A decade of innovation — and we’re just getting started!

Repost from The Department of Innovation & Performance by Trevor Stoll

PGH Lab is proud to celebrate 10 years of supporting the startup ecosystem with the launch of our 11.0 Cohort. Since its founding in 2016, PGH Lab has partnered with 59 companies, piloting innovative solutions that help strengthen the City of Pittsburgh and uplift entrepreneurs.

While our mission remains the same — to connect startups with real-world opportunities to solve civic challenges — the ideas, technologies, and impact continue to evolve each year. For Cohort 11.0, we’re excited to introduce a new group of companies working alongside City departments to explore forward-thinking solutions that enhance services and improve outcomes for our communities and operations. So without further ado, meet the four companies helping to shape city operations this cycle of PGH Lab.

VRIDIAN, founded in 2016 by architect Jack Nelson, is a South Side–based architecture and design firm specializing in spatial computing and digital twin environments that turn complex data into intuitive, navigable tools. By blending architecture, game design, public policy, and data visualization, VRIDIAN’s VIVA Pittsburgh is a powerful tool for communicating data-based, editorialized stories about our built environment.

In PGH Lab Cohort 10.0, VRIDIAN partnered with the City of Pittsburgh Department of Finance to reimagine the Annual Treasurer’s Sale through an interactive digital twin platform. The pilot transformed what was traditionally an entirely offline process into an immersive, game-like interface that allowed residents to explore properties virtually, improving transparency and public comprehension while making spatial information accessible to nontechnical users.

“Our first pilot proved that digital twins can be more than a visualization layer,” said Jack Nelson, founder of VRIDIAN. “When people can move through spatial information and see how it connects, a shared context emerges. Cohort 11.0 is about scaling that idea, bringing more city datasets into a unified environment, and helping different city teams and residents get on the same page faster.”

Now, VRIDIAN returns to PGH Lab as part of Cohort 11.0 to broaden the scope of how digital twin technology can support additional civic use cases across city government. Working closely with the Department of Innovation and Performance, the expanded pilot will explore how GIS data can be translated into a more legible, intuitive experience for both internal teams and the public. The goal is to help users move beyond numbers and datasets toward clearer shared context, stronger decision-making, and more meaningful engagement with the city’s information.

“VRIDIAN’s approach converts complex spatial data, allowing users to observe and consume that information in a familiar and holistic environment that supports co-navigation and discussion,” said Chase Klingensmith, Civic and Technology Policy Analyst with the City of Pittsburgh. “This makes it easier for teams to align on what they’re seeing, and for residents to better understand what the data is actually telling them about our city and its neighborhoods, in a way that is easily digestible.”

Beginning in April, VRIDIAN will release monthly “editions” of VIVA Pittsburgh. Each content update will deepen the platform’s underlying datasets and expand what users can explore, connecting new layers of GIS information and editorial context. Over time, these updates will build a growing library of spatial data, stories, and context that helps city teams and residents make thoughtful decisions and inform public conversations.

Aquatonomy is a Pittsburgh-based autonomous robotics company developing underwater robotic systems to support critical infrastructure and public safety operations. Founded on research at Carnegie Mellon University, MIT, and the University of Michigan, Aquatonomy specializes in deploying autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) that can operate in low- and zero-visibility conditions where traditional visual methods are limited.

Through the PGH Lab program, Aquatonomy is partnering with Pittsburgh River Rescue, a specialized unit within the Department of Public Safety, to pilot the use of autonomous underwater scanning technology to support paramedic divers’ search and recovery operations in Pittsburgh’s rivers.

“River Rescue divers operate in some of the most challenging conditions imaginable: low visibility, strong currents, and complex underwater environments,” said Xiaoyu Kaess, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Aquatonomy. “Our goal is to explore how autonomous underwater scanning can provide situational awareness for divers when they enter the water, helping them work faster and more safely.”

The pilot will evaluate how rapid, autonomous 3D underwater scanning can support River Rescue’s search-and-recovery workflows by more efficiently locating submerged individuals and objects. Using advanced sonar mapping and real-time visualization, the system generates digital reconstructions of underwater environments, giving responders a clearer understanding of target whereabouts, riverbed conditions, and unseen hazards.

“There are many challenges a diver faces while rescuing a victim in an underwater environment,” said Eric Capets, River Rescue Crew Chief and City Champion for the PGH Lab pilot. “Strong currents, low visibility, entanglement hazards, and of course, time. Time is the most challenging of these hazards. We are fighting against the clock. Developing technology that reduces the amount of time the diver needs to search for the victim is paramount. Time equals life, and this technology will provide the victim with the best possible chance of survival in extremely adverse conditions.”

During the six-month pilot, Aquatonomy and River Rescue will conduct controlled exercises using human mannequins to compare traditional diver-only search methods with robotic-assisted diver workflows. The pilot will focus on deployment feasibility, response-time comparisons, and lessons learned regarding operational integration.

“Our work is about augmenting, not replacing, the expertise of first responders,” said Zoe So, Product Manager at Aquatonomy. “We’re excited to learn directly from River Rescue divers and figure out how robotics can responsibly support the critical work they do every day.”

By testing autonomous robotics in partnership with public safety professionals, the PGH Lab pilot will help determine whether Pittsburgh can lead the way in integrating advanced underwater technology into municipal emergency response — strengthening safety, resilience, and innovation along its three rivers.

The Orange Peel Collaborative:

As a Pittsburgh-based, people-first AI governance and strategy firm, The Orange Peel Collaborative is honored to participate in PGH Lab, a forward-thinking initiative that brings public servants, innovators, and community partners together to solve real civic challenges. This collaboration reflects our deep commitment to this city and our belief that responsible technology, when thoughtfully designed and implemented, can strengthen public service, build trust, and improve daily operations, without losing sight of the people who make Pittsburgh work.