News/Events
November 18, 2020
StartUp Lehigh Valley Virtual 2020 is a virtual event that positions the Lehigh Valley as the innovation hub of the East Coast by bringing together local entrepreneurs, business leaders, angel investors, industry experts, merchants, higher education representatives, students and community members. StartUp Lehigh Valley Virtual is the event where entrepreneurs assemble to harness their creativity and create ripples in their industry by showcasing their newest business ventures and innovations...
November 13, 2020
With the holidays rapidly approaching amidst a global pandemic, local restaurants are looking at creative ways to increase their revenue while promoting safety and convenience for their customers and staff. With support from the Ben Franklin Technology Partners and the Southside Bethlehem KIZ, UBMe’s patented technology now includes a product specifically for restaurants that provides an online ordering platform and implements curbside safety and connectivity...
November 05, 2020
LV Startup is a monthly newsletter, created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, that is laser-focused on the needs of startups in the greater Lehigh Valley...
October 16, 2020
Maria had the same idea. When she bought her first grow light, a hanging pendant called the Aspect from Soltech Solutions, she chose it, in part, because the illumination it gave off looked exactly like the “normal” lighting in her home. “Like, if I had friends over, they wouldn’t know it was a highly precise photosynthetic spectrum coming out of my lamp.… They would just think it was a normal lamp,” she says with a laugh...
October 12, 2020
Bethlehem-based Viddler has brought its six-person team to Cowork 414. The video-based training and engagement platform is now completely remote. "We work with a bunch of contractors that are in other areas of the world, actually. So we've had the experience of working remotely for quite a while, and now it makes sense for us to go permanently," said Viddler president Darryl Rentz...
October 06, 2020
Start them up. The coronavirus pandemic hasn’t dampened the Lehigh Valley entrepreneurial spirit. Two events — “Venture Idol” and “StartUp Lehigh Valley”— are set to be held virtually and on back-to-back days next month. Both aim to highlight and help fund startup businesses...
October 02, 2020
As the Lehigh Valley hits ten thousand total cases of COVID-19, one local company is zeroing in one how to keep people safe. "Artificial intelligence, which is essentially a computer programmed in a certain way," explains Skillion Tech CEO and Founder, Pete Cooper, "it takes images of someone’s face and runs it through an artificial intelligence program and then gives a result as to whether they are wearing a mask or not wearing a mask."
October 01, 2020
LV Startup is a monthly newsletter, created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, that is laser-focused on the needs of startups in the greater Lehigh Valley...
September 29, 2020
Denison Technologies Inc., and HMS Networks Inc. are pleased to announce a solution bringing both companies’ expertise and technologies together to deliver on the promise of Industrial IoT by improving industrial reliability and reducing unplanned downtime through continuous power monitoring...
September 22, 2020
Venture X, a flexible workspace and community that is a blend of boutique hotel and modern office styles with a high level of professional design, held their grand opening today Tuesday September 22, 2020 at 11 am, at the new facility located at 306 S New Street - Bethlehem, Pa...
September 21, 2020
While much is still unknown about the coronavirus and how it spreads, businesses are looking for new ways to keep people safe. And one local company has come up with a new tool to help do that.
"Basically, it's something you can just position onto a stand it runs all day,” said Pete Cooper, the CEO of Skillion. The company is working out of Benjamin Franklin Tech Partners in Bethlehem and makes "connected dashboards" that use artificial intelligence and machine learning to do various tasks, like sensing whether someone is wearing a mask...
September 04, 2020
LV Startup is a monthly newsletter, created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, that is laser-focused on the needs of startups in the greater Lehigh Valley...
August 14, 2020
Soltech Solutions has experienced substantial growth since moving to the Lehigh Valley, and now they are expanding their footprint yet again. The Bethlehem-based manufacturer of state-of-the-art LED glow lights is expanding to 1,739 square feet of space in Pi: Partnership for Innovation, a startup business incubator in Southside Bethlehem...
August 14, 2020
Soltech Solutions has experienced substantial growth since moving to the Lehigh Valley, and now they are expanding their footprint yet again. The Bethlehem-based manufacturer of state-of-the-art LED glow lights is expanding to 1,739 square feet of space in Pi: Partnership for Innovation, a startup business incubator in Southside Bethlehem...
August 06, 2020
LV Startup is a monthly newsletter, created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, that is laser-focused on the needs of startups in the greater Lehigh Valley...
August 05, 2020
Bethlehem, PA – Soltech Solutions, a manufacturer known for their state-of-the-art led grow light Aspect and other related products, is expanding within Pi: Partnership for Innovation. The startup company was formed in 2014 and has called Pi home since January of 2017...
