Startup incubator accepting applications

Pittsburgh startups looking to connect with local government and various institutions can now apply for the eighth iteration of the city’s startup incubator, PGH Lab.

The cohort, launched under former Mayor Bill Peduto in 2016, is a six-month partnership between the city and these companies that allows them to pilot products and receive feedback.

In turn, the city can find ways to be more efficient, transparent, sustainable and inclusive, according to a release from the city.

Applicants for this round should have products or services ready to pilot that are focused on process improvement and optimization, sustainability and environment, equity and inclusion, and health and safety.

“Since 2016, PGH Lab has collaborated with local startups to make government work for everyone,” said Heidi Norman, director of Innovation and Performance. “By providing local businesses with an opportunity to work directly with municipal government and authorities, we are working to find new ways to serve our communities better.”

The last round of the cohort featured four companies: Royally Fit, a wellness product company based in the Hill District; Dashcam For Your Bike, an app that turns your phone into a camera for bicyclists; Farm to Flame, a waste processing company; and Kloopify, a data analytics program that monitors company’s supply chain environmental impacts.

These projects “have helped the city work toward its goal of reducing pollution, improving residents’ equitable access to resources and integrating environmental considerations into decision making,” the city said in a news release.

Applications can be found on the PGH Lab website and must be completed by Oct. 21. This round of the program will begin in January.