Pittsburgh weekly roundup: The region’s global appeal; Local coworking updates; PGH Lab applications open

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International investors come to Pittsburgh

As European tech firms and founders look to gain footholds in North America, Pittsburgh has emerged as a prime location to do business. Allegheny County’s location and culture — straddling the East Coast and Midwest — is attracting global startups looking to break into the US market. Outsiders say one of the region’s best points is its reputation for the potential to make strong connections.

That’s bringing new money, too. As Pittsburgh catches the attention of international innovation economies, more investors see an opportunity to invest. We talked to some of the immigrant entrepreneurs leading the charge.

➡️ Meet the people pushing to make Pittsburgh a global city

An updated guide to local coworking

After our recent showcase of coworking spaces in Pittsburgh, we heard back about some nearby spots that weren’t yet on our radar.

From downtown to East Liberty, the new additions offer even more opportunities to connect with local remote workers — or just the people who want a change of scenery. Not to mention an abundance of gratis coffee that comes with many of these memberships. Check out our updated list and map to find the spot perfect for you.

➡️ Find your new favorite coworking space

Edit cal opportunity: Life Sciences Month

Venture capital trends prove it: life sciences is big right now. Some people even say it’s threatening to dethrone software as the king of technology. You’ll hear lots more about this during September, when the topic will be a special focus for our newsroom as our editorial calendar theme.

Support this reporting while elevating your brand awareness by underwriting Technical.ly Life Sciences Month!

Your investment gets your logo and intro atop each story we publish in the series. You’ll reach up to 75k+ social followers, 45k newsletter subscribers and an average of 5k+ page views per series per market. Take advantage of our new self-service option, where you can create and finalize your campaign online — or reach out to sales@technical.ly to find out more. 

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News Incubator: What else to know

• Astrobotic’s Peregrine moon lander, which NASA took on a mission in January, failed because of a faulty valve. Per a new report, a broken seal led to a mechanical flaw that caused the device to catch fire over the Pacific Ocean. [Technical.ly/Space.com]

• Lawrenceville’s Leda Health returned to court this week to continue fighting for the right to sell its at-home rape kits. Attorneys general in Pennsylvania and New York have aligned with sexual assault advocates in denouncing the product, saying it could lead victims to skip medical care and may not collect forensics that hold up in court. [US Courts]

• PGH Lab opened applications for its 10th cohort. The city-run accelerator program provides a $25,000 stipend to pilot new projects and build businesses to drive innovation in local government. [PGH Lab/Technical.ly]

• More than a dozen local startups — including Carnegie Robotics, KEF Robotics and Preamble — traveled to Austin, Texas, for a defense innovation expo. They even secured a one-on-one meeting with the Army Applications Lab, the VC arm for the Navy. [Pittsburgh Business Times]

• It costs more than $15,000 to freeze your eggs, according to local company Lotus Fertility Insurance. The 2024 RealLIST Startups honoree uses data to provide white-label insurance riders to cover treatments like IVF. [Lotus/Technical.ly]

• Does Duolingo’s green owl mascot haunt your phone? You’re not alone. Persistent notifications and “unhinged” marketing drive the app’s omnipresence for more than 100 million users. [Sherwood/Technical.ly]

• Kids and teens are back to school, but this year the districts face two modern problems: Excessive heat shut down some locations early, and administrators are looking at innovative ways to curb cell phone use. [KDKA]

On the Calendar

• Attend Hack PGH’s biweekly game night on Aug. 30. The adults-only even provides an opportunity to connect with others in the field through some friendly competition. [Register]

• Enjoy the long weekend, but if you don’t already have plans there’s plenty to do — like the potluck-style Labor Day picnic hosted by USW Local 9562 on Sept. 2. [Sign up]

• Get involved in ASCEND’s book club at its South Side location on Sept. 3. It’s an event gears at rock climbers, but the book is still TBD so maybe you can sway them to pick something tech-y. [Learn more]

• Meet up with Bitcoin enthusiasts to discuss the tech’s impact. The Sept. 4 event will take place in the Strip District. [Details here]

• Reflect and connect with Out in Tech on Sept. 5. It’s first gathering since Pride, and Trace brewing will donate $1 of every drink toward the group. [Find out more]