August 03, 2020
Several years ago, Val Arzunian created an app for people to know who is in a restaurant or bar before they enter. A breakup with a girlfriend whom he continued to see at various establishments was the impetus, he said. “It started as an idea to avoid people to a concept that can bring people closer together,” Arzunian said. Contactless transactions have become one of those buzzword phrases during the monthslong pandemic. Arzunian thinks there is a better way for restaurants, doctors offices and other businesses to handle those interactions with less inconvenience for them or consumers...
July 29, 2020
The Bethlehem Health Bureau is partnering with UBMe to help operate mass vaccination clinics in a manner that will ensure clients are safe. The Bethlehem Health Bureau will hold several childhood immunization/flu vaccine clinics over next few months...
July 28, 2020
UBMe is an app for the Coronavirus age...although it wasn’t always intended to be. "We were using our technology in the event space, especially where during an event people wanted to connect with everybody (else) presently there, have fun with them, interact with them," explains UBMe CEO and founder, Val Arzunian, "But because of the COVID situation, events got put on pause because of everything that is happening. So we decided to take our existing technology we'd been using in the event space and apply it / give it to the local businesses to help them now as they need it now more than ever."
July 24, 2020
For the last three years, Lehigh Valley entrepreneur Val Arzunian and David Bougard have been helping regional businesses and their customers connect with each other through UBMe, the free proximity-based smartphone networking app that they created...
July 13, 2020
With help from Ben Franklin Technology Partners and Southside Bethlehem KIZ, the creators of UBMe have released a new product called Curbside Communication. UBMe calls the product the first of its kind and says it is intended to help businesses manage customers as they arrive, safely engage and complete transactions amidst social distancing regulations...
July 08, 2020
Developers inside the Partnership for Innovation Technology Center have been working on a lot of programs. Those working for UBMe are ready to launch an app to help businesses as we continue in the green phase of reopening during the coronavirus pandemic. "I would say it has gone from something optional to something more of a utility. Where it is something that is truly needed not only to make people feel more safe coming out to the business but really making the employees feel safe as well," said UBMe CEO and Founder Val Arzunian...
July 02, 2020
LV Startup is a monthly newsletter, created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, that is laser-focused on the needs of startups in the greater Lehigh Valley...
June 24, 2020
With help from Ben Franklin Technology Partners and Southside Bethlehem KIZ, the creators of the UBMe app have launched a new product called Curbside Communication ™, which the company says is the first-of-its-kind and could help local businesses manage customers as they arrive at their business and are waiting outside for service...
June 23, 2020
One month ago FLX Solutions participated in the 2020 #BoomtownDemoDay with Shark Tank's Barbara Corcoran as host. Check out more videos on their Youtube channel and let them know how you would use a FLX Bot!
June 04, 2020
LV Startup is a monthly newsletter, created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, that is laser-focused on the needs of startups in the greater Lehigh Valley...
June 03, 2020
MTBC, Inc. (Nasdaq: MTBC) (Nasdaq: MTBCP), a leading provider of cloud-based healthcare IT solutions and services, today announced the signing of a cooperative agreement with Exscribe Orthopaedic Healthcare Solutions (Exscribe), the creator of an innovative orthopaedic surgery-specific electronic health record (EHR) system, located in Bethlehem, PA. As part of the agreement, MTBC Force will provide custom software development services as well as give Exscribe clients the opportunity to access MTBC’s sophisticated, end-to-end Revenue Cycle Management (RCM) solutions...
May 08, 2020
LV Startup is a monthly newsletter, created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, that is laser-focused on the needs of startups in the greater Lehigh Valley...
April 16, 2020
The City of Bethlehem is proposing a Small Business Emergency Relief Fund to assist city businesses impacted by COVID 19. $300,000 of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding has been identified to be utilized by the program that will provide one time grants of $2,000. Awarded funds can be used for operational costs inclusive of rental assistance, payroll assistance, and utilities...
April 02, 2020
LV Startup is a monthly newsletter, created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, that is laser-focused on the needs of startups in the greater Lehigh Valley...
March 23, 2020
A Lehigh Valley-based designer and manufacturer of high-quality aquarium equipment will be leasing new space in Bethlehem, a move that will help the company grow and expand its footprint in the Northeastern United States. EcoTech Marine, which began as a startup company at Bethlehem’s Lehigh University in 2003, will be leasing 88,007 square-feet in the Lehigh Valley Industrial Park VII. Construction on the state-of-the-art began in the fall of 2019 and is slated for completion by Q4 2020...
