Infrastructure-scaling robotics startup Gecko Robotics Inc. raised a $73 million Series C funding round in March 2022, the region’s largest round for a Pittsburgh tech company over the past year. It brings the startup’s total funding to $122 million since it began taking on outside investment in 2016. The company employs about 180 workers globally, roughly 100 of whom work out of its new Pittsburgh headquarters in Nova Place on the North Side. With the latest fundraising round, Gecko is looking to double employee count over the next 12 months for the second year in a row. Founded in 2013 by CEO Jake Loosararian and Chief Product Officer Troy Demmer, the company’s robots can climb hard-to-reach infrastructure like pipelines, boilers, tanks and ship hulls for inspection and repair.
What does it feel like to raise the amount of funding your company has raised thus far?
It’s a great vote of confidence. … Our goal was never to raise for its own sake, but the size of our opportunities and the scope of our mission kept growing to the point where it simply made sense.
How will this funding further grow the company?
It’s no secret that talent is among the biggest determinants of success for any venture, and we’ve been able to hire some incredible people across all departments since we closed our latest funding.
What role, if any, does Pittsburgh play in your company’s efforts to secure funding?
Pittsburgh has been an incredible home base for building Gecko into a growth-stage company. The business/innovation climate, concentration of talented people working on worthwhile problems and quality of life all create real magnetism. We also moved into our new HQ on the North Side soon after our Series C was announced, featuring a two-story testing area. It’s one of the most tangible examples of our investment in Pittsburgh and gives us extensive room to grow here.
— Jake Loosararian, co-founder and CEO
