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Mining tech startup Mine Vision Systems just raised $11.5 million in later-stage equity funding at an undisclosed valuation. The company is headquartered in East Liberty, one of the neighborhoods where developers are pushing to create corridors focused around tech — especially defense tech — in ways that draw criticism from some advocates and longtime residents.
What else happened over the past week in the Pittsburgh innovation scene? Read on.
📰 News Incubator: What else to know
• Over 75% of local life sciences companies surveyed by the Pittsburgh Life Sciences Alliance in April said recent federal policy changes, like tariffs and staffing cuts at federal agencies, have negatively affected their businesses and made private sector fundraising more difficult. [Inbox]
• Gecko Robotics CEO Jake Loosararian is skeptical that local tech wins (like his company’s recent unicorn status) will automatically grow Pittsburgh’s tech scene. He urged local companies to find ways to tap into the outside investment and attention the region is already attracting. [Axios]
• Some CMU students and faculty oppose the school hosting Sen. McCormick’s July 15 Energy and Innovation Summit, particularly due to President Trump’s planned attendance. They’re calling on the university to move the event off campus and withdraw as a host. [TribLIVE]
• Amazon’s $20 billion investment in Pennsylvania will fund “AI jobs” mainly in nuclear plant operations and data center construction, which signals a shift in what tech work looks like, writes Intake Media founder Stephen Babcock. [Technical.ly]
• The Pittsburgh region’s unemployment rate sits at 3.9%, below the national rate of 4.2%, but the region continues to face stagnant labor force growth. While local wages are rising, they remain below the national average. [WESA]
• Pittsburgh nonprofit Computer Reach, which provides digital literacy programs and free refurbished computers to local families, is facing a major revenue shortfall after losing federal funding. To stay afloat, it’s cut staff by 80% and is selling inventory on eBay. [Technical.ly’s Pittsburgh Slack channel]
🗓️ On the Calendar
• The Pittsburgh Robotics Network is hosting a Closing the Skills-Gap event on July 15 at Tech Forge. This workshop will focus on the jobs available for Field Operation Teams in the robotics sector and how the region can create a better talent pipeline. [More info]
• Technical.ly event: There’s been an entrepreneurship boom post-pandemic, especially among underrepresented groups. Technical.ly’s CEO Chris Wink is sitting down with Hello Alice cofounder Elizabeth Gore on July 15 for a virtual conversation about trends in business ownership, capital access and more. [Attend]
• Learn about the power of influencer marketing at the local American Marketing Association’s Romanticize Pittsburgh event on July 16 in Homestead. [Sign up]
• Attend the Women Who Lead Pittsburgh event on July 16 at Workbox to hear advice from women entrepreneurs and have a chance to win two months of free coworking space. [Register]
• Celebrate and network with local entrepreneurs at the UpPrize 2025 Semi-finals at the BNY offices on July 17, where several local startups will have a chance to win a share of $225,000. [Get tickets]
