Pittsburgh-based OneValley, a global innovation platform, launched this week its Pittsburgh Entrepreneurship Platform (PEP) – a site for Pittsburgh-based startups that provides them with an online community platform and a hub connecting startups and innovators to locally-curated resources, services, mentors, and investors from the region, as well as serving as a gateway to global networks.
OneValley CEO, Nikhil Sinha, applauded the local entrepreneurial community for supporting the project and its mission to build an innovation community in the area.
“It’s exciting to see this vision which has been years in the making coming to life with the support of our partners and strong advocates in democratizing innovation and empowering startups driving impactful change globally,” he says. “Through the Pittsburgh Startup Challenge, our first step in launching into the local market, we’ve already seen the exceptional talent, innovation, and ground-breaking technology coming out of the region, and now with the launch of PEP, we’ll only see this talent and growth amplify. It’s an incredibly exciting time for us.”
PEP, built in partnership with Ascender and with generous support from the Richard King Mellon Foundation, is powered by OneValley’s Passport, a global innovation platform that supports over 40,000 entrepreneurs with tools, resources, more than $1 million in discounted and free services, and network connections to local venture capitalists and mentors in the region, as well as investment and funding opportunities.
“What’s most exciting about this platform is that we can provide all the experience and benefits that thousands of global founders are already leveraging through OneValley’s Passport platform,” says Alec Wright, Chief Innovation Officer at OneValley. “Through PEP, the Pittsburgh community will have direct access to Passport, but we’re also spotlighting the immense talent, key services, and resources that are homegrown right here in Pittsburgh and making it easily available to the local startup community.”
Once they join the platform, members will have immediate access to booking time with mentors and connecting with local venture capitalists and angel investors. OneValley will also be hosting a series of events, including office hours with top Silicon Valley and global venture firms, fireside chats with experienced tech startup founders, CEO roundtables, startup pitch events, and workshops focused on helping entrepreneurs access the mentorship and tech tools they need to grow their businesses.
OneValley will also be opening The Roundhouse at Hazelwood Green in June, a state-of-the-art innovation center housing entrepreneurial-focused coworking spaces, indoor-outdoor collaborative working and event space, and flexible workshop and training rooms. Members of the Roundhouse would also have access to PEP.