Physical artificial intelligence startup Hellbender on Thursday announced it will move its headquarters to Hazelwood Green, a sprawling development situated on the Monongahela River in Pittsburgh’s Hazelwood neighborhood.
Hellbender also will expand its manufacturing operations at the development’s Mill 19. Its headquarters will be located at the Roundhouse at Hazelwood Green.
The company estimated the move will create more than 500 local jobs over the next five years.
Between the Mill 19 and Roundhouse sites, Hellbender will lease a combined 90,000-square-foot campus, doubling its Pittsburgh footprint.
“Demand for solutions that power physical AI is accelerating, and customers need partners that can move quickly from design to production,” Hellbender co-founder and CEO Brian Beyer said in a news release. “Our new facilities give us the infrastructure to scale with that demand, and the opportunity to attract the industry’s best talent and build critical AI infrastructure in the United States.”
Hellbender’s team already is working from the Roundhouse, and its Mill 19 operations are expected to open early next year.
Also located within Hazelwood Green are Carnegie Mellon University’s Manufacturing Futures Institute and Robotics Innovation Center and the University of Pittsburgh’s BioForge, a biomanufacturing center.
“Pittsburgh is quickly gaining a reputation as a national center for driving the development of artificial intelligence. Hellbender, which develops and manufactures components for physical AI, is the latest example,” RIDC President Donald F. Smith Jr. said. “When RIDC first built Mill 19, our vision was to create a centerpiece of a vibrant new technology center.”
Hellbender, he said, is helping bring that vision to life.
In a news release, Hellbender said the new facility will expand the startup’s ability to produce integrated perception systems, edge-computing boards and other hardware and software for robots and autonomous equipment.
Hellbender said the new jobs it will create will include those in manufacturing, hardware engineering, product development and other technical positions. Some jobs will require advanced degrees. Hellbender also plans to use an internal technical training program and partner with local workforce partners to create career opportunities for Hazelwood residents.
“A lot of people think you need an advanced degree to work in AI, but that’s not the case,” Hellbender Chief Revenue Officer Brett Phillips said. “Of course, we have incredible teammates from leading institutions, but we also like to say we’re the only AI company hiring everyday yinzers. We’re proud to carry on Pittsburgh’s tradition of making things by investing in people with technical aptitude, hands-on skills and a willingness to learn.”