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Ben Franklin Invests in Local Tech Companies Developing Solutions Related to Impact of COVID-19

Nine tech-companies in central and northern PA, that are developing solutions related to the impact of COVID-19 on the state and its economy, received an investment from Ben Franklin Technology Partners/CNP.  The funding will allow them to support operations, add employees, and further develop and commercialize new products, processes, or software applications.

Ben Franklin, which has been investing in tech startups and small manufacturers for nearly 40 years, recently received additional funding support of $1 million from the office of Governor Wolf and the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) to invest in its portfolio clients during the COVID-19 emergency.

Matching the DCED investment at 1:1, Ben Franklin is quickly deploying a $2 million pool of capital to provide funding and business support services to the companies listed below:

AssureTech, located in Huntingdon, PA, is a software and technology company that provides people with resources for finding medical attention during a life-threatening allergic reaction. Epicenter-app.com

Boostpoint, located in Lancaster, PA, provides professional home service businesses, such as roofing contractors, with an efficient on-line method of promoting themselves and managing their social media advertising. www.boostpoint.com

Integrated Platform Services, located in Lancaster, PA, offers Constance, a tech-enabled service that uses daily human phone/video calls and passive monitoring to help seniors live independently. https://www.constance.one/

Located in Hermitage, PA, OhanaLink Technologies, is a mobile communication tool that creates a virtual hospital waiting room for friends and family who want to be informed on the status of a patient or the arrival of a new baby. Visit www.ohanalink.tech

Laughing Owl Press, located in Kane, PA, is developing a platform that allows its customers to design and order high-end letterpress printed products on line.  https://laughingowlpress.com

PledgeIT, located in Harrisburg, PA, has developed a sports crowdfunding platform that allows individuals to create and launch a performance-based fundraising campaign in just minutes.  https://Pledgeit.org

 Reflexion Interactive Technologies, located in Lancaster, developed a portable LED touchscreen that quickly collects/measures a user’s reaction time, hand-eye coordination, peripheral vision, and pattern recognition for use in training and physical rehabilitation. www.reflexion.co

WaveClear, located in Erie, PA, is a medical device design and development company focused on markets for ultrasonic therapeutic devices for the treatment of vascular occlusive diseases.

Xact Metal, located in State College, PA has developed a new, low-cost 3D metal printer that enables the production of parts at the customer’s location with minimal outside handling or issues with interrupted supply chains.  www.xactmetal.com

We Invest in Innovation

The largest early-stage investor in our region, Ben Franklin Technology Partners/CNP is an initiative of the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development and funded by the Ben Franklin Technology Development Authority. The program provides investment capital, business support services, and TechCelerator startup boot camps to emerging tech-entrepreneurs and small manufacturers for the purpose of creating high-paying jobs and business growth opportunities in the Commonwealth. www.cnp.benfranklin.org.