Tech News

Philly Makes Amazon’s List of Top 20 HQ2 Finalists

January 22, 2018

The Amazon shortlist is in and Philly made the cut. Congrats, Philly. Amazon has narrowed its list of potential host cities for its second headquarters, and Philly made it through the first round of cuts. The company announced on Thursday morning that just 20 cities – out of 238 – remain in the competition. The list […]

What it’s Like Joining a Company and Traveling to 10 States in Two Months

January 22, 2018

Practice Enterprise Account Executive Kyle Larrow knows the conference circuit well. In his first two months with the edtech company, Larrow’s team traveled to 10 cities — a tour that included a visit to Orlando, Fla., for the well-regarded Masie Learning Conference. Still, Larrow quickly felt at home. The tone of the company was set […]

5 Philly Startups Spotted at CES 2018

January 11, 2018

It’s at least a little ironic that Wednesday, at what is arguably the biggest and flashiest technology show in the world, the power went out for a good couple of hours. Naturally, chaos ensued at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas: some attendees were evacuated, some people got their phones trapped in fancy charging stations and others fumbled in the […]

Digitability to Help Students with Cognitive Disabilities at 18 Philly Schools

January 5, 2018

Preparing kids with cognitive disabilities for an increasingly tech-driven reality is the aim of Digitability, the startup formerly known as Autism Expressed, creators of a workplace-readiness training program. A new partnership with Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry’s Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) will let the company deploy its system at 18 Philly schools, reaching […]

What was Philly’s realLIST Class of 2017 up to all Year?

January 2, 2018

Seems like just yesterday we sat down to compile a list of Philly’s most legit startups in 2017. The convo yielded a crop of 10 startups we thought could have an interesting year. Either the idea behind each venture was strong, the people involved were legit or there was a good chunk of cash backing the company […]

Lia is Launching the First-ever Flushable Pregnancy Test

December 8, 2017

The traditional pregnancy test hasn’t seen any innovation in over 30 years, with the exception of adding a digital component. Lia Diagnostics, launching today at TechCrunch Disrupt Berlin, wants to change that. The Lia pregnancy test will be the first-ever flushable test to hit the market, offering a more sustainable, disposable, convenient and private way […]

Practice got Acquired by Instructure. Here are the Details

November 29, 2017

If you had scoured the room at PSL’s recent Diversity Dinner in search of Practice cofounder Emily Foote, you may have found her off to the side, negotiating her startup’s acquisition while cradling her baby daughter, Hazel. We now know what all the discussion was about: Salt Lake City–based Instructure has agreed to acquire her company, keeping its staff of 22 in Philly with […]

How this Philadelphia Startup Plans to Help Companies Win the Ongoing Talent War

November 6, 2017

As employers continue to battle for top talent in a tight employment market, Philadelphia-based startup PeopleJoy is expanding a product, that it says is a viable weapon — the ability for employers to help its staffers pay off student loans. CEO Emeka Oguh founded PeopleJoy about two years ago when he realized just how much […]

How a Quick Text to a Lawyer Helped this Startup Nab $800K

November 6, 2017

Here are two quick lessons for your next pitch competition: Don’t pitch first. Tell your lawyer to keep their phone charged. Philly-based startup SocialLadder — makers of an on-demand platform for brand ambassadors — secured $800,000 in seed cash from the Lion’s Den, the main event at PACT’s annual Capital Conference, which you might remember […]

For its third birthday, ROAR for Good is donating 250 Athenas to Women Against Abuse

November 5, 2017

B Corp ROAR for Good officially launched its flagship wearable safety accessory, Athena, this summer after three years of development. Now, it’s celebrating that milestone by completing another part of its mission: donating the device to likeminded organizations — in this case, 250 Athenas to domestic violence service provider Women Against Abuse. It’s a good fit for ROAR, considering cofounder Anthony Gold has […]