Fast-growing startup moves headquarters to Hazelwood Green and opens expanded manufacturing operations at Mill 19, creating over 500 local jobs
Hellbender, a physical AI infrastructure company powering intelligent systems at the edge, today announced it has moved its global headquarters to the Roundhouse at Hazelwood Green and will open expanded manufacturing operations at nearby Mill 19.
The move is expected to create over 500 Pittsburgh-area jobs over the next five years as the company scales to meet the growing demand for the mission-critical hardware and software that power physical AI.
Together, the buildings will provide Hellbender with a 10-year lease at a nearly 90,000-square-foot campus, doubling the company’s Pittsburgh footprint.
The expansion positions Hellbender to become the only fully US-owned and domestically manufactured Tier 1 supplier for physical AI, while advancing Pittsburgh’s national leadership in the sector.
Brian Beyer, co-founder and CEO of Hellbender, says: “Demand for solutions that power physical AI is accelerating, and customers need partners that can move quickly from design to production.
“Our new facilities give us the infrastructure to scale with that demand, and the opportunity to attract the industry’s best talent and build critical AI infrastructure in the United States.”
The Richard King Mellon Foundation and RIDC are supporting Hellbender’s expansion at Hazelwood Green. Hellbender is also hopeful that the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania will support the manufacturing growth through RACP.
Sam Reiman, director and trustee of the Richard King Mellon Foundation, says: “Hellbender is translating Pittsburgh’s strengths in robotics and artificial intelligence into products made here, jobs created here and national economic leadership.
“Its expansion will strengthen a growing center for automation and advanced manufacturing while creating new opportunities for the people of Pittsburgh.”
Hellbender’s team is already working from the Roundhouse, which now serves as its global headquarters. The company also plans to use the building’s open first-floor space to deepen relationships with early-stage companies in Pittsburgh and nationally that can benefit from Hellbender’s design and prototyping capabilities, an extension of its mission as a benefit corporation to help emerging technologies reach the market.
The company occupies the restored industrial building in an area once used to test and stage some of Pittsburgh’s earliest autonomous systems. For Beyer, the move marks a full-circle return to the building where he once worked on robotic programs with CMU’s NREC.
By establishing its headquarters there, Hellbender is connecting the city’s pioneering role in autonomy with its next chapter as a center for the development and production of physical AI technology.
Located a short walk from the Roundhouse, Hellbender’s approximately 60,000-square-foot Mill 19 manufacturing operation is expected to open in early 2027. The location places Hellbender at the center of Pittsburgh’s advanced manufacturing and robotics ecosystem.
Mill 19 is home to Carnegie Mellon University’s (CMU) Manufacturing Futures Institute, the Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing Institute, and sits near CMU’s Robotics Innovation Center and the University of Pittsburgh’s BioForge biomanufacturing center.
RIDC President Donald F. Smith, Jr, says: “Pittsburgh is quickly gaining a reputation as a national center for driving the development of artificial intelligence. Hellbender, which develops and manufactures components for physical AI, is the latest example.
“When RIDC first built Mill 19, our vision was to create a centerpiece of a vibrant new technology center. That is now coming to fruition, with Hellbender bringing manufacturing back to the historic Mill 19 – manufacturing critical components and systems for the entities driving our economy into the future – on a campus that includes prominent tech companies, along with university-affiliated research and innovation centers.”
The new facility will expand Hellbender’s ability to produce integrated perception systems, edge-computing boards and related hardware and software that serve as the “eyes and brains” of robots, autonomous equipment and other intelligent machines.
“We considered several potential sites, including Bakery Square, and we were grateful for the strong interest and support there. In the end, Hazelwood Green was the right fit for Hellbender’s needs and long-term growth, giving the company a full campus with the space, infrastructure and ecosystem it needs to scale in Pittsburgh,” adds Beyer.
The expansion is expected to create new Pittsburgh-area jobs across manufacturing, hardware engineering, product development, operations and other technical functions. While some positions will require advanced degrees and specialized experience, many will be accessible through technical training.
In addition to Hellbender’s own internal technician training programs, Hellbender plans to work with local workforce and community partners to create career pathways for residents of Hazelwood and surrounding communities.
Brett Phillips, chief revenue officer of Hellbender, says: “A lot of people think you need an advanced degree to work in AI, but that is not the case.
“Of course, we have incredible teammates from leading institutions, but we also like to say we’re the only AI company hiring everyday yinzers.
“We’re proud to carry forward Pittsburgh’s tradition of making things by investing in people with technical aptitude, hands-on skills and a willingness to learn.”
As a partner in Almono Limited Partnership, which owns the Roundhouse, The Heinz Endowments welcomed Hellbender’s arrival as the building’s headquarters tenant.
Chris DeCardy, president of the Heinz Endowments, says: “Hellbender’s decision to establish its headquarters at the Roundhouse reflects Hazelwood Green’s vision for innovation-led growth that advances opportunity for the surrounding community and the broader region.
“We are pleased to welcome the company and its employees to this historic building.”
The move comes on the heels of Hellbender’s May $12.5 million seed round. That financing is supporting the rollout of the company’s edge AI platforms and on-edge camera line, team growth and the continued scaling of its domestic manufacturing capabilities. The Roundhouse and Mill 19 expansion provides the physical capacity to carry that growth forward.