Internationally acclaimed high-tech workspac
e and community for early-stage companies
BFTP/NEP launched the Ben Franklin Business Incubator at Lehigh University in Bethlehem soon after the statewide Ben Franklin program began in 1983. The location on a major university research campus allows resident companies ready access to the equipment, faculty, and students at Lehigh, which complement Ben Franklin’s in-house expertise and network of experts and other resources well.
In 2007, we relocated the incubator program across the street on Lehigh’s campus to Ben Franklin TechVentures, a 62,000-sf former Bethlehem Steel laboratory, tripling our available space. Ben Franklin TechVentures2, which opened in October 2011, increased the total space to 109,000 sf. We expanded and opened TechVentures West Wing in autumn of 2017. The facility now has a total of 129,000 sf of space for companies to start and grow.
Typically, 40 to 50 firms call Ben Franklin TechVentures home, employing as many as 170 people. 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.
In addition to the support of experts and the synergies of launching in a tech-based incubator, entrepreneurs benefit from the innovation, determination, and work ethic of the region, highlighted in Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation’s “Made Possible in Lehigh Valley” video. BFTP/NEP continues to build on its legacy as a “job creation factory” by accommodating accelerating needs for incubator space that fuels economic growth.
For information about becoming a Ben Franklin TechVentures resident company, contact Anthony Durante, adurante@nep.benfranklin.org, BFTP Manager of Entrepreneurial Support, 610.758.5240.
| Website | www.bftechventures.org |
| Location | Mountaintop Campus, Lehigh University 116 Research Drive Bethlehem, PA 18017 (Directions) |
| Year Started | Ben Franklin Business Incubator (1983) Moved to larger building, Ben Franklin TechVentures (2007) Ben Franklin TechVentures2 expansion opened (2011) Ben Franklin West Wing expansion opened (2017) |
| Examples of Successful Graduates | CICLON/Texas Instruments Computer Aid, Inc. IQE OraSure Technologies Saladax Biomedical |
| Contact | Anthony Durante, Manager 116 Research Drive Bethlehem, PA 18015 610.758.5240 adurante@nep.benfranklin.org |
| Tax Benefit Status | PA Keystone Innovation Zone |
| Size | 60,000+ square feet of rentable space |
| Rentable Sizes | 250 to 1,230 square feet |
| Wet Lab Space | 11,000+ square feet |
| Number of Floors | Five |
| Ceiling Height | 9.5 feet (offices), 12 feet (labs) |
| Nature of Space | High-tech office and wet lab space |
| Loading Dock | Yes, plus three passenger elevators and one large freight elevator with four-ton capacity |
| Parking | 255 spaces |
| Handicappped Accessible | Yes |
| Security | 24-hour keyless access entry system with video surveillance |
| Energy Conservation | LEED Gold certified building with photovoltaic solar panels on roof and state-of-the-art Lutron energy management and light harvesting technologies |
| University Resources | Access to the facilities, equipment, staff and students of Lehigh University |
| Conference Rooms | 15, with electronic scheduling; access to the Innovation Institute with 10,000+ square feet of conference, technology, and food service space for up to 300 guests |
| A/V Equipment | Projectors, screens, plasma displays throughout building, video teleconferencing |
| Internet | 100 MPS with voicemail |
| Phone System | VOIP system |
| High-Speed Copier, Fax | Yes |
| Cable TV | Yes, in conference spaces |
| Showers | Yes (men’s and women’s) |
| Breakroom | Two, with kitchenette and on-site deli restaurant |
