Money Moves is a recurring series where we chart the raises, grants, contracts, mergers and other funding news of tech companies across our regions. Have a tip? Email us at [email protected].
Where’s the money flowing?
In Pittsburgh’s tech and startup scene, space exploration is having a multimillion-dollar moment. Plus, community programs to boost economic mobility are getting some love.
Keep reading for the details.
Community Forge receives $135k for economic mobility
Community Forge is getting a piece of a $21 million multi-year grant investment for its economic mobility program, giving the organization stable funding through 2029 to keep building career pathways for local families.
The community development nonprofit’s program will receive $45,000 annually starting this year, totaling $135,000 by the grant’s end.
“As parents advance on their journeys toward economic mobility, they demonstrate what is possible for their children.”
Derrick Shoffner, Community Forge
“A stronger workforce in Southwestern Pennsylvania depends on equipping adults with the skills needed for today’s careers while inspiring the next generation to pursue educational and professional opportunities they may never have imagined,” Derrick Shoffner, deputy director at Community Forge, told Technical.ly.
The Wilkinsburg-based org takes a relationship-oriented, multigenerational approach to workforce development. It starts by providing social services, like legal assistance or housing resources, to stabilize individuals entering the program.
Then, it transitions them into intensive workforce training through partners like the Pittsburgh Robotics Network, Per Scholas or Partner4Work.
“As parents advance on their journeys toward economic mobility, they demonstrate what is possible for their children,” Shoffner added. “Through our multigenerational initiative, we’ll be helping families build lasting personal and financial stability that will strengthen the current and future workforce of our region.”
Adults in the program are either enrolled in cohort-based technical training focused on high-growth industries, like advanced manufacturing, healthcare or IT, or receive individualized, coach-assisted skill pathways. Meanwhile, youth programming aims to foster career awareness in emerging industries throughout Southwestern Pennsylvania.
The spring cohort of Community Forge’s economic mobility program learn from organization partner Bricolage (Courtesy Mekai Mitchell)
Community Forge plans to enroll 50 adults and 20 youth annually in its program.
The grant was one of 138 programs funded by the United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania, a philanthropic organization that donates to causes in Allegheny, Armstrong, Butler, Fayette and Westmoreland counties.
Community Forge was founded in 2017 to revitalize the former Johnston Elementary School in Wilkinsburg and build a more equitable economy.
The org serves as an example of economic development that focuses on building bottom-up relationships in the community rather than top-down approaches. Along with its economic mobility program, Community Forge also offers a community space and events, tech education and violence prevention initiatives.
Astrobotic’s new NASA contracts raise funding total to $900M
NASA awarded Pittsburgh-based aerospace company Astrobotic about $298 million across two contracts last week to deliver a suite of payloads to the moon in 2028.
The new contracts raised Astrobotic’s total funding from NASA to more than $900 million since it was founded in 2007.
With these latest funds, the company will fly two of its Peregrine lunar landers to the moon. The landers will carry a device that measures radiation, a camera system to observe impacts on the lunar surface and a small mirror-like device that will serve as a landmark to help future mission navigation.
Astrobotic’s Peregrine (Courtesy)
The contracts offer Astrobotic another shot at getting its Peregrine lunar lander to the moon. Its first attempt in January 2024 failed after a critical malfunction in the lander’s propulsion system.
“The experience gained from our first two lander programs has matured both our team and our technologies,” John Thornton, CEO of Astrobotic, said in the announcement, “and we look forward to applying those lessons to Peregrine-2 and Peregrine-3 as we continue supporting NASA in building America’s Moon Base.”
NASA’s contracts are part of Commercial Lunar Payload Services, an initiative to pay American companies to build tech for the federal agency’s mission to build a permanent lunar base.
The contract news comes after Astrobotic announced last month it was entering into a definitive agreement to be acquired by Voyager Technologies for some $300 million. The deal is expected to close this month.
More money moves:
AI security startup Gray Swan raised a $40 million Series A with plans to grow its team.
AI hardware startup Hellbender secured $12.5 million in seed funding to hire and expand manufacturing operations.
Agility Robotics, an Oregon-based company with a significant Pittsburgh presence, announced its plans to be acquired and go public at a $2.5 billion valuation.
KEF Robotics landed a $1.25 million Air Force contract.
Nonprofit Catalyst Connection received $200,000 from the commonwealth to cover hands-on welding and sculpture programming, software training and transportation costs.
Pennsylvania awarded $3.1 million in grants pairing nearly 50 student researchers with PA businesses to advance manufacturing innovation, including Carnegie Mellon students with HexSpline3D and Duquesne University students with Astrobotic.
The City of Pittsburgh committed $1 million to make the youth employment program Learn & Earn operate year-round.
Curtiss-Wright, a major manufacturer from North Carolina with a strong Pittsburgh presence, will invest $80 million to expand its operations in Cheswick and add 150 jobs. PA is providing $1.2 million for the project.