AI company expands headquarters in Bakery Square
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Bakery Office Four on AI Avenue. Photo: Courtesy of AI Strike Team
A new tenant in Bakery Square is joining the city's budding artificial intelligence scene with an eye on expansion.
Why it matters: It's the latest push by Pittsburgh's new AI Strike Team to make the region a top AI tech hub by 2028, hoping to attract tens of thousands of jobs as the federal government drives private investment in data center buildout.
Driving the news: Hellbender, a local company specializing in AI-powered computer vision systems, is relocating and expanding its headquarters to 40,000 square feet of Bakery Office Four, previously home to Matthews International.
- It'll join the city's dynamic AI ecosystem along "AI Avenue," which houses more than two dozen AI companies anchored by Google, Duolingo, CMU Cloud Lab and UPMC Enterprises.
- The company expects to move into the new space in early fall.
How it works: Hellbender makes computing hardware for real-time data processing and decision making (think smart cameras and traffic monitoring), manufacturing technologies for defense and industrial applications.
- The company was founded by Marine veteran Brian Beyer, and veterans make up 30% of its workforce.
Zoom in: The $4 million buildout and expansion will include investment in high-tech manufacturing equipment and create more than 100 new jobs, according to the company, with plans to grow to over 300 employees in the near future.
- It will keep its current facility at U-PARC in Harmar Township as an overflow manufacturing site.
What they're saying: "Hellbender brings a much-needed hardware complement to our world-class AI software ecosystem," says AI Strike Team executive director Joanna Doven.
- "Their expansion means more jobs now and even more on the horizon."
What's next: The strike team says it has plans to secure funding for Secure Compartmentalized Infrastructure Facilities (SCIF) to support AI firms in securing national security and defense contracts.