A Silicon Valley firm that connects startups, investors and corporations through a global online platform will establish its next innovation hub at Hazelwood Green, pinpointing Pittsburgh as a strategic growth market.
GSVlabs, or Global Silicon Valley Labs, which supports startups in more than 100 countries, has signed a long-term lease in the Roundhouse, the latest project under development at Almono’s 178-acre site along the Monongahela River. The company expects to locate there in the second quarter of 2021.
“We see huge potential in Pittsburgh’s rapidly growing market of entrepreneurial and startup activity, with its expanding network of unprecedented university talent and engineering, AI and data science expertise,” CEO Nikhil Sinha says in a statement confirming GSVlabs’ commitment.
GSVlabs offers coworking spaces for entrepreneurs, collaborative working and event space and training rooms. Members receive access to its Passport program offering an online resource library and network of entrepreneurs and investors.
Headquartered in San Mateo, Calif., the innovation platform has about 20,000 members, 450 investors and more than 100 enterprise partners, according to the company’s website.
Its space in Pittsburgh is being designed by GBBN Architects. Once here, the company will partner with local organizations, investors and universities to keep Pittsburgh startups in the region and attract others to the city. Among the ways to do that are startup community events, the company says.
“It’s exciting to see this region continually recognized as a hub for innovation, growth, opportunity and ideas,” says County Executive Rich Fitzgerald. “We’re delighted to see the investments made into Hazelwood Green bearing fruit.”
Almono began talking with GSVlabs about locating at Hazelwood Green more than two years ago, according to Sam Reiman, director of the Richard King Mellon Foundation. Its decision “represents another positive step forward in Pittsburgh, raising its profile as a destination for entrepreneurs, talent and investment capital,” he says.
In January, Hazelwood Green released its long-range transportation plan with Complete Streets and bike lanes. Its Mill 19 building opened last year and eventually the property will have offices, research and development, light manufacturing, retail, housing, public green spaces and trails.
Carnegie Mellon University’s Manufacturing Futures Initiative, Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing and Catalyst Connection are the first tenants. Autonomous vehicle company Aptiv is expected to locate in Mill 19 this spring.
Hazelwood Green was envisioned as a place to foster innovation, making it a good fit for GSVlabs’ plans to hold educational and training events, says Mayor William Peduto. “We look forward to welcoming them to Pittsburgh.”