Defense software firm Air debuted its new Strip District office Tuesday, kicking off its plans to invest $450 million in its Pittsburgh operations over the next 10 years.
The company, formerly known as Govini, has about 100 AI and software engineers working at its 35,536-square-foot office at 116 15th St., according to Air’s chief technology officer Marco Corona. That’s expected to double in the next few years, if not next year alone, he said.
“Some of the best people in the world go to Carnegie Mellon and then they go to San Francisco. I want to keep a lot more of that talent here in Pittsburgh,” Corona, a Pittsburgh native, told Technical.ly.
Arlington, Virginia-based Air expanded its existing Pittsburgh workforce by nearly 67% over the past year, and local university graduates currently comprise approximately 30% of its Pittsburgh team, the company said.
Air’s expansion comes as the Pittsburgh tech ecosystem, and more broadly the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, signal more support for defense tech companies and spending on the sector grows.
Readiness pays
Air aims to address the “readiness gap” in US defense — how prepared the Department of War is to execute assigned missions.
In recent years, staffing shortages and a growing backlog of equipment maintenance have widened this gap. It’s a problem that’s allowed other local startups, like Gecko Robotics, to attract hundreds of millions of dollars in military contracts.
Air’s software platform, Air Enterprise Readiness, helps government agencies and commercial suppliers coordinate the development, production, delivery and sustainment of military equipment.
The nature of the company’s work is what allows it to expand while other software companies across the country are actively downsizing, according to Corona.
“The mission we’re trying to solve here — of closing the readiness gap — it’s trying to overcome decades of bureaucracy and technical debt of the Department of War and the industrial base,” Corona said. “That’s not going to get solved by AI alone. You need a lot of smart people working on that.”
Local leaders rally behind defense tech
Air announced its plans to expand in Pittsburgh at Sen. David McCormick’s Defense and Innovation Summit in July. Other US companies earmarked millions of dollars for Pittsburgh-area expansions at the event.
Later that month, the Pittsburgh Robotics Network and the Pittsburgh Technology Council announced they would partner to create a defense-focused section of Discovery Day, the annual showcase of local robotics and AI talent that attracts thousands of attendees each year.
Carnegie Mellon University, a significant source of new startups in Pittsburgh, has also hosted defense-focused events in 2026. One featuring Palantir sparked protests on the university’s campus.
The economic boom of the defense tech industry hasn’t come without controversy. Local leaders have to weigh possible ecosystem gains versus pushback from the public.
The US military has already spent over $47 billion on its war with Iran in 2026. Private investors have seemed to follow suit, pouring $4 billion into defense tech during the first nine months of 2026, a 700% increase from the $500 million invested in 2024.
Pennsylvania is currently one of the leading states attracting Department of War contracts.
Representatives from the offices of Sen. McCormick, Sen. John Fetterman and Rep. Guy Reschenthaler joined local leaders from the City of Pittsburgh and the Pittsburgh Regional Alliance to celebrate Air’s office grand opening.
On behalf of the city, Mayor Corey O’Connor personally thanked Air for its investment.
“This is what we are all about in Pittsburgh,” O’Connor said at the event. “It’s about growth. It’s about opportunity.”
