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Pittsburgh chooses government partnership cohort
Digital twin best practices, genAI guidelines, autonomous underwater robotic scanning and thermal measurement tech all feature in the PGH Lab Cohort 11.0.
At a glance
Who: City of Pittsburgh’s Department of Innovation and Performance; PGH Lab.
What: The City has selected four local start-ups to participate in PGH Lab Cohort 11.0, its “first customer” programme that connects local entrepreneurs with government partnerships.
Why: To explore next-generation technologies to prepare the City for the future, support modern City services and translate innovation into measurable outcomes.
When: The cohort now moves to the six-month government partnership programme.
The City of Pittsburgh’s Department of Innovation and Performance has selected four local start-ups to participate in PGH Lab Cohort 11.0, the City’s “first customer” programme that connects local entrepreneurs with government partnerships.
Launched in 2016, PGH Lab is celebrating 10 years of operations and offers a six-month paid programme for local startups to test new technologies and services with the city government.
PGH Lab 11.0 chosen start-ups
The four companies selected for PGH Lab 11.0 were chosen from a competitive pool of 35 applicants, the largest submission pool in the programme’s history. This year’s cohort includes:
- Aquatonomy: partnering with Pittsburgh’s River Rescue Team in Public Safety, this pilot will focus on evaluating the use of autonomous underwater robotic scanning in low- and zero-visibility conditions to support the search and recovery of people and objects in Pittsburgh rivers
- Pittsburgh Drone Services: working alongside City Planning’s Office of Sustainability and Resilience, this pilot will leverage drones equipped with thermal measurement technology to help the City evaluate buildings that present challenges related to Pittsburgh’s Climate Action Plan, focused on areas of energy inefficiency and heat loss
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- The Orange Peel Collaborative: collaborating with the Department of Innovation and Performance, this pilot will support the City workforce in creating generative AI guidelines to improve staff efficiency and problem-solving while protecting City data, ensuring trustworthy tool use and safeguarding the rights and safety of city residents
- Vridian: teaming up with Pittsburgh’s Geographical Information Systems (GIS) Team in the Department of Innovation and Performance, this pilot will develop digital twin best practices and use cases by exploring what maps and assets the City is currently using across departments that are candidates for a transition to a digital twin platform.
“Pittsburgh has always been a centre of innovation and future technologies are being built here,” said mayor Corey O’Connor. “My administration is committed to supporting the growth of our technology ecosystem and are excited to partner with these local startups who are providing advanced, efficient solutions for the City.”
In 2024, the programme introduced a $25,000 payment to each participating company, recognising the value of their work and ensuring equitable access to the opportunity.
Participants gain valuable feedback, connect with municipal leaders and help make Pittsburgh’s government more efficient, transparent, sustainable and inclusive.
“Pittsburgh has always been a centre of innovation and future technologies are being built here”
“For more than 10 years, PGH Lab has served as a bridge between innovative entrepreneurs and the City of Pittsburgh, transforming bold local ideas into real-world solutions for the City. Now in its 11th cohort, the programme continues to demonstrate the power of real collaboration,” said Sylvia Harris, acting director for the Department of Innovation and Performance.
She added: “This cycle, the City is piloting with four companies to responsibly explore next-generation technologies that prepare the City for the future, support modern City services and translate innovation into measurable outcomes for residents.”
The PGH Lab programme is committed to fostering powerful public-private partnerships to drive meaningful change.
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How can autonomous underwater robots improve river search-and-recovery effectiveness?How should generative AI guidelines protect city data and resident privacy?Which thermal-drone metrics best identify building energy inefficiencies?How can digital twin platforms prioritize municipal assets for phased adoption?What evaluation criteria determine successful public-private technology pilots?AI and Machine Learningclimate actionClimate change/ResilienceConnectivity & Datadigital twinseconomic developmentEnergy & EnvironmentGovernance and CitizenPeople and SkillsPittsburgh
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