Gecko Robotics to expand with new state funding
Gecko Robotics Inc., a Point Breeze-based startup that builds wall-climbing robots to perform inspections of facilities such as power plants and paper mills, has been approved for state funding to expand its operations.
Gov. Tom Wolf announced Tuesday the state had approved $120,000 in funding for Gecko Robotics as part of the Job Creation Tax Credit program. The program offers a $1,000-perjob tax credit to approved businesses that agree to create jobs within three years.
“Companies like Gecko Robotics are using innovation to improve business practices, create more efficient processes and protect workers,” Gov. Wolf said in a news release. “The advancements we are seeing in the tech and innovation sector, particularly in the Pittsburgh region, will serve as a model across the nation for years to come.”
The tax credit program is just one avenue the state is taking to invest in more jobs in the region. Commonwealth investments are on track to create 15,000 jobs, according to Open Data Pennsylvania, a state government website.
Gecko Robotics, which has committed to invest $16.1 million in the project, plans to hire 120 employees. Right now, the company has more than 110 workers and offices in five locations: Pittsburgh; Austin and Houston, Texas; Seville, Spain; and Santiago, Chile.
According to the release, Gecko Robotics will retain 39 employees at its Pittsburgh location.
The company started in 2013 after one of its founders, Jake Loosararian, watched a local power plant manager struggling to keep up with failing infrastructure in his facility. To help fix the problem, Mr. Loosararian, then a student at Grove City College in Mercer County, built a robot that could climb walls and perform the inspections on its own.
Since then, Gecko Robotics
has expanded to include machines that conduct inspections on a wide range of equipment in industries including power, oil and gas, and pulp and paper. In 2017, the company performed 25 inspections across 17 states, according to its website.
In December, Gecko Robotics said it received $49 million in a Series B funding round, according to Crunchbase, an online portal where firms self-report rounds of funding.
Gecko Robotics plans to use its newest funding from the state to further its research and development, tap into new markets and hire operators to perform the inspections and engineers for its staff, according to the news release.
“Pittsburgh has been the perfect location for Gecko’s expanding headquarters, continuously setting the bar for growth in technology and bringing valuable talent to the commonwealth,” Mr. Loosararian said in a prepared statement. “It’s been an incredible city for connections to stellar robotics companies and schools, as well as being a booming tech hub for our employees to live.”
Gecko Robotics could not be reached for comment Tuesday.