For the fifth consecutive year, Carnegie Mellon University and Innovation Works are planning to host the AI & Robotics Venture Fair, which is returning to an in-person format after two years as a remote event to showcase some of the top artificial intelligence and robotics startups in the Midwest and MidAtlantic regions.
The Pittsburgh area's first industry-specific VC fair, it will take place from 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Fairmont Pittsburgh on May 2.
It also kicks off Cascadia Connect, an automation and artificial intelligence conference that Seattle-based investment bank Cascadia Capital LLC is holding here May 2-4, which will be capped by tours of CMU labs and local robotics companies. Cascadia is partnering with the CMU School of Computer Science, IW and the Pittsburgh Robotics Network.
Cascadia sponsored a special purpose acquisition company that raised $150 million in a public offering last summer and is looking to buy a company in the robotics/AI/automation space.
The AI & Robotics Venture Fair is aiming for up to 20 presenting companies, hailing from Pittsburgh, the Midwest and MidAtlantic regions and targeting 100 investors, compared to 38 startups and more than 200 investors in 2021. Registration for the upcoming fair has just opened.
Terri Glueck, IW’s director of communications and community development, said it’s “hard to say” at this point how many investors — a combination of venture capitalists, high-net-worth individuals and corporations — will opt to attend an in-person event. The fair went virtual in 2020 due to health concerns around the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We are being conservative,” she said. “We may be surprised at the appetite for in-person pitches, and we can accommodate more. We expect the combination will be a compelling reason to come to Pittsburgh and see what kinds of deals are here and meet founders, experts and others.”
