Pittsburgh weekly roundup: Robots for manufacturing; AR focus groups; Millions for semiconductors

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AR to unlock new focus group data

Pittsburgh consulting firm Rivers Agile is pivoting to tech by launching a custom platform that aims to revolutionize focus groups. 

“We spent most of our 16 years of existence building great products for other people,” Founder and CEO Ben Wilson told Technical.ly, “and now we’re rolling out our own.” 

Over the past 15 months, Rivers Agile has developed Tupelo, an augmented reality research tool that combines eye tracking, mood detection and image recognition tools to gather in-depth user feedback.

➡️ Learn more about how Tupelo works and its potential applications

Robots transforming old-school manufacturing

Most of Andrew Orr’s life has been dedicated to the growth and success of Penna Flame, the flame-hardening manufacturing company his grandfather started in 1968.

Now vice president of the company, one of his primary responsibilities is identifying and implementing new technologies. Orr recently worked with the ARM Institute, funded by the New Economy Collaborative, to further customize a picking and packing robot the company owns. 

“Robotics offers us the ability to control the process, repeat it and make it safer for employees,” Orr told Technical.ly. 

➡️ Learn how Orr is advancing the family business with new tech

News Incubator: What else to know

• Millions of dollars pour into semiconductor manufacturing in Southwestern Pennsylvania. Plus, the University of Pittsburgh gets federal funding to develop new electric gird tech, and more in this month’s money moves. [Technical.ly]

• With major investments in Pittsburgh’s AI, health tech and robotics industries over the last year, the region is primed for continued expansion, driven by academia and strong-willed stakeholders. [Technical.ly]

• The Moonshot Museum will soon debut new exhibits, including a temporary display on electric propulsion and a mobile planetarium. This summer, the museum welcomed its new executive director Jimyse Brown, the first Black leader of a space museum in Pennsylvania. [Pittsburgh City Paper]

• Pittsburgh’s Urban Redevelopment Authority will invest an additional $10 million in the downtown revitalization project. The funds will go towards converting unused office towers into residential units. [Public Source/Technical.ly]

• Nvidia has selected Carnegie Mellon University startup UltronAI to join its Inception accelerator program. UltronAI specializes in self-checkout, shelf monitoring and store analytics using AI-powered computer vision. [MarketWatch]

• A Brookings Institute report found women and people of color in Pittsburgh are “significantly underrepresented” in highly digital computer, engineering and management jobs. [Brookings Institute]

• UPMC has joined the Digital Consortium, a network of health systems focused on developing and investing in new technologies that enhance patient care, reduce clinician burnout or integrate AI into healthcare workflows. [UPMC Enterprises]

• Geospatial software startup Mach9 has relocated its headquarters from Pittsburgh’s Bloomfield neighborhood to San Francisco. The move coincides with the announcement of a successful $12 million seed funding round for the company. [Pittsburgh Business Times]

• Local healthcare startup ThoroughCare closed a $5 million Series A fundraising round. The funds will help further the company’s mission of addressing inefficiencies in patient care through various platforms. [ThoroughCare]

Meet potential investors face to face

NEXT powered by Shulman Rogers is hosting its fourth in-person event bringing together founders and funders. The startup-focused legal practice is accepting applications to participate from companies currently raising seed to Series A.

If selected for the My NEXT Raise Early Stage Founder Funder event on Dec. 12, you’ll get access to 3 hours of speed-dating with investors at the law firm’s Park Potomac, MD, office. And anyone who applies is welcome to the afternoon panel discussion titled “What is Investor Readiness and How to Achieve?” plus a 5 p.m. happy hour with investors in the room.

➡️ Apply for the 1:1 investor speed dating by Nov. 25

This sponsored blurb supports our journalism. Want to see your message here? Get details and book online.

On the Calendar

• Meet the Small Business Administration of Western Pennsylvania on Nov. 22 for an introductory event at its district office or virtually, and discover how it can support you in starting or growing your business. [Reserve a spot]

• Join Queery Coding Club, a group dedicated to LGBTQIA+ representation in the technology space, for its monthly meeting at Prototype PGH on Nov. 23. [Details here]

• Kick off the holiday season with a Pittsburgh cultural tradition: Light Up Night. Enjoy live entertainment, holiday shopping and festive lights downtown on Nov. 23. [More information]

• Step into the world of game development with a free virtual class on Nov. 22. Learn how to develop a pong game with JavaScript, hosted by the cofounder of the Tech Academy. [Details here]

• Connect with industry professionals at the Pittsburgh B2B Software Meetup on Nov. 25 at Alloy 26. Matt Nicosia, senior director of analytics for Crossbeam, will give a presentation on the collaborative data platform. [Reserve a spot]