Pittsburgh weekly roundup: Skild AI’s $1.5B valuation; Art in STEM at Assemble; What we know about American Glass Research

Pittsburgh has another unicorn

Skild AI raked in a $300 million Series A earlier this month, with some big names participating in the round. The AI robotics startup upped its valuation to $1.5 billion – unicorn status – with the new money.

Plus, learn about Duolingo acquiring Hobbes for its motion design, KEF Robotics scoring a $1 million grant from the Air Force and more Money Moves.

➡️ Read my roundup of this month’s startup finance news.

How Assemble keeps the ‘art’ in STEAM ed

Assemble bills itself as a space to generate and share ideas. It’s a place for fun events and workshops to help kindle interest in science, technology, engineering, art and math, known as STEAM.

Because minorities, people of color, women and other marginalized groups are often boxed out of STEAM, Assemble wants to bridge that gap early and open doors for Pittsburghers.

“There’s a lot of creativity that happens that isn’t being welcomed into these spaces,” executive director Nina Barbuto said. “If we’re not doing something about it, we’re accepting it.”

➡️ Dive into the Assemble ethos in Bridgett’s latest report.

News Incubator: What else to know

• The Trump rally shooter perched on a building owned by American Glass Research. Here’s what we know. [Technical.ly]

• Last month, we took a closer look at the successful marketing stunt that is Duolingo’s taco restaurant. For local journalist Noelle Mateer, a recent visit to Duo’s Taqueria sparks the question: What have the people of Pittsburgh actually gotten from this level of tech investment? [Technical.ly/The Baffler]

• Healthtech startup Korion will compete for $1 million against 11 international startups through the Hult Prize global accelerator program. [Hult Prize Foundation]

• Cytoagents CEO Teresa Whalen appeared on local news segment Our Region’s Business to discuss the Pittsburgh Life Sciences Alliance. [WPXI]

• 412 Ability Tech showcased more than 25 organizations innovating in assistive tech at a recent event. Products included 3D printers, adaptive instruments and more. [Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle]

• NASA ended its VIPER project, a water-seeking moon rover it’s been working on with North Shore-based Astrobotic. Launch delays and rising costs terminated the mission, but the agency said it would still work with Astrobotic on its Griffin moon lander — just without the rover. [NASA]

• Picklesburgh kicks off today and runs all weekend long. My personal favorites? Pickle pizza and a dill Bloody Mary. If you work or live downtown, be prepared for lots of traffic and road closures. [CBS]

🗓️ On the Calendar