Azena, a German security camera application software company owned by the Bosch Group, confirmed this week that it will be shutting down its Pittsburgh operations, a little over a year after opening up a local office.
In an emailed statement, the company told Technical.ly the decision comes as a result of unexpected market changes that upended the company’s business plans.
In September 2021, the startup made the Strip District the home base of its Innovation Accelerator. The program was slated to include a series of partnerships that would create a place where software developers, camera manufacturers and security system integrators could problem solve. At the time, Adam Wynne, the director of the Innovation Accelerator for Azena, said it was the beginning of the company’s expansion.
“We’ve grown geographically, and we’re really starting to make a mark on this industry,” Wynne said.
Now, Azena is refocusing on its developed software components within the Bosch organization, or “internal business.” According to Marti Fabio, VP of marketing for Azena, the company intends to honor all of its contractual obligations towards its customers and partners. Some details of the closure remain to be determined.
“The company will work jointly with partners on a transition plan, many details of which will only be fully defined in the coming weeks,” the statement said.
Throughout the world, Azena has 100 employees, only 10 of which are based in Pittsburgh. Company leadership intends to try to find impacted associated job opportunities within Bosch, but for those who that’s not a good fit for, they’ll be offering severance packages and assistance with finding new employment elsewhere.
Read more about the company’s evolution at TechCrunch.
It’s been a season of unexpected shutdowns for Pittsburgh tech: Argo AI and Fifth Season also announced closures earlier in the fall.
Atiya Irvin-Mitchell is a 2022-2024 corps member for Report for America, an initiative of The Groundtruth Project that pairs young journalists with local newsrooms. This position is supported by the Heinz Endowments.Before you go...
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