Rock Rose Bridge, a venture of Tulsa Innovation Labs, announced Austere Environmental, BiaTech, BigMachine AI, and Intellicess as recipients of its 2026 Rose Rock Bridge Showcase. Four startups, from a total of 85 applicants, were selected to receive a share of $400,000 in nondilutive funding and establish a presence in Tulsa to pilot and advance their technologies over the next year. All applicants have already raised over $2 million in funding and piloted their solutions with energy majors. According to Rock Rose Bridge, these startups’ technologies are designed to improve how the energy industry recovers, operates, and manages resources.
The four startups receiving funding will work on a number of projects including:
- Austere Environmental reduces drilling cost and environmental risks by recovering oil that is currently treated as waste during drilling operations.
- BiaTech uses AI to analyze live production and asset data to improve efficiency, maintenance, and safety.
- BigMachine AI helps engineers work more efficiently by transforming complex engineering drawings into searchable digital data.
- Intellicess uses AI to help predict and prevent costly drilling failures before they happen.
“Through Rose Rock Bridge, we’re bringing the nation’s most promising energy innovations to Tulsa, positioning our region as a destination for energy technology leadership and attracting the entrepreneurs and capital driving the industry’s future,” said Nishant Agarwal, the Rose Rock Bridge innovation manager at Tulsa Innovation Labs.
During the 1-year pilot phase, the startups will collaborate with one or more Tulsa-based industry partners to advance their technologies including Devon Energy, ONEOK, Williams, and Helmerich & Payne. The program also includes planned partnerships with the University of Tulsa and could lead to the creation of more than 135 jobs in Oklahoma as the startups expand their operations.