COVID19

NextUp: The Local Company Unlocking the Mysteries of Brain Disease

June 30, 2020

Who: Maria Maccecchini was a young scientist in her early twenties when she first became fascinated with the idea of cell death, the process through which human cells stop functioning. At the time, science students like Maccecchini were taught that while most human cells, like skin cells, can divide or replace themselves many times before […]

Wistar Institute Will use 3D-Printed Lung Models Made by Allevi for Coronavirus Research

June 30, 2020

Pennovation-based life sciences technology company Allevi is partnering with University City-based biomedical research center The Wistar Institute to use 3D printing to learn about COVID-19. COVID-19 is an acute respiratory illness and has taken more than 500,000 lives worldwide. Allevi’s patented 3D bioprinting platform will create 3D models of lungs for Wistar scientists to use […]

Zuppler Launches Menu Anywhere On-Premise Contactless Ordering Solution for the Food Service Industry

May 27, 2020

Zuppler, a global software and services company focused on empowering solutions for the food services industry, today launched Menu Anywhere On-Premise Contactless Ordering on the Zuppler “Menu Anywhere” Platform, offering an on-premises contactless ordering solution for the $900 billion US food service industry. With applications for restaurants, hotels, hospitals, educational institutions, live events – everywhere […]

Pottstown Firm Offers Free Masks to Area Residents

May 22, 2020

Ultraflex Systems Inc., a medical device manufacturer at 237 South St., will be giving away free neoprene masks to any residents of the borough or surrounding areas who report to the main office on Friday, May 22, and Tuesday, May 26, at 11 a.m. The masks are fabricated on premises by Ultraflex employees (proudly made […]

Pa.’s Investments in Innovation Paying off in Fight Against COVID-19

May 21, 2020

Ben Franklin Technology Partners has long been focused on supporting revolutionary technological developments that improve the human condition and address critical challenges now and in the future. That mission takes on an entirely new meaning today as our state and nation come together to respond to this pandemic. With cases of COVID-19 confirmed in every […]

Due Diligence During Covid-19: How Osage Venture Partners Vetted its Latest $3M Investment Remotely

May 18, 2020

After spending 15 years investing in early-stage software companies, Bala Cynwyd-based Osage Venture Partners just recorded a first. Its $3 million investment into contract management software company Malbek, announced Tuesday morning, marked the first time the firm completed its due diligence process during a global pandemic. The shift took hours and hours of Zoom meetings […]

Innovation Ecosystems Remain PA’s Best Opportunity to Recover and Grow. We Must Invest Accordingly.

May 12, 2020

When most people think ecosystems, they imagine plants and animals sharing a physical environment like a forest or a lake. However, when Ben Franklin Technology Partners thinks of ecosystems, we think of environments that attract startups, foster innovation and drive entrepreneurial success. In other words, the work Ben Franklin conducts in all 67 Pennsylvania counties […]

ISS is Tackling Supply Chain Challenges for Clinical Trials

May 6, 2020

COVID-19 has caused major disruption to clinical trials, particularly when it comes to supply chains (i.e., getting the right drug to the right patient at the right time). Innovative Supply Solutions LLC (ISS) has developed a cloud-based system that enables pharma companies to optimally plan and manage production and supply chains for drugs in clinical […]

How ROAR for Good’s CEO is Thinking about Pivoting its Safety Device During the Pandemic

May 4, 2020

Since ROAR for Good’s founding in 2014, the wearable safety device company has been through a few changes. CEO Yasmine Mustafa first founded the company with the Athena, a personal safety device for women who wanted a way to alert emergency contacts when they feel unsafe. At the end of 2019, the company discontinued the […]

Observations from the Portfolio: Some Best Practices for Honest and Transparent Communications with Boards and Investors during the COVID-19 Crisis

April 30, 2020

The start-up ecosystem is powered by the potential of great success for companies, and high returns for investors. Entrepreneurs are trained to present opportunities, traction, and results in line with those expectations – yet falling into the trap of needing to appear to “crush it” all the time and give sugar-coated results and projections to […]