News and Publications

This New ‘Digital Bridge’ Could Cultivate A Thriving Impact Investing Ecosystem In Philadelphia

February 2, 2024

ImpactPHL’s OptImpact tool aims to connect accredited investors with investable opportunities for good. The devastating consequences of divestment, like deteriorating infrastructure, vacant lots, and vast expanses of food and green space deserts, are glaringly obvious in low-income areas of Philadelphia. These inequalities in resources and opportunities have created a vicious cycle of poverty and made […]

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The Philly Company That Makes Autonomous Farm Robots Just Raised $24M

January 11, 2024

Burro hopes to have 800 plant- and produce-hauling vehicles in operation by the end of the year. Philly’s small-but-growing robotics presence is attracting national attention, as evidenced by a big cash infusion for a company named after a hard-working beast of burden. Autonomous robotics company Burro, formerly known as Augean Robotics, announced it raised $24 million […]

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Philly Mapmaker Used By National Policymakers And Nonprofits Raises $3M To Expand Product And Staff

January 11, 2024

PolicyMap, which started as a spinoff of Reinvestment Fund, just got its first outside investors. A Philly mapping software company has plans to grow its team and share data in 2024, spurred along by new funding from local investors. PolicyMap closed a $3 million Series A round in December led by local financier and policy research […]

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Philadelphia Startup Burro Raises $24M With Plans To Expand Its Fleet Of Robots And Triple Revenue

January 10, 2024

Burro raised another $24 million from investors as it looks to grow revenue, hire additional employees and expand its fleet of agricultural robots. The Philadelphia startup’s Series B round was co-led by New York-based Catalyst Investors and Palo Alto-based Translink Capital and joined by existing investors S2G Ventures, Toyota Ventures, F-Prime Capital and the Cibus […]

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Listen To These 21 Stories Of Philly Startup Founders And Execs

January 5, 2024

Founding Philly podcast host Zachary Brand looks back on a year of lessons-filled interviews. This year, Founding Philly published 21 podcast episodes featuring some of the most prominent founders and executives in the Philly startup community. We kicked off the year with Justin Rosenberg, founder of the popular fast-casual chain Honeygrow, and received an insightful crash course in […]

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Ben Franklin Commits $1M to Support Plain Sight Capital

June 15, 2022

Contact: Jason Bannon, Ben Franklin jason.bannon@sep.benfranklin.org Commitment allows fund to begin investments in ventures led by underrepresented founders PHILADELPHIA – (June 16, 2022) Plain Sight Capital, the investment fund developed from the 1Philadelphia framework for creating an equitable tech space in Philadelphia, has secured a $1,000,000 commitment from Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern Pennsylvania […]

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Startup Genome, Ben Franklin Technology Partners, University City Science Center, and Drexel University Publish 2022 Global Startup Ecosystem Report

June 15, 2022

Philadelphia is highlighted in the world’s paramount report on enriching startup and economic growth – ranking as the #27 Global Startup Ecosystem Overall SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — June 14, 2022 — The 2022 Global Startup Ecosystem Report (GSER) by Startup Genome was launched today at London Tech Week. The GSER is the world’s most comprehensive, […]

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2021 Performance Profile

June 6, 2022

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JVS Philadelphia Fund for Women Invest and Provides Grants of $650k to 12 Philadelphia Women-Led Regional Businesses

June 2, 2022

Judith von Seldeneck and Ben Franklin Technology Partners provide grants, direct investments to 12 regional businesses PHILADELPHIA, PA June 2nd, 2022 – The JvS Philadelphia Fund for Women (JvS Fund) and Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern Pennsylvania (Ben Franklin) today announced that within five months of launching their partnership, they have made three grants […]

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Ben Franklin Approved $3.1M in 14 Early Stage Companies

April 19, 2022

Companies featured:   Envara Health – Chester County Envara Health offers a structured lipid platform that allows for improved absorption of healthy fat calories, essential fatty acids, and nutrients for millions of people who struggle with disease-related malnutrition, unintentional weight loss and malabsorption. Envara Health is led by Linda Palczuk (COO), Jim Blessington (VP Marketing […]

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