Ben News

Gov. Wolf’s Proposed Budget Would Give Ben Franklin Technology Partners $8M to Fund More Startups

February 10, 2022

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf’s ambitious $43.7 billion budget proposal includes an $8 million boost for Ben Franklin Technology Partners, a move that the organization’s leadership says could get more Philadelphia-area startups funded. Wolf’s budget proposal sets aside $2 million for each of the four Ben Franklin Technology Partners offices — located in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, State […]

What is 1Philadelphia? Sylvester Mobley on Building Infrastructure For Racial Equity in Philly Tech

December 9, 2021

“Systemic” is just buzzwordy enough to become meaningless without context. But Sylvester Mobley can offer one stark example of the real-world effects of a systemic issue hindering Philly young people’s futures. After launching the Innovation League, a competition-driven tech skills development initiative, this year, he kept hearing from parents that they didn’t feel comfortable about […]

Why it Matters That Ben Franklin Tech Partners’ New Team Brings Clinical Experience to Healthcare Investing

November 10, 2021

Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern Pennsylvania has formed an investment group to support the development of early-stage companies focused on health care technologies and outcomes. The four-person health care investment team will led by Jennifer Hartt, who will serve as its managing director. Since 2006, Hartt has closed more than 150 investments totaling about […]

Why it Matters That Ben Franklin Tech Partners’ New Team Brings Clinical Experience to Healthcare Investing

November 10, 2021

Often times it is the people closest to problems who best understand the solutions. That’s why state-backed seed and early-stage funder Ben Franklin Technology Partners has brought on pros with direct experience in the healthcare field to lead its new Healthcare Investment Group (HIG). HIG Managing Director Jennifer Hartt, Ben Franklin’s former director of investments […]

PACT and Ben Franklin’s All-Star Mentor Connect Line-Up: Could You Be Next?

October 26, 2021

It’s October in Philadelphia. The actual baseball fields here are getting ready for off-season maintenance, but when it comes to entrepreneurial mentorship, we’re already a city of champions. Innovation has no offseason here, so while the Mentor Connect lineup of mentors and leaders is deep, tryouts are always open – and recruiting never stops. If […]

Mentor Connect: Join PACT and Ben Franklin’s All-Star Lineup to Advise Rookie Entrepreneurs

October 25, 2021

It’s October in Philadelphia. The actual baseball fields here are getting ready for off-season maintenance, but innovation has no offseason here. When it comes to entrepreneurial mentorship, we’re already a city of champions — and while the Mentor Connect lineup of mentors and leaders is deep, tryouts are always open, and recruiting never stops. If […]

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 […]