Christopher Calnan

Coding school and co-working space operator Galvanize Inc. has confirmed plans to open offices next year in a new tower being built in downtown Austin.

The Denver-based company, which operates as a combination coding school and co-working space, is scheduled to start finishing out its space in October in an office building across the street from the skyscraper that Google Inc. (Nasdaq: GOOG) is moving into at the site of the old Green Water Treatment Plant on the north shore of Lady Bird Lake at West Cesar Chavez and San Antonio Streets.

Galvanize plans to occupy three floors — 25,000 square feet — of the building and employ 25-30 workers, Mandes said.

Austin serial entrepreneur Gary Hoover plans to raise $6 million to $8 million to open a local innovation museum that would be the first in a chain.

Hoover told the Technology Advisors Group Friday morning that the Austin market is underserved by museums, and indoor activities would be popular alternative especially during times of inclement weather. The success of businesses such as TopGolf have proven the experience-based business model to be a solid one.

“Our society is shifting from products to services,” he said. “People are looking for stuff to do. People are looking for experiences.”

An Austin oil and gas exploration company is banking on generating healthy returns in a volatile energy market — with $250 million to get it done.

Austin’s American Resource Development LLC, known as Ameredev, launched in July with the financing and a team of experienced energy executives in place. That combination is helping to position the startup amid an industry contraction and sluggish oil prices, CEO Parker Reese said.

Three former Rackspace Hosting Inc. executives have quietly launched a venture capital firm in Austin.

Lanham Napier, the San Antonio company’s former CEO, founded BuildGroup Management LLC in June with former Rackspace General Counsel Alan Schoenbaum and former Rackspace General Manager Jim Curry, according to their online profiles. Schoenbaum and Curry could not immediately be reached for comment.

Firm spokesman Josh Jones-Dilworth said federal regulations prevent BuildGroup Management officials from publicly commenting on any firm activities.

BuildGroup, which operates a bare-bones website, describes itself as a “growth outfitter that equips entrepreneurs for the long haul.” The website doesn’t list any investment information, fund sizes or portfolio companies.

An Austin entrepreneur is establishing a commune-like residence with space for 30 technology workers. He expects it will be the first of five in Austin.

Martin Wallner, the CEO of Macro House LLC, said he’s getting 20 applications per week for the so-called “co-living” space at Guadalupe Street and Nelray Boulevard, which is just north of downtown. The first 10 residents began moving into the one-story building last week. It was once a senior housing complex.

Alert Media Inc. has tweaked its business model after finding its messaging delivery system is needed for more than emergencies.

The Austin company discovered that its mass-notification service is used by all types of customers with dispersed workers. As such, Alert Media is now marketing its service as a streamlined day-to-day communication tool instead just in times of disaster, CEO Brian Cruver said.

WeWork Companies Inc., the co-working space operator eager to promote its opening of a downtown office in February, has gone mute amid speculation that it’s planning a major expansion in Austin.

Executives at other tech companies looking for office space said they have learned that WeWork is planning a major expansion of its downtown office space just blocks from the Capitol and in the heart of downtown.

The New York company isn’t providing any details about a possible expansion and its local manager couldn’t be reached on Friday. A front-desk worker at the Congress Avenue WeWork office said the manager was too busy to take questions from a reporter.

WeWork spokeswoman Karen Germ hasn’t answered any questions about the possibility of local expansion. Sarah Allen, the company’s community engagement manager, referred questions to other WeWork officials.

In February, WeWork opened a space taking up the 14th floor of 600 Congress Ave. that was projected to serve about 500 members. Use of a dedicated desk was expected to cost $400 per month, a company executive said at the time.

WeWork, which was founded in 2010 by CEO Adam Neumann, enables members to lease common area spaces, labs or offices. The cost of leases depend on locations.

The company employs 300 workers. Fidelity Management & Research Co. and others have invested $400 million in WeWork and it is now reportedly worth $10 billion.

Neumann has told the Wall Street Journal he plans to expand WeWork to 60 locations.

About 15 co-working spaces already operate in Austin. Most are independently owned businesses that partner with other service providers on a smaller scale.

Dell Inc. is now listed as a donor to a 62-year-old environmental group that honored CEO Michael Dell six months ago.

Round Rock-based Dell was added to Keep America Beautiful Inc.’s roster of “corporate sponsors” contributing $50,000 to $99,999.

In December, Michael Dell accepted the Connecticut-based group’s “Vision for America” award at a luncheon event in which Dell paid $75,000 to sponsor tables for customers, partners and employees.

Keep America Beautiful has been operating since 1953. The group’s spokesman, Larry Kaufman, said in December that Dell had previously only contributed to the group’s local affiliate instead of the national organization.

 The award was in recognition of Dell’s sustainability initiatives in communities nationally, according to a Dell news release.

Robin Schneider, executive director of the Texas Campaign for the Environment, said the pay-for-play arrangement is not unusual for such awards.

“Honorees are expected to give or find people to give when they’re being honored,” she said. “I don’t think that it’s ever stated, but it’s everyone’s assumption. It doesn’t smell good that’s for sure.”

Dell, the No. 3 computer maker in the world, employs 14,000 workers in Central Texas.

In late 2013, Michael Dell led an investor group that completed a $24.9 billion leveraged buyout of shareholders in an effort to enable the company to transition beyond personal computers to the higher profit margins provided by software, services and other networking tools.

As a venture capitalist, Lauren Chauret can work in two areas that she’s most interested in: business and health care.

The Dallas native is partner and director of operations at PTV Healthcare Capital, an Austin VC firm investing in expansion- and late-stage companies. It’s a position that provides Chauret with what she considers “the perfect combination” of her business interests. So she was naturally disappointed — and a bit surprised — when during a recent career fair at the University of Texas only 20 percent of the applicants to her firm were female.

The city of Austin’s Innovation Office cites City Council’s use of tablet computers as an early accomplishment during the first year of operation.

The office, which launched in March 2014, now includes four employees and an annual budget of $692,675.