Ben News

5 Years of ImpactPHL: 15 Regional Impact Investing Growth Signals to Accelerate

October 8, 2021

What future do you imagine for the Greater Philadelphia region? When we ask this question, responses touch on everything from climate resiliency to racial justice, eliminating poverty to greater health equity. While the answers are varied, they boil down to a common core: People want well-being for themselves, family, neighbors, communities, our region, and our […]

Philly’s BIPOC Entrepreneurs Get New Promises to Fund Businesses and Correct a Historic Deficit

October 6, 2021

Kimberly Wilson, a Black woman who struggled to get white doctors to take her symptoms seriously after a 2017 fibroids diagnosis, founded digital start-up HUED a year later to enable Black and Latino patients to find culturally sensitive medical care. Wilson is a model for what many in the region hope to encourage: a Black […]

Philly Just Ranked High on a Global List of Startup Ecosystems. These Local Leaders Aren’t Surprised

September 23, 2021

A report assessing the strengths, talent and startup resources of regions around the globe this year named Philadelphia in its top 30 ecosystems. The city moved up 15 spots in the Startup Genome’s Global Startup Ecosystem Report (GSER) after being named the top “emerging” ecosystem last year. For 2021, it’s No. 28 on the global […]

Philadelphia’s Startup Ecosystem Climbs 15 Spots Into the Top 30 Worldwide, Report Says

September 22, 2021

Philadelphia’s startup ecosystem ranks among the best in the world, reaching No. 28 globally, according to the latest report from research firm Startup Genome. Startup Genome’s Global Startup Ecosystem Report ranked more than 275 regional ecosystems based on factors like startup growth and activity, innovation and research, capital availability, talent and support for companies. Silicon […]

PA Emerging Technologies Caucus visits Ben Franklin in the Navy Yard

September 2, 2021

Representatives Napoleon Nelson and Melissa Shusterman of the Emerging Technologies Caucus visited our Navy Yard offices in August to learn about blockchain, robotics and other innovative technologies that are helping build transformative companies and communities across the Commonwealth. Watch their recaps of their visit here. We need small innovative companies to stay here in PA. […]

5 Years of ImpactPHL Ventures: ‘Big Change can be Enabled with Key, Early Investments’

August 2, 2021

In 2016, Philadelphia’s economy was doing well by many traditional measures, boasting nine consecutive years of population growth, declining unemployment, increasing levels of educated residents, and a growing national reputation as a startup and technology hub. Ben Franklin Technology Partners, having invested $200 million in more than 2,000 companies generating more than 32,000 jobs since […]

Ben Franklin Technology Partners Uses Additional Funds to Focus on ‘Surviving and Thriving’ firms during pandemic

July 20, 2021

Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern Pennsylvania, a state-backed nonprofit, invested $6.9 million in 46 companies last year, an increase of over $2 million from 2019. BFTP receives funding from the state, the previous year’s returns, and partner capital – which includes universities like Temple and Drexel along with health care companies like Independence Blue […]

July 1, 2021

Philadelphia Foundation, in partnership with Points of Light and its local chamber partners, is pleased to announce The Civic 50 Greater Philadelphia 2021 honorees. These 50 community-minded regional companies were determined by an independently administered and scored survey to be aligned with national standards for good corporate citizenship. The Civic 50 Greater Philadelphia is the […]

Member Perspective: Scott Nissenbaum

May 14, 2021

What can local leaders do to help accelerate the growth of technology-driven enterprises? Founders of emerging companies will tell you “invest more.” This is true: capital will help accelerate growth, but only if the capital is invested wisely. Our region is already praised as one of the most capital-efficient markets for emerging ventures, so more […]

Philadelphia Businesses Commit to Invest in Black and Brown-Owned Companies

April 26, 2021

The Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia announced Tuesday the creation of the Diverse Procurement Collaborative to increase opportunities for small, Black and brown-owned businesses by partnering with buyers to establish procurement goals and strategies. The Diverse Procurement Collaborative is part of the Chamber’s Recharge & Recover PHL initiative, a coalition to devise, present and […]