Pittsburgh’s software accelerator company AlphaLab announced today that it will be moving from its current home on the South Side to East Liberty’s Broad Street, in the same building as hardware accelerator AlphaLab Gear.
“The biggest advantage of having the (hardware and software companies) right next to each other is for the entrepreneurs to interact and learn from each other,” says Jim Jen, executive director of Alpha Lab for Innovation Works. “Trends in technology show we’re seeing an increase in growth in physical devices that have software as part of them.”
While the 5,000 square feet of new space is under construction, AlphaLab’s newest class of seven companies – to be announced early February – will start operating in a temporary location in the Beauty Shoppe at Cube in East Liberty, just around the corner from the new space. Jen and his team will be moving into their temporary space on January 26.
The new offices should be available sometime in the spring, notes Jen.
The move to Pittsburgh’s East Liberty neighborhood will also place AlphaLab in close proximity to a strong network of former AlphaLab companies who can provide valuable mentoring expertise to the new cycle of entrepreneurs.
“Bringing the two accelerators together under one roof distinguishes the AlphaLab and AlphaLab Gear program as the country’s only top-rated accelerator building great software and hardware companies,” says Terri Glueck, director of communications and community development for seed-stage investor Innovation Works.
“As smart devices and mobile applications combine hardware and software in more and more objects we touch each day–think of the self-driving cars and other devices rolled out last week at the Consumer Electronics Show–our companies will have a distinct advantage in having greater access to expertise in both hardware and software.”
It’s an opportunity to take AlphaLab to its next level in supporting entrepreneurs, she notes. “We can more naturally conduct joint programming, leverage our incredible alumni network and more easily bring the expertise of our mentors to all our companies.”
