25 Years of Tech 50: We Are Pittsburgh

It is amazing to say the least for the 25th time, the Pittsburgh Technology Council honored and celebrated the 50 most innovative tech companies, service providers and CEOs in the Pittsburgh region. We have been highlighting a generation of innovation across this region.

Much has changed but some things remain. While Covid caused a swing of shifts, we have an upfront view of how the leaders of companies adapted and many proliferated through the world chaos. The adaptation of these successful companies is nothing short of indicative of the resilience they have.

What made the evening of November 10, 2021, even more special was having more than 500 participants celebrate in person. Not remote. Not hybrid. The energy, excitement and all-around awesome vibes were something to behold and something that I will never forget.

Tech 50 stands out as the biggest event the Tech Council produces each year and it could not be done without the cadre of partners and sponsors to make it happen. Tech 50 also serves as an opportunity to pause and look at the progress the technology and innovation economy has made over the past year.

I get the honor and privilege to kick off each Tech 50 with a quick look back and provide insights looking forward. If you did not attend this year’s landmark event, be sure to check out our dedicated coverage starting on page 8 and below is an excerpt of my opening remarks:

Tonight, you will get a peek into what the innovation industry has accomplished over the year. In the face of a global pandemic. The best is surely yet to come. Is there a better way to kick off the program than with that video about our city—a city of resilience—and having a reason to come together to celebrate?

And I am going to say this now because it is indicative of the clarity of our mission: the Tech Council’s very own Jonathan Kersting, who is here with us tonight, has been to EVERY. SINGLE. TECH 50. If there is anyone else in the room that can say that I want, you to stand up or make a scene right now because that is just what I call commitment. As I am sure Jonathan or any long-time Tech 50 attendee can attest, from the event’s inception in 1997 through today’s silver anniversary program in 2021, we have clearly seen change. That is an understatement. But one thing remains. As it has been for the past 25 years and will continue for the next 25, this event is about all of you…and about the transformation of your companies who are driving this region and impacting the globe.

You will see in the stories told this evening; Pittsburgh companies are not just changing the future of Pittsburgh—they’re solving problems that will change the world. Much of the world’s opportunities in autonomy, efficiency and language have originated from Pittsburgh.

It’s great to be back in person after too long of a hiatus, but let us face it—this is a group that knows how to adapt to challenges, and we were NEVER going to let a pandemic slow us down!

We have been honored that many of you brought us into your homes during the pandemic as you participated in our virtual programs. I will not bore you with the numbers, but we broke Zoom—and I am still hearing from all of you about how something that was an intentional experiment for us, became the norm for you. And that has been my biggest takeaway in the last 20 months (about 1 and a half years): we used our platform to widen our reach. We stepped out of our comfort zone, and you know what? We blew shXX up. We found unexpected new bedfellows and got closer to many of our old ones.

The pandemic reinforced who we are and what our work can mean—not just for a better tomorrow, but for today.

The region’s tech sector did not just show the power of our innovation during the pandemic. It showed the power of humanity. So, who are we in this room??We are life sciences leaders, advanced manufacturers, and environmental technologists. We are builders of robots. We are leaders in autonomy. We are software developers and medical device manufacturers.?We are entrepreneurs and academic researchers. We are Pittsburgh!

Today, the region’s innovation ecosystem represents more than 37 percent of the payroll in Southwestern PA’s 13 counties.?And not surprisingly, during the pandemic, many of our key clusters continued to play outsized roles in the economy.?The software industry in Pittsburgh grew its annual payroll by almost a quarter of a billion dollars from 2019 to 2020. Our life sciences industry grew its payroll by almost $400 million from 2017 to 2020—that is a 23 percent increase!?And talking about changing the world, our environmental technology cluster grew its annual payroll by $400 million from 2017 to 2020—a 13.7% increase! When I reflect on these statistics, I am humbled to know that I am in a room with changemakers who are persistently working to keep Pittsburgh at the forefront of technology growth. I am always honored to be amongst all of you, and I am grateful to have the chance to serve you.

And speaking of gratitude, this 25th Anniversary extravaganza would NOT be possible without the generosity of our sponsors! We have some first-time sponsors with us this year and we also have many of you with us tonight who have supported the event and the Tech Council year after year.