Ben Franklin News
Laura Eppler, chief marketing officer for Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania, said Ben Franklin TechVentures typically houses 30-40 companies at one time. Currently, they have 34 in the technology-based sectors, including life sciences, electronics, materials, advanced manufacturing, and computer applications.
“Companies typically stay for five years, and life science companies can stay closer to seven or eight years because of the time needed to navigate the U.S. FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approval process,” she said.
The companies are offered management guidance, business planning, and marketing help along with investment and venture capital funding.
“Business incubators help early-stage firms win the incredibly difficult fight to succeed in the marketplace,” Eppler said. “It’s about improving people’s lives by creating highly paid, sustainable jobs. It’s about innovation, creating products and processes that improve the human condition,” she said.
“Since 1983, Ben Franklin’s incubator has graduated 69 successful companies, together grossing more than $1.2 billion in annual revenue and creating more than 6,900 jobs,” she said. Read more via Lehigh Valley Business.
