Announcing the inaugural Pittsburgh Inno Fire Awards honorees

Pittsburgh's tech and innovation scene is ablaze.

The region's startup companies have attracted hundreds of millions of dollars in combined investments from venture capital firms around the country to further their rapid growth over the past year. Others have partaken in significant exits, whether they were acquired by another firm or from going public on a stock exchange, both of which are indices of the region's success in launching and growing a startup.

And while capital can be a strong marker of accomplishment, so too is ingenuity and employment growth, elements that are prevalent throughout the region's tech industry.

These are just some of the factors used when selecting the Pittsburgh Inno Fire Awards honorees, an inaugural class of people and companies leading the region's tech and innovation scene forward. The annual Fire Awards serve as Inno’s premier awards program to recognize supporters, founders and champions of Pittsburgh innovation.

In order to determine the honorees, Pittsburgh Inno sought nominations from the public as well as suggestions from its editorial team. Collectively, the publication's editorial board determined this year’s 23 honorees, which range from growth-stage startups to unicorn tech titans. Also in the mix are startup founders themselves, as well as venture capitalists and leaders within local startup-focused organizations.

Each of these honorees will be celebrated during an event at The Assembly in Bloomfield on Sept. 15 and in a special edition of the Pittsburgh Business Times on Sept. 16.

Below, see all of this year’s honorees listed in alphabetical order per category.

Career Achievement

Rising Founders

Ecosystem Advocates

Top Funding Rounds (July 2021 - June 2022)

Exits of the Year (July 2021 - June 2022)