Unleashing the next wave of innovation: 11 startups to watch
We’re thrilled to unveil the 11 Pittsburgh-based companies selected for our highly competitive 2023–2024 Incubator. Chosen from a fiercely competitive pool of over 50 startups and micro/small businesses, these outstanding companies stood out during our intensive Pre-Incubation Bootcamp for their vision, potential, and commitment to impacting the local economy.
“Game recognizes game,” said Nadyli Nuñez, Ascender’s Executive Director. “We continue to refine our business curriculum, add new resources, and expand our mentor network, and as a result, we’re blown away each year by the quality of businesses that choose to put in the work and opt to be part of our Incubator.”
Our yearlong business incubator provides a nurturing environment for local entrepreneurs to transform their ideas into fully-realized, market-ready products or services. With a comprehensive, founder-focused support system, including $5,000 in equity-free funding and access to over $20,000 in business assistance, the early-stage founders receive 1:1 coaching, tailored educational programming, mentoring, and connections to Ascender’s extensive network of industry experts and over 100 successful Incubator alums.
Since entrepreneurship plays a vital role in shaping Pittsburgh’s local economy by fostering innovation, driving job creation, attracting investment, and contributing to the city’s overall resilience, our Incubator works with a broad range of businesses spanning various industries, all geared toward making a positive impact. The 2023–2024 cohort includes startups solving problems in the fields of AI, robotics, childcare, textiles, and more.
“Entrepreneurs come to us because we challenge them, hold them accountable, and help them build community and expand their networks,” stated Annia Aleman, Ascender’s Innovation Director. “Our Incubator’s founder-focused approach unlocks the true potential of each business owner. We meet them where they’re at, empower them to test, fail fast, and most importantly, create game-changing products and services that customers love.”
Our organization’s commitment to diversity and inclusion is reflected in the composition of the incoming cohort: 57% of founders identify as BIPOC and more than half of the companies are founded or co-founded by entrepreneurs who identify as a woman, non-binary, or gender-nonconforming.
The companies joining Ascender’s Incubator are:
Asher Informatics
Asher Informatics is a software-enabled solutions company activating Medical AI for improved outcomes in healthcare systems and private practices to identify the most appropriate and useful clinical analytical tools and facilitate measurement of utilization and demonstrate ROI.
Co-Founders: Charlotte Kalafut & John Kalafut
Dancers Connect
Dancers Connect is developing a web platform, Danceapply.com, to simplify and improve dance audition registrations for both dancers and organizations.
Founder: Jaehee Cho
Intrinsic Media
Intrinsic is a video-facing media company that voices vision through immersive stories mostly relating to the BIPOC sports, art, and business community. Being immersive visual storytellers, Intrinsic also works with brands as a creative agency to develop creative campaigns & strategy, partnerships, content, and more.
Founder: Jibril Washington
Kool Image Dolls
Kool Image Dolls® is a culturally positive doll company that specializes in designing black playdolls of color, children’s clothing accessories, and entertainment that promote positive self-identity play, and positive self-identity engagement.
Founder: Dominique Scaife
London Bridges Child Development Center
London Bridges Child Development Center provides quality play-based childcare to parents with children 6 weeks thru 13 years of age.
Founder: London Fitzgerald
MitoAI
MitoAI is a laboratory automation device company that specializes in developing an advanced robotic system to automate cell culturing in the life sciences industry.
Co-Founders: Bingda Li & Xinyu Wang
Noteful
Noteful is developing a smartphone and web app that uses gamification to teach note reading and music theory. Recognizing notes on the staff, quickly identifying intervals by sight or sound, and understanding basic music theory concepts that enhance memory are a few of the skills you can develop using the app.
Founder: Becky Billock
Sensify
Sensify specializes in smart solutions to improve waste diversion at the receptacle level. Its flagship product, higi (Helpful Interactive Guidance IoT), is a small sensor package that easily mounts on waste bins, classifying waste while providing real-time audiovisual feedback to guide users on proper disposal and generating insights for facilities and recycling providers.
Co-Founders: Rishi Basdeo, Shane Deng, and Ryan Leemans
SewForward
SewForward is a nonprofit cut-and-sew studio doing high-quality small-batch manufacturing for entrepreneurs. The organization then uses the funds to teach free sewing classes, enabling low-income individuals in our community to discover creative expression and financial freedom through employment and entrepreneurship.
Program Manager: Sydney Hardiman
Solt DB
Solt DB is a public benefit company making biology easier to understand. The company’s unique business model, in which 100% of revenue is generated from subscriptions to investment research for biotech stocks, keeps the core platform free and open — so you can leave the hype, clickbait, and corporate sponsors behind.
Founder: Maxx Chatsko
The Reclamation Factory
The Reclamation Factory brings single-use plastic recycling full circle by combining automation, advanced robotic manufacturing techniques, industrial design, and an open-source philosophy to recycle post-consumer plastic and turn it into beautiful, durable products under the same roof.
Founder: Georgia Crowther
“Before becoming a part of the 2023–2024 Ascender Incubator, The Reclamation Factory was a side-project with aspirations that felt more like a dream than a real possibility. I don’t feel like that anymore. The support, resources, and community from Ascender have given me the confidence to take my idea to the next level and to not downsize my goals.”
– Georgia Crowther, Founder of The Reclamation Factory and a member of the 2023–2024 cohort
The 2023–2024 Incubator is poised to be an exceptional platform for these companies to thrive, and Ascender eagerly looks forward to witnessing their growth, success, and impact on the region.
For more information and a list of previous Incubator companies, visit www.ascenderpgh.com.
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From fledgling tech companies, healthcare innovators, and nonprofits to makers, creators, services and shops, Ascender is for Pittsburgh’s entrepreneurs. We help businesses of all types in the Pittsburgh region start and build a business through education and connectivity. See how Ascender can help you.
Ascender’s 2023–2024 Incubator Cohort was originally published in Ascender on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
