Pittsburgh's mayor has cold-called dozens of tech CEOs to get them to relocate their companies to his city.

"Some people think it's a prank call, but for others, it's like, 'wow, the mayor of Pittsburgh just called,' said Corey O'Connor, who estimates he has called around 150 people since taking office in January. 'If you're already here, I ask, How can we help you expand? If you're not here, I ask How do we get you to come to Pittsburgh?'"

"Pittsburgh has historically been known as 'the Steel City' and is home to the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, as O'Connor is quick to point out, there are no longer any steel mills within city limits, while the area is home to some of the most important startups in the U.S."

"Its startups raised $1.48 billion in 2025, still a fraction of major tech hubs, but the region's strongest venture capital year since 2019, according to PitchBook. Standouts include Gecko Robotics, valued at $1.7 billion, which builds wall-climbing robots that inspect critical infrastructure, and Abridge, valued at $5.3 billion, uses artificial intelligence to automatically generate medical content."

Pittsburgh is transitioning from its historical identity as a steel manufacturing center to establish itself as a technology hub. The city's new mayor, Corey O'Connor, employs an unconventional recruitment strategy by personally cold-calling approximately 20 founders and CEOs each week to either support existing companies or recruit new ones to relocate. Pittsburgh's startup ecosystem has demonstrated significant growth, raising $1.48 billion in 2025, marking its strongest venture capital year since 2019. Notable companies include Gecko Robotics, valued at $1.7 billion for its infrastructure inspection robots, and Abridge, valued at $5.3 billion for its AI-powered medical technology. This rebranding effort reflects broader competition among secondary cities attempting to capture venture capital investment as California's cost of living continues to rise.

Read at Business Insider