It's an interesting time to be running a tech-focused startup.
Venture capital has slowed nationwide. Layoffs have been seen across tech companies large and small, new and old. And the Nasdaq Composite Index, which consists primarily of tech companies, has fallen nearly 16% year-over-year.
Yet despite this, Pittsburgh's budding tech and innovation ecosystem is continuing to produce promising young companies, and the region is establishing itself as a viable place to launch companies, climbing to spot No. 13 in Startup Genome's 2022 list of "Top 100 Emerging Ecosystems," an improvement from the prior year's ranking of No. 23.
But Pittsburgh's tech scene's future rests heavily on its young and emerging entrepreneurs, those who are breaking into the business community with new ideas that could someday fundamentally change the way the world works.
Pittsburgh Inno solicited input from several local universities and accelerators to bring you this year's inaugural list of Five Founders Under 25.
It's a group that includes those who are creating inventions across industries including energy, health care and leisure. This tenacious bunch has raised millions in combined investment funding as they seek growth beyond their current capacity levels. Most are looking to add to their employee count at a time when many tech companies are scaling back.
These are Pittsburgh Inno's Five Founders Under 25:
