Ben Franklin News
The Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania’s (BFTP/NEP) Board of Directors has approved the investment of $207,200 in support of regional economic development. Five companies from throughout BFTP/NEP’s 21-county service area received funding.
BFTP/NEP announces the following early-stage company investments, which are provided in the form of loans with warrants.
Celebr8 Life, Inc., Ben Franklin TechVentures, Bethlehem, Northampton County
Ben Franklin Investment: $80,000
Launch and market a mobile application that streamlines event coordination, photo sharing, the creation of highlight reels, and the storage of life memories. Through integrated event coordination, Celebr8 Life makes it easier and lower cost for users to present and manage events, and helps them leverage digital assets to produce a quality keepsake memory movie.
IntelliGreen, West Hazleton, Luzerne County
Ben Franklin Investment (continuation project): $100,000
Scale sales and marketing while adding new features to IntelliGreen’s entrance-management products, which allow company clients to protect the security and health of their workplaces better. The Intelli-Temp provides temperature screening as well as data consolidation through ID integration or facial recognition. The proprietary backend management platform, Cortex, consolidates data across all platforms for enterprise-level management and availability of health statistics. Cortex is also developing as a cross-functional attendance-management platform for building and class-level, real-time attendance integration. These tools streamline workplace attendance tracking and enhance emergency-situation transparency.
Ben Franklin provides 1:1 matching funding for work with a college or university partner on technology-based innovation in established manufacturers.
M.J. Reider Associates, Inc., Reading, Berks County
Ben Franklin investment: $6,700
University Partner: Alvernia University’s O’Pake Institute
Support the company with customer service enhancements to improve efficiencies. M.J. Reider is a private contract laboratory that provides analytic testing support for drinking water, non-potable water, and solid or chemical matter. The firm is growing due to an increased emphasis on monitoring drinking water.
PhytogenX, Inc., Morgantown, Berks County
Ben Franklin Investment: $12,500
University Partner: Alvernia University’s O’Pake Institute
Extend applications of PhytogenX’s Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system to improve manufacturing efficiencies and streamline marketing and sales processes at this contract manufacturer for the beauty and skincare industry.
PMA-13, Inc., Allentown, Lehigh County
Ben Franklin Investment (continuation project): $8,000
University Partner: Lehigh University’s Center for Supply Chain Research
Implement a new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system at this producer of signage for government organizations, hospitals, and companies under the Clarke Systems and People Signs brands. The new ERP system will streamline and simplify processes, improve supply chain visibility, and advance financial operations to enhance customer service and accommodate anticipated growth.
