Introducing PGH Lab’s Next Wave of Innovators
Meet the Companies Participating in our 9th Cohort
As Pittsburgh continues to cement its status as a hub for innovation and entrepreneurship, PGH Lab stands at the forefront, empowering local startups to revolutionize city services through collaboration with municipal departments. As we gear up for our upcoming cohort, we’re thrilled to introduce you to the four dynamic companies that will be partnering with us to drive positive change in our city.
Qarar
City Partner: Office of Management and Budget, Procurement Division
Qarar is a platform to quickly build and compare complex cost-benefit analysis — also known as business cases — which are crucial for the procurement process at any organization. By enabling quick generation of accurate business cases, Qarar facilitates faster decision-making, optimizing budget allocation and potentially saving millions annually. The city’s Procurement Office regularly faces challenges in evaluating multiple proposals, particularly in terms of cost comparison. Through a partnership with Qarar, Pittsburgh’s Procurement Office will test this new method of cost-benefit analysis with the aim to optimize their current procurement process, making it easier and more effective.
“One of the things we are most excited to test with Qarar is the ability to not only provide potential cost and time savings, but to have an ability to look at total costs over a few years timespan when evaluating new, multi-year procurement contracts”
-Jennifer Olzinger, Office of Management and Budget, Procurement Division
Noteful
City Partner: Citiparks
Noteful, founded in 2021 by pianist and music educator Becky Billock, is a smartphone and web app that gamifies music literacy and theory, making learning engaging and interactive. Developed with a team from Carnegie Mellon University, including CTO Jonathan Aldrich and Bradley Schmerl, Noteful replaces traditional music education methods with whimsical yet structured exercises. Their participation in PGH Lab 9.0 aims to make music education accessible in Pittsburgh while gathering user feedback for platform enhancements.
“Something that’s constantly sought after for our offerings, whether it be for adults or children, are new and innovative programs that maximize community outreach. The Noteful team and their music education app/teachings was a perfect match for the things we try and expose our community members to. Becky hit the ground running immediately, interfacing with the Community Recreation Center Directors in order to bring this pilot to life. Through this partnership, we hope to pique interest and engagement for music education to the residents of Pittsburgh.”
-Duane Ashley, Citiparks
Velo AI
City Partner: Department of Mobility and Infrastructure
Revolutionizing road safety, Velo AI is a robotics company that develops smart sensor technologies with a primary focus on bicycling. With an alarming rise in bicyclist fatalities since 2010 and 70% of cyclists citing traffic safety as their top concern, Velo AI’s mission is to enhance road safety by addressing these concerns directly. The company is partnering with the Department of Mobility and Infrastructure to collect data using their bike-mounted safety device, Copilot. The data will be analyzed to identify high risk areas, allowing the city to make data-driven decisions on cycling infrastructure and forging a safer, more efficient future for urban cyclists.
“I am so excited to work with the team at Velo AI on this pilot project. The Department of Mobility and Infrastructure (DOMI) and Velo AI are both dedicated to making streets safe for our most vulnerable users and this pilot program aims to be a model of how public and private collaboration can achieve safer streets for all.”
-Ernie Francestine, Department of Mobility and Infrastructure
AiMiLi
City Partner: Department of Innovation and Performance
AiMiLi Inc. is a tech startup pioneering integrated sensing and data analytics for infrastructural monitoring. For PGH Lab 9.0, AiMiLi aims to test an affordable tech solution that would tackle digital inequality and safeguard aging infrastructure simultaneously. Their project centers around a sensor-enabled smart telecom cable that provides broadband internet service while monitoring for strain and changes in the environment where it’s installed. With support from the city, AiMiLi hopes to make a significant impact in 2024.
“AiMiLi presents a lot of promise for PGH Lab. Like many American cities, Pittsburgh struggles with aging infrastructure and limited access to highspeed internet in neighborhoods that need it. AiMiLi gives us a unique opportunity to address both problems at once, saving money and decreasing the digital divide.”
-Chase Klingensmith, Department of Innovation and Performance
At PGH Lab, we’re excited to embark on this journey with these visionary companies, as we work together to build a brighter, more inclusive future for Pittsburgh. Stay tuned as we dive deeper into each partnership and explore the transformative impact these startups will have on our city’s landscape.
