Local tech company Fluence Analytics has been acquired less than two years after moving its headquarters to the Houston area.
On Feb. 2., Japanese software giant Yokogawa Electric announced it had acquired the Stafford-based company. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed in the announcement, but Fluence Analytics will change its name to Yokogawa Fluence Analytics.
Fluence provides analytics to polymer and biopharma companies; its automatic continuous online monitoring of polymerizations (ACOMP) platform provides real-time monitoring of the polymerization process to improve quality and reduce waste. Yokogawa’s announcement estimated the platform delivers $1.5 million in value per year to clients.
The acquisition continues a relationship between the companies dating back to at least August 2021, when Yokogawa entered a distribution agreement to become the exclusive provider of ACOMP products to customers in Asia, the Middle East and North Africa. Around the same time, Fluence relocated from New Orleans to its current headquarters at 12875 Stafford St.
Yokogawa also participated in a $7.5 million funding round for Fluence, with other investors including Energy Innovation Capital, JSR Corp. and Diamond Edge Ventures, the U.S. venture capital arm for Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corp.
In 2022, Fluence named Jay Manouchehri as its new CEO, replacing co-founder Alex Reed in the role. Reed became COO of the company.
In a LinkedIn post, Reed said Yokogama's focus on autonomous operations as part of its IT service offerings made it an ideal partner for Fluence.
The new Yokogawa Fluence Analytics name is the second rebrand for the company, which was known as Advanced Polymer Monitoring Technologies until 2017. Fluence licensed its technology from Tulane University in New Orleans and moved its headquarters to Stafford in 2021. The company now has 25 employees in Houston, according to the Yokogawa announcement.
Yokogawa Corp. of America bases its North American headquarters at 12530 W. Airport Blvd. in Sugar Land. The company also has an office in The Woodlands as well as locations in Georgia, Utah, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Canada and Mexico.
Recent tech developments in Stafford include battery tech company Microvast going public through a merger with a special purpose acquisition company in July 2021.
