Our History
Idea Foundry is influenced in part by Pittsburgh’s hard-working, steel-town history and its resilience after the heyday of steel ended.
Working in harmony with the strong base of university-led science and technology research in Pittsburgh, Idea Foundry has been able to support companies that have pushed the boundaries of life-sciences, intelligent systems, robotics, and more. Capitalizing on this strong research base, we launched the region’s first accelerator, not just in name, but literally to accelerate the process of commercialization in our region.
Idea Foundry was also the first in the region to develop a program and accelerator specifically targeting social enterprise companies which aim to drive social or environmental impact along with creating a profitable business. Portfolio companies have made breakthroughs in the fight against human trafficking, affordable housing, local agricultural solutions, and fostering economic opportunity in the region and the globe.
A Brief Timeline
2002
2008
Founded in 2002, Idea Foundry launched the region’s first accelerator program and have incorporated social impact into our selection process from our inception.
Idea Foundry has been active in connecting Pittsburgh with the globe for the last decade.
2010
2016
A subsidiary of Idea Foundry, Pittsburgh Regional Investment Center was founded.
Our initial program, The Transformational Fellowship, has evolved into our Impact Innovation Program and its portfolio has grown and created impact throughout the world.
2018
Idea Foundry fully transitioned from domestic to global investing.
2021
We designed our award winning Equitable Entrepreneurship program to specifically address barriers that some minority and immigrant communities have faced in securing resources for their business opportunities.
