
Map: Where PA's $90B AI and energy money is going — and what doesn't match up
National energy and tech CEOs joined Sen. Dave McCormick and other elected officials at Carnegie Mellon University on July 15 to announce more than $90 billion for various data center and energy generation projects.
While many executives at the summit credited the Trump administration for paving the way for these investments, reporting from WESA found that several of the Pennsylvania-based projects were already underway before the second Trump administration began in January.
A deeper dive into the full list of investments released by McCormick's office reveals that some of those figures do not align with the pledges companies actually made in their own announcements, either.
For example, the release from McCormick's office says Constellation Energy will spend $2.4 billion to increase power generation at the Limerick nuclear power plant, but the company would not confirm that amount. McCormick's office did not respond to Technical.ly's request for comment.
That's just one of the discrepancies that Technical.ly found. Keep reading for a breakdown of the pledges made at the summit and where those investments currently stand.
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Technical.ly
9 hours ago
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Robots that work with humans, rather than replacing them? Young people are lining up to join PA's Precision Cobotics
This story was reported with support from Pennsylvania Gets It Done and the BusinessPA team at the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development. Their work connecting businesses to financial resources, strategic partnerships and tailored guidance aims to build a stronger, more successful Pennsylvania economy. Startup profile: Precision Cobotics Founded by: Alex Corckran, Josh Horvath, John Bridgen Year founded: 2022 Headquarters: Lititz, PA Sector: Robotics Funding and valuation: Private equity, undisclosed by the company Key ecosystem partners: Millersville University, Lancaster County STEM Alliance, Lancaster County Workforce Development Board, Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology, Career Ready Lancaster!, Bright Side Opportunities Center, Church World Service Lancaster and others. 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'[Kamen's] philosophy was all these kids are into basketball and other sports that don't really have much of a likely professional career path,' Bridgen said, 'so how do we make robotics, automation, programming, mechanical engineering — all these skills that the world has jobs for — a sport to capture people?' Those ideas, that interns can do great work and young people love solving problems, are still at the heart of the company. 'It's been really beneficial for me to get hands-on experience outside of the classroom,' said Chris Shenberger, a Millersville University student and former Robotics Worx participant who now mentors others in the program. 'And it's really meaningful to see how it helps other students, especially the high schoolers.' Looking ahead, Precision Cobotics is eyeing opportunities to expand with new automation centers, but all potential growth would need to be aligned with the company's team-first culture, according to Bridgen. 'We want to be purposeful and very intentional about how we grow, because our culture is such an important part of that, and we don't want to lose it,' Bridgen said. 'We need to make sure, as we experience success, we don't lose what really matters.'


Technical.ly
a day ago
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Carnegie Mellon names interim leaders for renowned startup and tech research centers
Power Moves is a recurring series where we chart the comings and goings of talent across the region. Got a new hire, gig or promotion? Email us at pittsburgh@ Carnegie Mellon University is entering a new chapter in its efforts to support entrepreneurship and innovation. The university is searching for new leadership at two of its prominent centers — the Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship and the Block Center for Technology and Society — following the departures of both founding directors in recent weeks. Meanwhile, local startup founders are being recognized for their work. Duolingo CEO Luis von Ahn has joined the board of design platform giant Figma and Krystal Biotech cofounder Suma Krishnan earned a spot on Forbes' 50 Over 50 list. Read on below the chart for the latest updates on who's stepping up in Pittsburgh's innovation ecosystem. [Graph] Leadership changes at CMU's entrepreneurship and tech centers Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) is undergoing two major leadership transitions that could influence its approach to entrepreneurship and innovation moving forward. In late June, Dave Mawhinney, founding executive director of CMU's Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, announced he was stepping down from the role and returning to CMU faculty as a professor of entrepreneurship. While the university conducts a national search for his successor, Meredith Grelli, director of CMU's Project Olympus Incubator Program, will serve as interim director. Launched in 2016, the Swartz Center supports entrepreneurship education and CMU startups through initiatives like the Tartan Entrepreneurs Fund and the Venture Bridge pre-seed accelerator, among others. 'What [Dave] has done to elevate and expand entrepreneurship at CMU is remarkable,' said Jim Swartz, founder of the global venture capital firm Accel, whose $31M a decade ago made the center possible. 'He built a center, and a community, that is vibrant, forward-looking and committed to real impact. I'm proud of what we've accomplished together, and grateful to Dave for leading and shaping the center's success over the years. Without question, Dave Mawhinney has personally changed the importance and trajectory of entrepreneurship at CMU forever.' Just a few weeks later, Ramayya Krishnan, founding faculty director of CMU's Block Center for Technology and Society, also announced he would step down in July. After five years leading the center's research on policy for emerging technologies, Krishnan will stay involved with many of its initiatives. In the interim, Kirsten Martin, Dean of the Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy, will take over as faculty director. 'The Block Center has always been about turning research into impact,' said Keith Block, founding donor of the Block Center. 'Professor Ramayya Krishnan brought that vision to life with integrity and purpose —building a center that is helping shape how we think about the future of work, technology,and society. I'm grateful for his leadership and look forward to what's ahead under Dean Martin's direction.' Duolingo CEO joins board of design platform Figma Duolingo's CEO Luis von Ahn joined the board of design software company Figma in July, shortly before it debuted on the stock market. When Figma announced Ahn's appointment, the company credited him with driving Duolingo's growth and its fun, approachable design since he cofounded the company in 2011. The two companies already had a relationship before Ahn's board appointment. Duolingo was a Figma customer and collaborated with the company on its viral 2024 Super Bowl commercial. 'For a long time I've had a founder crush on Luis,' said Figma's CEO Dylan Field in a prepared statement. 'Duolingo's dedication to design and craft is exemplary, and Figma has learned so much from Duolingo as a customer. This all stems from Luis who famously sits with his design team, and despite his computer science background, is a champion for design across the industry.' Ahn joined the board at the same time as Anthropic's chief product officer Mike Kriege, now serving alongside top executives from Mozilla, ServiceNow and Cisco Systems, among other companies. Before the company went public on July 31, Ahn received 48,179 shares of Figma stock, according to a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. The shares, which would have been valued at more than $1.5 million during Figma's initial public offering, were granted as part of a restricted stock unit award, which is a common type of compensation for board members. Krystal Biotech founder recognized by Forbes Local founder Suma Krishnan was recently recognized by the Forbes 2025 50 Over 50 list for her role in building one of Pittsburgh's most successful biotech companies. Krishnan's company, Krystal Biotech, is best known for its FDA-approved topical gene therapy for dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa — a rare genetic disorder that causes extremely fragile skin. The company is currently valued at over $4.5 billion, according to PitchBook. Krishnan, an organic chemist by training, launched the company in 2016 with her husband, using about $5 million from previous biotech ventures. 'You have to be brave and bold to do this,' Krishnan told Forbes. 'I was never afraid of risk-taking. I never felt like I needed a stable job.' More power moves: CMU named Tania Castañeda as its next vice provost for enrollment management and dean of admission, starting Aug. 25. Castañeda joins from Columbia University where she held a similar role. 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Technical.ly
2 days ago
- Technical.ly
United Effects Ventures (UEV)
United Effects Ventures (UEV) is a Philly-based startup studio built by B2B technology founders, for B2B technology founders. We invest at inception – when risk is highest and support matters most – bringing real-world experience, hands-on help, and early capital to help startups start faster and go further.