March 20, 2020
J.G. Petrucci Company Inc., recently announced that EcoTech Marine would lease a portion of the 88,007 sq. ft. facility in Lehigh Industrial Park VII. The project came to fruition with the support of City of Bethlehem officials, the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation, and the Lehigh Industrial Park executive teams...
March 05, 2020
LV Startup is a monthly newsletter, created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, that is laser-focused on the needs of startups in the greater Lehigh Valley...
March 04, 2020
A Bethlehem business plans to hire eight more employees through a share of $12.5 million in low-interest loans approved through the Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority, state officials announced Wednesday. The loans are geared toward new technology, equipment, real estate and building construction costs, as well as new jobs. Gov. Tom Wolf announced the funding, which benefits six businesses in six statewide counties including CryoConcepts in Bethlehem, Northampton County. Other counties included Bucks, Carbon, Cumberland, Lackawanna and Luzerne...
March 02, 2020
Startup culture is expanding as students increasingly look for internship and employment opportunities in smaller and newer companies. Featuring seven companies, Lehigh’s Startup Job Fair allowed students and employers to discuss the different environment of startups on Feb. 27 in Williams Hall. Unlike larger job fairs with employers from long-developed companies, this job fair was successful because it focused on the startup culture...
February 06, 2020
LV Startup is a monthly newsletter, created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, that is laser-focused on the needs of startups in the greater Lehigh Valley...
January 24, 2020
Governor Tom Wolf today announced an ambitious budget proposal to fuel innovation across Pennsylvania, making the commonwealth a national competitor in attracting and retaining entrepreneurs and startups through strategic funding and community support. “A strong community and entrepreneurial network are crucial for success. This holds true for start-ups, as well as established businesses,” said Gov. Wolf. “I’m proposing a strategic statewide innovation investment plan that will help get us on the right track to making Pennsylvania an innovation leader.”
January 21, 2020
Act 48 of 2017 requires the Independent Fiscal Office (IFO) to review all state tax credits over a five-year period. For the second year, the IFO reviewed the Research and Development, Keystone Innovation Zone, Mobile Telecommunications Broadband Investment and Organ and Bone Marrow Donation Tax Credits. Click on the link to access the Keystone Innovation Zone Tax Credit Report...
January 09, 2020
Just a few blocks from the rusted 16-story blast furnaces that once fired hulking steel beams for the Hoover Dam and the Golden Gate Bridge, OraSure Technologies each day produces thousands of thumbnail-size pads made to spit on. These oral swabs, part of a home H.I.V. test kit, are products of a matrix of manufacturers, financial companies and health care institutions powering the Lehigh Valley’s $41 billion economy...
January 03, 2020
The City of Bethlehem continued its tradition of supporting innovation and entrepreneurship in 2019, with the Southside Bethlehem Keystone Innovation Zone (KIZ) awarded $80,000 in funding to early-stage startup companies over the course of the year.
“The Southside Bethlehem KIZ continues to attract entrepreneurs with great ideas and ambitions, but who are not quite ready for traditional financing,” said Bethlehem Mayor Bob Donchez. “Our KIZ can serve as a model for other communities across the country and thriving companies in Bethlehem today credit the KIZ with helping them launch and grow.”
January 02, 2020
LV Startup is a monthly newsletter, created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, that is laser-focused on the needs of startups in the greater Lehigh Valley...
December 18, 2019
Keystone Edge tells the story of the new economy in Pennsylvania. It's a narrative of creative people and businesses, new development, cool places to live, and the best places to work and play...
December 11, 2019
Bethlehem, PA – The Southside Bethlehem Keystone Innovation Zone (KIZ) has awarded $80,000 in funding so far to early-stage startup companies in Bethlehem for 2019. This funding is invested at the earliest stages of companies that possess promising, technology that is in the process of being commercialized. Many of these companies are pre-revenue. A significant amount of KIZ Tax Credit Awards will be announced later this month by the Pennsylvania DCED...
December 10, 2019
Running live electric wires through crevices behind walls is dangerous, sometimes deadly work. That gave Matthew Bilsky, a young contractor pursuing a doctorate at Lehigh University, an idea in 2013. Why not build a robotic electrician’s snake that can ascend behind walls without posing a risk to workers? On November 21, Bilsky, founder and president of FLX Solutions (Bethlehem, Pa.), won the 2019 Startup Grind Princeton competition after he pitched his robotic snake, the “FLX BOT,” to a panel of four judges at the Princeton Innovation Center Biolabs...
December 05, 2019
LV Startup is a monthly newsletter, created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, that is laser-focused on the needs of startups in the greater Lehigh Valley...
