Hellbender, a Pittsburgh-based physical AI infrastructure company, has announced that it has moved its global headquarters to the Roundhouse at Hazelwood Green and will open expanded manufacturing operations at nearby Mill 19.  The expansion will give Hellbender the space to increase production of the perception systems, edge-computing boards, cameras and supporting software used in robots, autonomous equipment and other intelligent machines. It is also expected to create more than 500 Pittsburgh-area jobs over the next five years.

Together, the Roundhouse and Mill 19 will provide Hellbender with a nearly 90,000-square-foot campus under a 10-year lease, doubling the company’s Pittsburgh footprint. Hellbender said the expansion will support its goal of becoming the only fully U.S.-owned and domestically manufactured Tier 1 supplier for physical AI.

“Demand for solutions that power Physical AI is accelerating, and customers need partners that can move quickly from design to production,” said Brian Beyer, co-founder and CEO of Hellbender. “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.”

Hellbender employees are already working from the Roundhouse, which now serves as the company’s global headquarters. The company also plans to use the building’s open first-floor space to work more closely with early-stage companies that can benefit from its design and prototyping capabilities.

AI + Quantum Tech Monthly: Hellbender Stereo Camera with a Raspberry Pi Compute Module 5 and built-in Hailo-8 AI accelerator.

The Hellbender Stereo Camera, a fully programmable depth-perception module combining a Raspberry Pi Compute Module 5 with a built-in Hailo-8 AI accelerator, is among the physical AI technologies supported by the company’s expanded Pittsburgh manufacturing operations.

Located a short walk from the Roundhouse, the approximately 60,000-square-foot Mill 19 manufacturing operation is expected to open in early 2027. The additional capacity will support the production of integrated perception systems and edge-computing technologies that act as the eyes and brains of physical AI systems. Those technologies include the Hellbender Stereo Camera, a fully programmable depth-perception module combining a Raspberry Pi Compute Module 5 with a Hailo-8 AI accelerator capable of delivering 26 trillion operations per second. Designed and assembled in Pittsburgh, the camera brings depth perception and AI processing directly to advanced industrial and robotic applications.

Mill 19 is home to the Carnegie Mellon University Manufacturing Futures Institute and the Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing Institute. The facility is also near the Carnegie Mellon University Robotics Innovation Center and the University of Pittsburgh BioForge biomanufacturing center, placing Hellbender within one of the country’s most concentrated advanced manufacturing and robotics ecosystems. Hellbender expects the expansion to create positions across manufacturing, hardware engineering, product development, operations and other technical functions. While some roles will require advanced degrees and specialized experience, the company plans to make others accessible through technical training and local workforce-development programs.

“A lot of people think you need an advanced degree to work in AI, but that is not the case,” said Brett Phillips, Chief Revenue Officer of Hellbender. “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.”

The Richard King Mellon Foundation and the Regional Industrial Development Corporation of Southwestern Pennsylvania are supporting the expansion at Hazelwood Green. Hellbender is also seeking manufacturing-growth support from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania through the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program. The expansion follows Hellbender’s recently announced $12.5 million seed financing round. The financing is supporting the launch of the company’s on-edge camera line, workforce growth and the continued scaling of its domestic manufacturing capabilities.

About Hellbender

Hellbender is a Pittsburgh-based benefit corporation developing the hardware, software and domestic manufacturing capabilities required for physical AI and on-edge perception systems. The company specializes in computer vision, integrated perception platforms, edge AI cameras, development boards and advanced engineering. Its technologies enable robots, autonomous equipment and other intelligent machines to perceive, process and respond to their environments in real time. Hellbender supports mission-critical applications across energy, logistics, agriculture, manufacturing and healthcare. To learn more, please click here.

Source/Photo Credit: Hellbender

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Molly Bakewell Chamberlin
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