New start-ups to join Lawrenceville's 'Robotics Row'

Several more companies are joining the ranks of Pittsburgh’s growing robotics industry.

The Robotics Factory, a consortium of start-ups, announced Monday that it will move into the Tech Forge building in Pittsburgh’s Lawrenceville neighborhood.

Six start-up companies will be joining the Robotics Factory’s “Accelerate” program, which provides them with funding and mentorship for seven months, according to a press release.

The facility’s goal is to provide a physical space for companies to collaborate, as well as offer manufacturing capabilities to help the businesses scale up. The Robotics Factory is set to open on Aug. 1. The companies will move in as soon as possible.

Jenn Apicella, interim executive director of the Pittsburgh Robotics Network, said The Robotics Factory is moving to 47th Street — part of an area dubbed “Robotics Row,” where other businesses and facilities already call home. She said the addition of The Robotics Factory is more proof that Pittsburgh’s robotics industry is a growing powerhouse.

“This move further solidifies our robotics ecosystem’s impact on a global scale, while driving economic growth and job creation right here, anchored in the Pittsburgh region,” she said in a statement.

The six companies include: Aquatonomy, Inc., which provides visual intelligence to submerged, underwater structures; Cell X Technologies, which hopes to industrialize the development and manufacturing of regenerative medicine; Grasp Robotics, which is developing robotic hands and other humanoid robots; Leaficient, Inc., which is working on adaptive light technology to extend crops growing season; Velo AI, which is using autonomous vehicle technology to improve the road experience of pedestrians and cyclists; and Voaige, a company that is using artificial intelligence in the retail and food industries.

The Robotics Factory is one of five local programs to receive funds from a $63 million U.S. EDA Build Back Better grant. It also comes on the heels of plans for a 150,000-square-foot research building in Hazelwood that would conduct testing on robots and drones.

Southwestern Pennsylvania’s robotics industry has garnered about $4.3 billion in private investment in the last five years, according to a report from the Pittsburgh Robotics Network.

Additionally, Polish software company Spyrosoft announced last week that it will establish one of its U.S. headquarters on Pittsburgh’s North Shore. The company specializes in providing software for the robotics industry. Apicella said Spyrosoft should gain access to a network of more than 140 robotics industry organizations.

“The company’s presence here will accelerate the development of autonomy technology and contribute to the growth of our world-leading industry cluster,” said Apicella.

The Robotics Factory is led by North Side-based Innovation Works, with support from the Pittsburgh Robotics Network and Southwestern Pennsylvania New Economy Collaborative.