November 20, 2019
Keystone Edge tells the story of the new economy in Pennsylvania. It's a narrative of creative people and businesses, new development, cool places to live, and the best places to work and play...
November 11, 2019
A treasured substance once favored by Cleopatra and ancient Egyptian pharaohs remains a precious commodity today. Over thousands of years of cultivation, the harvesting of saffron has changed remarkably little: Three delicate red threads—the stigma of the crocus sativus—must be removed manually from each hand-picked crocus bloom. And it takes about 77,000 of these small purple flowers to yield a pound of saffron...
November 07, 2019
LV Startup is a monthly newsletter, created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, that is laser-focused on the needs of startups in the greater Lehigh Valley...
November 04, 2019
The Factory LLC in Bethlehem is seeking to position the Lehigh Valley as the innovation hub of the East Coast by bringing together local business leaders, angel investors, industry experts, merchants, higher education representatives, students, community members, and entrepreneurs. That was the purpose of the StartUp Valley event it hosted on Oct. 30, an event organizers hope to host on a quarterly basis at the Bethlehem-based innovation center for startup food, beverage, and pet health companies...
November 04, 2019
The Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania’s (BFTP/NEP) Board of Directors has approved the investment of $578,000 in support of regional economic development. Clients are early-stage, technology-based firms and established manufacturers in BFTP/NEP’s 21-county service area. Investments that are identified as continuation projects indicate that the client achieved pre-determined milestones and is receiving more funding to accomplish additional project work. BFTP/NEP announces the following early-stage company investments, which are provided in the form of loans with warrants...
November 04, 2019
Entrepreneurs are making their pitches, hoping to be part of the Startup Lehigh Valley Team. The Bethlehem-based investment company held a networking event on Oct. 30. Ten local companies got to talk about their brands and make a pitch for investment. If Startup Lehigh Valley invests in a brand, the company comes to work in its facility, affectionately called "the factory." Managing Partner Rich Thompson says there's a list of local companies hoping to be part of the team...
October 16, 2019
Keystone Edge tells the story of the new economy in Pennsylvania. It's a narrative of creative people and businesses, new development, cool places to live, and the best places to work and play...
October 03, 2019
LV Startup is a monthly newsletter, created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, that is laser-focused on the needs of startups in the greater Lehigh Valley...
September 17, 2019
A coworking company is coming to South Bethlehem with plans to expand into the Lehigh Valley’s two other major cities in the near future. CBRE announced Tuesday it has arranged a lease for Venture X, a premium membership-based workspace community for entrepreneurs and businesses at developer Dennis Benner’s Gateway Greenway Park, 306 S. New St. Venture X will occupy 13,000-square-feet of office space at the $25 million, six-story glass building, which some have said is recognized for leading the redevelopment and renaissance of South Bethlehem...
September 05, 2019
LV Startup is a monthly newsletter, created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, that is laser-focused on the needs of startups in the greater Lehigh Valley...
September 06, 2019
When people think of technological advances in the medical field, marvels like 3D-printed skin and bionic legs probably come to mind. But less sci-fi-oriented design concepts also play a significant role in restoring lost mobility. After being injured in a plane crash in Alaska in 1982 while serving in the United States Coast Guard, Young was left paralyzed from the knees down and partially paralyzed below the waist. Later, he was introduced to skiing and racing at a Veterans Administration Winter Sports Clinic and is now a five-time member of the U.S. Paralympic team and a multiple Paralympic medalist...
August 20, 2019
OraSure Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:OSUR), a leader in point-of-care diagnostic tests and specimen collection devices, today announced the sale of its cryosurgical systems business to CryoConcepts, LP for an aggregate purchase price of $12 million in cash. The transaction includes the transfer of OraSure’s professional Histofreezer® product line and several private label cryosurgical products sold in the consumer market, along with related patents and trademarks, customer contracts and goodwill associated with the business...
August 12, 2019
The video opens with an introduction to the Masottos — Sam and Gina — who own Bonn Place Brewing Co. It heads into a bit of history about south Bethlehem, where Bonn Place is based, with Ryan Schuck of TD Bank highlighting how small businesses have led the charge in revitalizing the community from what was one of America’s greatest steel towns. The short film shifts back to the Masottos, who relate how they try to give others advice about starting a business. “This is the community we can change,” Gina says. “What we can change is right here and right now.”
August 01, 2019
LV Startup is a monthly newsletter, created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, that is laser-focused on the needs of startups in the greater Lehigh Valley...
