Startup Ecosystem

Investment Deals Slow For Ben Franklin Technology Partners In ‘Tightened’ Capital Market.

September 19, 2023

Investments by Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern Pennsylvania in fiscal year 2023 reflected a slow capital market, and CEO Scott Nissenbaum said more of the same could be coming. Ben Franklin receives state funding, so it isn’t as pressured by external market conditions as a traditional venture capital firm, but it still saw fewer companies raising […]

Philly Power Moves: Meet The 4 Honorees Of The 2023 Nucleus Awards

September 18, 2023

The University City Science Center announced the honorees of this year’s Nucleus Awards. These awards recognize leaders in the science and technology space in Philadelphia. They are: Dr. Daniel M. Skovronsky, the EVP and chief scientific and medical officer and president of Lilly Research Laboratories at Eli Lilly and Company. Skovronsky won the commercialization award, which recognizes an individual […]

What should founders keep in mind when approaching investors?

August 28, 2023

Leaders from Angel Capital Association, Ben Franklin Technology Partners and other funding institutions offered their four top tips. Navigating the funding world as a first-time founder can be overwhelming. Stories abound about all the dos and don’ts of approaching investors. So what practical tips can founders looking to raise some funding follow? Local investors and […]

Two Philly-Area Groups Vie For New Federal Regional Tech Hub Designation

August 18, 2023

Under the CHIPS and Science Act, the U.S. Commerce Department will award 20 or more winning regions $50 million to $75 million to create globally competitive industry clusters. Two Philly-area groups focused on biotechnology and precision medicine want to win a new federal designation as regional tech and innovation hubs under a U.S. Department […]

Four Leaders To Be Honored By The Science Center At 2023 Nucleus Awards

August 15, 2023

Celebrating 60 years of scientific innovation, the Science Center will honor four individuals who have demonstrated leadership in fostering a more innovative, collaborative, and equitable future during its annual Nucleus Awards, presented by CSL. The Nucleus Awards, taking place on September 26th, is the Science Center’s annual celebration convening the region’s leaders in support of cementing Philadelphia […]

For EDA Tech Hubs Designation, Philly’s Life Science Leaders Are Reaching Across State Lines

August 9, 2023

Ben Franklin Tech Partners is leading over 50 partners in applying for the federal program. Here’s why orgs from southeastern Pennsylvania, northern Delaware and southern New Jersey have all joined this consortium. Tech leaders from parts of Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania are working together to apply for federal EDA Tech Hubs designation. The program run by […]

Advent Therapeutics Awarded $3 Million NIH Grant For Novel Neonatal Lung Therapy

July 20, 2023

Advent Therapeutics, Inc., a biotechnology company pioneering an optimized retinol palmitate (vitamin A) drug product as a breakthrough non-invasive inhaled neonatal lung therapy, has been awarded a $3 million National Institutes of Health (NIH) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase IIB grant. This grant allows the Company to position its novel aerosolized vitamin A formulation […]

Call The Navy Yard A Mini Smart City

July 15, 2023

Rekor Systems installed a system of sensors in the Navy Yard to gather data about traffic in the area. This project is now turning the South Philly site into a living lab for Penn State to research AI technology. David Desharnais isn’t a huge fan of the term “smart cities.” Typically, the term refers to using Internet […]

The Most Effective Actions These 8 Orgs Have Taken Toward DEI

July 10, 2023

Since 2020, many companies and organizations have made pledges and commitments related to diversity, equity and inclusion, although the effectiveness of these campaigns has varied widely. Some of the most successful initiatives have been from groups that have established histories of investing in their tech and business ecosystems like universities, law firms, accelerator programs, economic […]

Delaware AI Startup WhipFlip Keeps Streamlining The Used Vehicle Industry

July 1, 2023

The DoorDash-inspired car selling platform is now ready to raise its first institutional round — and founder Roger Clappe intends to stay in the state as the company scales. Back in 2021, before “AI” was the hot topic it’s been since OpenAI launched ChatGPT-3, Roger Clappe founded an AI company called WhipFlip. The company — […]