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Venture Expo 2026 Put 56 Regional Startups in Front of Investors
In September, 56 startups joined Innovation Works’ Venture Expo at The Oaklander Hotel and AI & Robotics Venture Day during StartUP PGH week. The companies varied in stage, with 31 in […]
Why Are There Robots at the Airport?
Pittsburgh International is embracing the city’s reputation as a hub for tech innovation. Read more: https://www.pittsburghmagazine.com/why-are-there-robots-at-the-airport/
Pittsburgh’s tech boom isn’t reaching every neighborhood, and many locals are skeptical of the future
A new survey of 200 residents surfaced simmering discontent. Leaders say manufacturing jobs, AI training and early VC could boost equitable economic growth. Read more… https://technical.ly/entrepreneurship/pittsburgh-tech-boom-leaves-some-residents-behind/
The startup flywheel: How Innovation Works evaluates Pittsburgh’s early-stage companies
By Steve Welles (with Sam Markowitz) In early-stage investing, it can be tempting to talk about startups in broad categories: AI, robotics, healthtech, B2B software, life sciences, advanced manufacturing. Those […]
What a Hearst-Backed Investor Wants Pittsburgh Founders to Know
Trust is built the same way everywhere: one honest conversation at a time, long before a founder ever asks for money. That is the short answer. A deeper explanation came […]
America's Best Incubators and Accelerators of 2026
Innovation Works’ AlphaLab accelerator program was ranked among the top 50 in the United States, and the only Pennsylvania-based accelerator program to rank in the top 50. America’s Best Incubators […]
What the Innovation Works team saw in the 2025 Pittsburgh VC data
2025 Pittsburgh VC data showed record funding totals were driven by a handful of massive deals, signaling a need for deeper early-stage capital. Pittsburgh’s latest venture numbers, as seen in […]
AlphaLab Named to America’s Best Incubators & Accelerators 2026 List
PITTSBURGH — Aug. 18, 2026 — AlphaLab, Innovation Works’ nationally recognized startup accelerator, has been named one of America’s Best Incubators & Accelerators 2026 by TIME and Statista. TIME and […]
How to build a startup ecosystem: 6 lessons community builders can borrow from Nashville
A strong startup ecosystem is built the same way anywhere: one honest relationship at a time, backed by people willing to say the hard thing before the easy thing. That […]
From the Ecosystem: Spotlight on Mary McKinney Flaherty
Inside the Ecosystem: Spotlight Series · Innovation Works She Sees Every Small Business Owner in Pittsburgh as the City’s Client. Here’s What She’s Doing About It. Mary McKinney Flaherty came […]