July 25, 2019
For the second time in as many months, the Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania (BFTP/NEP) has announced funding for two early-stage companies based in the Lehigh Valley. Med-Con Technologies, LLC, which is developing a digital mobile solution for increasing patient adherence to medication and enhancing clinical oversight, will receive a $100,000 investment from BFTP/NEP. Skillion, Inc. will also receive $100,000 in funding from Ben Franklin. The startup has developed the Skillion Ride System, which is an Internet of Things (IoT) device for remotely monitoring and controlling electronic bicycles (e-bikes)...
July 24, 2019
Lunch will be provided!
Learn about tax credit resources offered through the State of Pennsylvania. Often times, as a business owner, you spend so much time focused on launching, growing, and managing the day-to-day operations of the company...and for good reason. But resources may be available to you through Local, State, and Federal government organizations. This seminar is geared towards startup companies in the Lehigh Valley that are developing innovative and proprietary technology. Local and State representatives will be presenting on the following tax credit programs...
July 22, 2019
See how we’re thanking small businesses with BIG hearts. #TDThanksYou
July 16, 2019
When the old headquarters tower for Bethlehem Steel was demolished in May, many news stories portrayed it as just another piece in a long line of bad news for Pennsylvania industry. After all, it was the final chapter of a company that at one time was the second largest steel producer in the country, and an economic mainstay for the Bethlehem area...
July 16, 2019
In today's digital world, there is a huge gap in the execution of the digital marketing strategy and it needs integrated solutions that can enhance the value of customer interactions. ViiHealth is on a quest to create differentiating add-on value for its clients through smart, targeted, and scalable solutions...
July 03, 2019
LV Startup is a monthly newsletter, created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, that is laser-focused on the needs of startups in the greater Lehigh Valley...
June 08, 2019
Brian Feldman of the Northampton Community College Fab Lab shows us Tobor (Robot backwards), the massive mechanized dinosaur that made the trip out to this year's Bay Area Maker Faire. And yes, it is controlled with a Nintendo Power Glove...
June 06, 2019
LV Startup is a monthly newsletter, created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, that is laser-focused on the needs of startups in the greater Lehigh Valley...
May 30, 2019
Like every competitive racing athlete, Christopher Young stays acutely attuned to his equipment. Whether it’s auto racing, bicycling, skiing, or any other event where equipment plays an important role in performance, athletes in those sports can feel instantly when their machine is working properly...
May 08, 2019
CryoConcepts, LP, a market leader in the development and manufacture of cryosurgical products, announced today they have received FDA clearance on two new, patent pending, cryosurgical devices for the physician's office market...
May 02, 2019
LV Startup is a monthly newsletter, created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, that is laser-focused on the needs of startups in the greater Lehigh Valley...
April 30, 2019
Creator Val Arzunian says the seed for UBMe was planted after he and his then-girlfriend decided to go their separate ways. We kept running into each other,” he explains “It was awkward. That’s what got me thinking it would be great if there was a piece of technology to tell me where people are”. Rather than wait for the app stores to catch up, Arzunian got to work. It was me at home in my room for about two and a half to three years building it,” he recalls. Although Arzunian was starting from scratch, the New Jersey native had the drive, know-how and curiosity to make it happen...
April 26, 2019
Student entrepreneurs from Lehigh University were recognized during the Baker Institute’s Innovate, Celebrate Awards Dinner, an annual event that recognizes student, faculty, and alumni innovation and celebrates those who support student entrepreneurship. More than 20 students shared their startup ideas with faculty, staff, alumni, and entrepreneurs from the Lehigh Valley during the event, which was held at Lehigh’s Iaccoca Event Center on April 23. Three startup teams were selected to pitch their ideas live during dinner before a panel of judges for the Joan F. and John M. Thalheimer ‘55 Grand Prize of $5,000...
April 25, 2019
A small business that makes sterile injectable products for pharmaceutical companies will move out of its Bethlehem location and relocate into Allentown by next summer. The move will give the growing company space that’s roughly 37,000 square feet larger than its current home of 3,000 square feet...
April 15, 2019
Two fast-growing Lehigh Valley startup companies have moved into Pi: Partnership for Innovation, a hub which provides affordable space for startups and entrepreneurs in Bethlehem. Mezzimatic LLC, which makes throwable paintballs known as Goblies, and Almas Foods International, which creates a brand of saffron called Zaffrus, will both be occupying space at Pi, which is located on Evans Street in Southside Bethlehem..
April 15, 2019
I am a co-founder and managing partner of originate Ventures LLC, an early-stage venture capital fund in Bethlehem that has invested more than $42 million over the past 10 years in early-stage technology companies. I moved to Pennsylvania in December 1987 with my friends to start a new business called SolarCare Technologies at the Ben Franklin Technology Partners incubator facility at the mountaintop campus of Lehigh University...
