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A muralist’s toolkit has long included paint, brushes and ladders, but in Baltimore, artists are reaching for something decidedly more futuristic: a VR headset. The tech helps painters with the arduous task of scaling designs for large surfaces. Rather than relying on projectors and other methods, VR systems create virtual sketches that artists use as guides for tracing.

Founded by: Geert Bijl, Mats Douma and Maximilian (Maxi) Hopfer Year founded: 2024 Headquarters: Pittsburgh, PA Sector: Workforce technology Funding and valuation: Bootstrapped Key ecosystem partners: Point Park University, Western Carolina University, John Carroll University and Thomas Jefferson University As federal scrutiny of student and work visas intensifies, Pittsburgh startup Northbridge is linking international students with employers ready to hire them.

Philadelphia’s durability was on display again last quarter, but high numbers don’t necessarily mean local startups are raking in cash. Startups in the region brought in $1.51 billion across 142 deals in Q3 2026, according to  PitchBook and the National Venture Capital Association’s quarterly Venture Monitor report. Philly companies raised about $100 million more in Q3 than the one before, though deal count dropped from 181 to 142.

A proven accelerator builder just announced a new program for startups in Pennsylvania, this time with a focus on women’s health. Upstart Impacts, the nonprofit arm of startup resource org World Upstart, today launched the Women’s Health Innovation Program. The accelerator will select 10 companies based in Pennsylvania or Greater Philadelphia that focus on women’s health or are interested in exploring applications of their products in the field.

Founded by: Amit Peled, Josh Jang, Ran Dagan Year founded: 2026 Headquarters: Baltimore, MD Sector: Software Funding and valuation: Undisclosed Key ecosystem partners: Peabody Institute Practicing music can be a lonely pursuit. The skill requires hours of isolation to decode sheet music, build muscle memory and master technique. Few could understand that better than Amit Peled, a renowned cellist and professor at Baltimore’s Peabody Institute.

This is How I Got Here, a series where we chart the career journeys of technologists, entrepreneurs, tech workers, builders and people in the innovation economy. Want to tell your story? Get in touch. For JT Aaron, building a company isn’t all that different from solving a complex engineering problem. Aaron, who lives in Philly, founded It Takes the Village, a civic tech startup building tools to help Philadelphians get more involved in their community.

This is a guest post by Harper Yatvin, the brand strategy and community partnerships organizer for BarCamp Philly, for which Technical.ly is a media partner. It’s a funny feeling to do the same conference for 17 years (!!) and have its meaning shift because of factors outside our doors. The only constant is change, or as Bob Dylan remarked, “The times they are a’changin’.” BarCamp Philly started as the antithesis of a massive conference.

It’s time to spread the love. The annual Technical.ly Awards honors impactful leaders, change-making companies, up-and-coming entrepreneurs and tech innovators helping communities evolve and thrive. It all starts with your nominations. Finalists are then curated by our reporters and editors, and winners are decided by popular vote. Why nominate? This is your chance to make a difference in someone’s life or career. That’s no exaggeration.

When robots make mistakes, responding with a simple “oops” can make people see them in a more favorable light, according to new research. Studies presented at IROS 2026 suggest that a range of verbal reactions to failure can make robots seem more competent, socially warm and relatable — a potentially important advantage as roboticists try to move their machines out of the lab and into everyday environments.

This story was reported with support from our partner Research Triangle Park, the largest research park in North America and one of the most successful science parks across the globe. Companies across North Carolina’s Research Triangle raised $99 million in the third quarter of 2026, marking a steep drop from the region’s average. Over the last few years, Triangle startups have raised a quarterly total of $498 million across 37 deals, on average.