Author: TylerCameron

Success in Progress Stories: March Edition

March 22, 2017

This month’s edition of our Success in Progress stories focuses on a portfolio company in our Physical Sciences sector: EnviroKure. Founded in 2011, the growing company is turning chicken waste into organic fertilizer. The company has refined its initial technology to harness the well-known plant growth promoting properties of chicken manure into liquid organic fertilizer […]

Why It’s the Right Time for Fintech in Philly

March 6, 2017

With more than than 15 hospitals and research universities like Drexel, Penn and Temple, Philadelphia has been dubbed an “eds and meds” city for many years now. Recently, however, we’ve seen the rise of a new major player – fintech. There’s certainly a rich history of financial services in Greater Philadelphia. Local big shots like Vanguard, Susquehanna Bank and SEI Investments […]

Commonwealth Computer Recycling, LLC, Rebrands as CyberCrunch

February 26, 2017

Commonwealth Computer Recycling, LLC (CCR), a company offering a broad range of data destruction and e-waste disposal solutions, has announced that it has officially rebranded as CyberCrunch. In coordination with its new name, the company has also unveiled its new logo. The Greensburg, PA-based company specializes in e-waste disposal and data destruction. CyberCrunch has a […]

Success in Progress Stories: February 2017 Edition

February 16, 2017

With nearly 200 active portfolio companies, Ben Franklin has an abundance of entrepreneurial stories to tell. There’s surely no shortage of exciting exits and successful funding rounds. However, those major milestones are just one part of the startup story. So, each month, we’re telling company stories that may not have been shared enough yet. The new series is […]

Why Mentors Matter in Entrepreneurship… And How to Find Them

February 12, 2017

Thomas Jefferson and George Wythe. Warren Buffett and Benjamin Graham. Marc Benioff and Steve Jobs. Alone, these individuals are staples in American innovation and ingenuity. Together, however, they are the dynamic duos that embody the impact that mentors have on entrepreneurs. According to a 2014 survey by The UPS Store, 70 percent of small businesses […]

Event Recap: Fueling Philly’s Digital Health Economy Forum

February 2, 2017

On Tuesday, January 31, we co-hosted a forum titled, “Fueling Philly’s Digital Health Economy” alongside Independence Health Group and Safeguard Scientifics. The sold-out event dovetailed with our recently announced $6 million seed stage funding partnership. The forum focused on how the organizations are aiming to provide opportunities for the region’s healthcare entrepreneurs. Steve Tang, PhD., President & CEO […]

Personnel Profile: Jerry Leimkuhler Joins Ben Franklin as Entrepreneur-in-Residence

January 30, 2017

We’re proud to announce that Gerard J F Leimkuhler Jr. (“Jerry”) has recently become Entrepreneur-In-Residence at Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern Pennsylvania. Jerry has come into Ben Franklin specifically to provide assistance to the companies in our investment portfolio. He’ll be working with our three primary sectors: Information Technology, Health and Digital Health, and Physical […]

Technology Trends We’d Like to See More of in 2017

January 26, 2017

We live in a world where new technology is constantly and consistently advancing and new companies are born every day. In 2014, the recession maintained its grasp on American ingenuity as entrepreneurship hit a 20-year low. However, according to the Kauffman Index for 2016, startup activity rebounded last year, going up for the second year in […]

Event Recap: Founder Factory 2016

December 15, 2016

Last Thursday, December 8, Philly Startup Leaders hosted its annual Founder Factory, a day-long conference that aims to unleash the potential of Philadelphia entrepreneurs by bringing together the local community of founders, mentors, angels, VC’s, students, government groups, and community partners for a collaborative and engaging day of learning, teaching and community building. The day […]