April 04, 2019
LV Startup is a monthly newsletter, created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, that is laser-focused on the needs of startups in the greater Lehigh Valley...
April 02, 2019
Two Bethlehem startups, Mezzimatic LLC and Almas Foods International, recently found new office space in Pi: Partnership for Innovation, a business incubator housed in a former blouse factory in South Bethlehem. Mezzimatic will use the space for sales and marketing for the company’s main product, Goblies Throwable Paintball and Play Paint...
April 02, 2019
Mezzimatic LLC has moved into Suite 2 and Almas Foods International (using the brand name Zaffrus) has moved into Suite 5 at Pi: Partnership for Innovation. Mezzimatic will occupy the 831 square foot space that will house their sales and marketing efforts associated with their flagship product Goblies Throwable Paintball® and Play Paint®. Almas Foods will occupy 232 square feet of space that will house their offices and research & development portion of the business...
March 26, 2019
Pennsylvania is striving to cultivate new homegrown businesses. The Keystone Innovation Zone (KIZ) program offers working capital to young companies to meet needs for capital expenditures, workforce expansion, and operational expenses...
March 25, 2019
Impossible Incorporated LLC's founder Dr. Matt Bilsky has invented a low-cost 3D printed snake-like robot that can be used for inspection and repairs in hard to access locations. It is 1 inch in diameter and made from rigid links that can lock together to move through confined spaces, lock together, and then perform difficult physical tasks in addition to creating 3D images. Even though it is make from plastic it is strong enough to drill through wood...
March 20, 2019
Keystone Edge tells the story of the new economy in Pennsylvania. It's a narrative of creative people and businesses, new development, cool places to live, and the best places to work and play...
March 20, 2019
When Iranian Ali Almasi left his native country to enroll in Lehigh’s M.Eng. in Technical Entrepreneurship (TE) program, he had dreams and determination. Now he has a highly-rated saffron product designated “Amazon’s Choice.”
March 08, 2019
LV Startup is a monthly newsletter, created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, that is laser-focused on the needs of startups in the greater Lehigh Valley...
March 07, 2019
The leaders of the four regional offices of Ben Franklin Technology Partners were in Harrisburg Wednesday to try and change the dialog on their organizations state funding. Partner leaders spoke about the value their organizations provide to the state and why they should be restored to historic funding levels, rather than the lower level of funding they have received since the last recession...
February 24, 2019
Lehigh Valley entrepreneurs and startup companies have a new way to connect to resources that can help them get established and grow. The Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corp. last week rolled out an interactive map highlighting local organizations and initiatives geared toward new businesses. “This is a tool that has been discussed for a long time,” Asher Schiavone, the chairman of the LVEDC’s Entrepreneurship Council, said in a news release. “We’re seeking to map out the resources available in the Lehigh Valley and we envision it evolving over time based on feedback.”
February 19, 2019
A new, interactive map has been launched that highlights organizations, initiatives, and resources available in the Lehigh Valley to entrepreneurs and startup companies. This new tool was fostered by the Entrepreneurship Council of the Lehigh Valley (ECLV), a council of the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation (LVEDC), which is committed to listening to the region’s entrepreneurial community and identifying its unmet needs. “This is a tool that has been discussed for a long time,” said ECLV Chair Asher Schiavone. “We’re seeking to map out the resources available in the Lehigh Valley, and we envision it evolving over time based on feedback.”
February 18, 2019
Doctors and their patients have a lot to keep track of during and after a visit - discharge instructions, medication reminders, follow-up appointments. A Lehigh Valley-based startup wants to streamline the process, a simple idea that requires some complex technical legwork...
February 19, 2019
The Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania’s (BFTP/NEP) has reported that 5,968 northeastern Pennsylvania jobs were created or retained as a result of its work in 2018, for a cumulative total of 55,864 job creations or retentions since the program’s inception in 1983. Client companies raised an additional $62.9 million in follow-on funding from angel investors, venture capitalists, and other investors in 2018, for a total of $1.5597 billion in follow-on investment received since 2007....
February 07, 2019
LV Startup is a monthly newsletter, created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, that is laser-focused on the needs of startups in the greater Lehigh Valley...
February 04, 2019
It’s not every day a 14-foot dinosaur robot takes to a stage in the Lehigh Valley, but that was the case on Jan. 31 at the Fowler Family Southside Center during the Northampton Community College’s Second Annual Fab Lab Open House. The mechanical marvel – named Tobor – towered over guests, but he was just a small part of what made the night a success, said the lab’s director, Jeff Boerner...
