Ben Franklin Approved $1.7M for These 13 Philly-Area Startups

Ben Franklin Technology Partners HQ.

It’s been a busy few months for Ben Franklin Technology Partners, but the investment group won’t be taking a break as it heads into the next quarter with these 13 early-stage companies under its wing.

Ben Franklin’s newly released fourth quarter investment report shows that it approved $1.7 million in funding. About $1.3 million of the total went to nine information technologies, while $100K went to two companies in the health sector and $300K to two in physical sciences. Last quarter the group invested $1.4 million in the physical sciences sector alone last quarter. The $1.7 million in comparably smaller than other quarterly totals in recent years.

The report also highlights that 92 percent of the funding is going to companies newly partnered with Ben Franklin.

Here is a complete list of the 13 companies Ben Franklin Tech Partners approved for Q4 investment:

• xtraCHEF
  • This app automizes and collects data from invoices at restaurants and other hospitality-oriented businesses, saving countless hours, eliminating human error, and allowing businesses to access more in-depth operating statistics.

• Haystack Informatics, Inc.
  • A collaboration between the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and DreamIt Ventures, Haystack is a carefully constructed patient information system that monitors and protects patient privacy.

• Melzi Corporation
  • Melzi created the Melzi Needle Finder, a tool that helps surgeons recover surgical needles lost during a procedure.

• VeryApt
  • VeryApt is an online platform that streamlines the process of finding and leasing an apartment, thanks to an easy-to-use interface and a helpful concierge service.

• Clear Admit
  • ClearAdmit is a full-service resource for prospective business school applicants, providing a community for applicants as well as assistance with everything from preparing an application to choosing an MBA program.

• Instinct Science, LLC
  • Bucks County-based Instinct Science digitizes and automizes veterinary care into a workflow system specifically designed to meet the unique challenges of a veterinary hospital.

• Near-Miss Management
  • This company designed the Dynamic Risk Analyzer, a product that can detect various issues, dangers, and malfunctions in industrial workplaces, oftentimes long before standard alarms or detection equipment can.

• BumpOut
  • BumpOut is a small but powerful Bluetooth speaker that sticks to almost any surface without compromising sound quality.

• TalexMedical, LLC
  • This medical company’s first product, Infantear, is a customizable device used to remedy external ear deformities in newborn children, providing a low-cost, comfortable alternative to standard surgical ear procedures.

• Tassl
  • Designed primarily for use in schools, the Tassl app is a platform for higher education and other professional networks to centralize communication and information network-wide, boosting engagement and providing administrators with helpful analytic data.

• TimelinePI
  • TimelinePI is a next-level business analytics tool that enables users in all industries to interact with and explore their business’ data in creative and useful ways.

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