not really known for being a vibrant entrepreneurial community. How challenging has it been is to build it from the scratch and spread the word about it?
Lawson Gow, founder and CEO of The Cannon. Source: private archive
“We have discussed a number of different ways we can collaborate, but the main conversation is around how we can help equip Polish startups with the tools and resources they need to expand and open up an office in the United States via Houston”
IP: Do you also promote international cooperation? There are many Polish startups that are looking for ways to go global. Is The Cannon the place to contact and go for inspiration, funding, partners?
LG: I was born and raised in Houston and love this city, but have been frustrated with its lack of startup infrastructure. Over the past decade we’ve seen entrepreneurial hubs popping up in cities all over the country, and yet, for a multitude of reasons, Houston has fallen behind. This has caused our talented entrepreneurs to leave the city and go elsewhere in search of the resources they need to succeed. As a city, we need to urgently build up our entrepreneurial support structure to keep our startups here.
I launched The Cannon in November of 2017 to be the consolidator of existing efforts in the city and the facilitator of a Houston-sized entrepreneurial ecosystem, and to put all the players across the entrepreneurial stack under one roof. Over the past 10 months, we have seen really encouraging traction, and we now house over 75 startups and 225+ people.
IP: What kind of companies do you have in your portfolio? Which industries are represented in The Cannon?
LG: We have startups across a wide variety of industries and functions. Esports, blockchain, energy technology, consumer apps, mobility tech, robotics, life sciences, etc. And one thing I love about the Cannon is our diversity. Our founders are all colors, genders, races, orientations, and ping-pong skill levels. They are from Argentina, England, Nigeria, Mexico, Venezuela, Norway, China, India, and even Dallas. And many of them are currently experiencing really exciting traction and garnering attention from all the blue-chip customers and VCs!
IP: Besides the sizable facilities and varied offer you’ve mentioned, how else do you attract startups?
LG: We are trying to make the Cannon the best place in the world to start a company. And to the best of our ability, we are surrounding them with all the tools and resources they need to succeed. Classes, speakers, programs, events, mentors, investors, etc. But a lot of the magic comes from simply working in the trenches every day alongside other startups. Learning, helping, and pushing each other.
The Cannon, a coworking ecosystem for Houston’s entrepreneurs, small businesses, freelancers, and creatives. Image by The Cannon
LG: We are currently developing what I’ve been calling Operation: Ellis Island. We want to be that glowing beacon and international destination for entrepreneurs and their startups. We are developing a core competency of The Cannon to be an ability to successfully help international startups either relocate here or expand here. Specifically, we are working with the Polish government, and are in exploratory discussions with China and Mexico entities to augment our efforts.
Regarding our discussion with Poland, we are chatting with two groups: Invest in Pomerania, a non-profit that supports foreign direct investment projects into Pomerania, and the Polish Chamber of Commerce, which is based out of The Cannon. We have discussed a number of different ways we can collaborate, but the main conversation is around how we can help equip Polish startups with the tools and resources they need to expand and open up an office in the United States via Houston. We want to keep lines of communication open and figure out ways we can connect Polish companies to funding, customers, partners, etc. We want to increasingly be the Ellis Island for startups!
Houston has the third most Fortune 1000 companies headquartered here behind New York and Chicago. We have a low cost of living, lots of money, and now…a home base for our startups. And The Cannon is willing and ready to throw our full support, relationships, and resources to help a smooth transition of international startups into our city.