February 01, 2019
Plants help people in many ways but they don't always get credit, said Mike Planer, co-founder of Soltech Solutions in Bethlehem. Besides looking nice, houseplants improve air quality, research has found. Flora also have been shown to boost mood and productivity, which could explain why more businesses are incorporating foliage into their designs – and why houseplants are gaining popularity among millennials, who are likely to live in small spaces..
January 23, 2019
Keystone Edge tells the story of the new economy in Pennsylvania. It's a narrative of creative people and businesses, new development, cool places to live, and the best places to work and play...
January 18, 2019
Lehigh University alum, Matt Bilsky, '12, '14G, '17 Ph.D., is an innovator and entrepreneur dedicated to solving life's problems. He discusses making his Lehigh experience his own and the next chapter in his life...
January 14, 2019
Seven startup companies located in Bethlehem have been awarded a combined $405,567 in tax credits through the Keystone Innovation Zone (KIZ) program. All seven companies are located within the Southside Bethlehem KIZ, an area within the city that allows qualified startup companies to qualify for multiple financial and advisory support benefits. “Our startup companies are receiving a real boost from the KIZ Tax Credit Program,” said Bethlehem Mayor Bob Donchez. “These sellable tax credits are investments in young, growing companies that have seen a significant increase in annual revenue. This infusion of funding is a real game-changer.”
January 13, 2019
This week we welcomed Asher Schiavone, the Economic Development Coordinator from the City of Bethlehem, to talk about Keystone Innovation Zones (KIZ) in South Bethlehem. Asher gave an informed presentation on what businesses qualify for these tax incentives and how they impact the city. His presentation included some fun examples such as Bonn Place Brewing and Globies which are washable, throw able paint balls...certainly not what one may think of as businesses that operate in the KIZ zone...
January 10, 2019
LV Startup is a monthly newsletter, created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, that is laser-focused on the needs of startups in the greater Lehigh Valley...
January 09, 2019
The Southside Bethlehem Keystone Innovation Zone (KIZ) received the Gold Award from the International Economic Development Council for Partnerships with Educational Institutions for 2018. Since 2004, the KIZ has awarded over $8 million in over 100 startup companies. Typical investments are made at the company’s earliest stages, often when they are pre-revenue and not attractive enough to typical investors. Efforts to date have yielded multiple businesses that generate significant revenue and contribute new jobs to Bethlehem’s economy. The KIZ works closely with Lehigh University and Northampton Community College to foster and attract these innovative startup companies that drive economic development in the city and the region...
January 04, 2019
Seven Bethlehem startups are sharing $405,567 in tax credits awarded through the Keystone Innovation Zone tax credit program. The KIZ program, administered through the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, provides startups with working capital, making companies more attractive to venture investors. The latest beneficiaries include NextShift LLC, CryoConcepts, U.S. Specialty Formulations and Bonn Place Brewing Co., each of which received $84,182...
January 04, 2019
Over half a dozen Bethlehem start-up companies were awarded $405,567 in tax credits through the Keystone Innovation Zone (KIZ) Tax Credit program by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development. The following companies have been awarded credits...
January 03, 2019
Bethlehem, PA – 7 Bethlehem start-up companies have been awarded $405,567 in tax credits through the Keystone Innovation Zone (KIZ) Tax Credit Program by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development. Their press release can be found here. These companies are all located within the Southside Bethlehem Keystone Innovation Zone (SBKIZ), which is administered by the Bethlehem Economic Development Corporation...
December 31, 2018
There are 28 Keystone Innovation Zones located throughout Pennsylvania that serve both rural and urban regions. These zones partnered with over 91 institutions of higher education that range from research universities to local community colleges. Each KIZ contains partners from their region that include but are not limited to economic development providers, local governments, financial institutions, and venture capitalists...
December 21, 2018
The growth of elderly people living longer and remaining in their homes has sparked a rising need for home care. However, when they or their families strive to navigate various websites or find information about home care options on their own, they’re often overwhelmed and at a loss for finding solutions. That’s according to two entrepreneurs who recently formed Carenade Health, a new startup at Ben Franklin’s TechVentures in Bethlehem that developed an online tool for helping people find home health care services..
December 19, 2018
Keystone Edge tells the story of the new economy in Pennsylvania. It's a narrative of creative people and businesses, new development, cool places to live, and the best places to work and play...
