It's been a difficult time for startups and the broader tech ecosystem all across the country over the past year.
Investment funding came to a crawl, layoffs became a frequent occurrence and some companies shut down completely amid souring market conditions domestically and abroad.
Pittsburgh wasn't immune from all of this, yet the flame that marked the region's startup scene was never extinguished, and, in many cases, it's starting to grow again. Investment dollars are starting to land in startup's coffers, hiring is rebounding and new companies have lit up over the past few months.
To celebrate these feats and other related ones, Pittsburgh Inno is once again honoring the companies, founders, innovators and advocates who are lighting the local startup scene ablaze as part of its annual Fire Awards program, which is doling out 25 awards to various honorees this year.
Each of these honorees will be celebrated during an event at The Assembly in Bloomfield on Sept. 20 and in a special edition of the Pittsburgh Business Times on Sept. 20.
Below, see all of this year’s honorees listed in alphabetical order per category.
Career Achievement
William "Red" L. Whittaker, Fredkin University Research Professor of Robotics and director of the Field Robotics Center, Carnegie Mellon University
Rising Founders
Jim Gibbs, CEO, Meter Feeder
Dylan Lew, CEO, Ecotone Renewables
Gene Natali, CEO, Troutwood
Jonathan Ogurchak, CEO, STACK
Emily Stewart, founder and president, Belong For Me
Sandesh Sukumaran, CEO, Outcome Logix
Trailblazing Innovators
Sankalp Arora, co-founder and CEO, Gather AI
Nat Beuse, chief safety officer, Aurora Innovation Inc.
Douglas Gebhard, president, RareMed Solutions
Carmel Majidi, co-founder and CTO, Arieca; CTO and co-founder, ESTAT Actuation; chief science officer and co-founder, Lifeware Labs
Jessica Spradley, president, Care-Based Leadership; CEO, Care-Metrix
Jonathan Steckbeck, co-founder, president and CEO, Peptilogics
Lindsay Stuart, founder and CEO, Mamalux
Ecosystem Advocates
Sreekar Gadde, co-managing partner, BlueTree Venture Capital Fund
Jane Joseph, director of communications and community development, Innovation Works
Trever Stoll, civic innovation specialist, PGH Lab
Ira Moskowitz, CEO, ARM Institute
Kit Mueller, founder, RustBuilt, XchangePgh
Patti Rote, co-founder, Girls of Steel, Carnegie Mellon University
Top Funding Rounds (July 2022 - June 2023)
Annexus Health
IRALOGIX Inc.
Novasenta Inc.
Optimus Technologies
Abridge AI
Carnegie Science Center student award winners
Nina Cranor - Pittsburgh Science and Technology Academy
Regina Anand - Saint John Paul II Homeschool CO-OP
Jack Terrell - Sewickley Academy