December 06, 2018
The app UBMe is Lehigh’s own version of the HQ trivia game show app. The chance to win monetary prizes happens every Monday and Wednesday at 6 p.m. UBMe allows users to join chat rooms nearby and discuss what’s going on around the community. The team, led by creator Val Arzunian, decided to engage and connect users in a trivia game show on the app to advertise local businesses and events happening around Bethlehem. The UBMe team started its search for well-spoken and entertaining Lehigh students to engage the players in the trivia game...
November 30, 2018
The city of Bethlehem has long been known as a leader in the field of innovation and entrepreneurship, from the Moravians’ establishment of the first municipal water system in the 1800s, to Joel Spira’s invention of the electronic dimmer switch here in the 20th century. That tradition of innovation is continuing today, and was on full display at the Southside Bethlehem Keystone Innovation Zone (KIZ) annual update, which was held on Nov. 28 at Lehigh University’s Iacocca Hall in Bethlehem...
November 28, 2018
Check out this video on Mezzimatic LLC that aired at the 2018 KIZ Annual Update...
November 28, 2018
Check out this video on Rocket Cloud, Inc. that aired at the 2018 KIZ Annual Update...
November 29, 2018
Bethlehem, PA – The Southside Bethlehem KIZ released a 12-page booklet today that was first introduced at the Southside Bethlehem KIZ Annual Update. It provides an overview of the program in addition to highlighting recent updates and changes.
These booklets have been and will continue to be produced annually...
November 29, 2018
Aside from funding, one of the resources entrepreneurs need to survive is a supportive environment where they can thrive. In South Bethlehem, many have found that place with the success of the SouthSide Bethlehem Keystone Innovation Zone (KIZ). Wednesday officials shared an update on some of the achievements the program has reached over the past year...
November 28, 2018
Members of the Lehigh Valley business community learned about how Southside Bethlehem’s Keystone Innovation Zone (KIZ) is helping local entrepreneurs develop innovative technologies. Companies that have benefited from the KIZ displayed their inventions, such as robot arms and biodegradable paint balls, Wednesday in Lehigh University’s Iacocca Hall. Business leaders also heard presentations from entrepreneurs on how they benefited from the innovation zone...
November 28, 2018
Join us for the Southside Bethlehem KIZ Annual Update on Wednesday November 28th from 8:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m. This free event will be held in the Wood Dining Room on the 2nd floor of Iacocca Hall.
Agenda
8:00 - 8:55 Networking, Breakfast Buffet, Company Displays
9:00 - 10:00 Presentations
Presentations
Asher Schiavone - Economic Development Coordinator, Director of KIZ (City of Bethlehem)
Lisa Getzler - Executive Director, Baker Institute (Lehigh University)
Zeiad Hussein - CEO (Rocket Cloud, Inc.)
Raja Bhattacharya & Jeff Boerner - Directors of the CIE and Fab Lab (Northampton Community College)
Briana Gardell - CEO (Mezzimatic LLC)
Jennifer Leinbach - Executive Director (PADCED Office of Technology and Innovation & Ben Franklin Technology Authority)
November 27, 2018
Rich Thompson has built things all his life. A serial entrepreneur who started his first business as a teenager, he’s served as CEO of American Italian Pasta Company, the Meow Mix Company, and FreshPet. His latest endeavor, Factory, is something that’s “never been done before,” he says: an operating company with $250 million to invest in young companies that offers more than capital...
November 26, 2018
A startup company based in a Bethlehem business incubator is changing the way people get information in hotels, schools, hospitals, and workplaces. HootBoard, a new resident company at Ben Franklin TechVentures, has developed a digital concierge platform, providing informative hardware and software in public places the way smartphones provide information in the palm of a user’s hand...
November 21, 2018
Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania said its board of directors approved the investment of $486,250 in support of regional economic development for both established manufacturers and early-stage technology firms...
November 14, 2018
Keystone Edge tells the story of the new economy in Pennsylvania. It's a narrative of creative people and businesses, new development, cool places to live, and the best places to work and play...
November 01, 2018
LV Startup is a monthly newsletter, created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, that is laser-focused on the needs of startups in the greater Lehigh Valley...
October 17, 2018
Keystone Edge tells the story of the new economy in Pennsylvania. It's a narrative of creative people and businesses, new development, cool places to live, and the best places to work and play...
October 16, 2018
A Bethlehem brewery has purchased a former neighborhood tavern to expand its business.
Two-year-old Bonn Place Brewing Co., which is on Taylor Street, has purchased the former Bavarian Tavern on Broadway, which closed last month. The former neighborhood bar will provide the brewery with extra space for storage and other needs to expand the company’s brewing operations, said Sam Masotto, who owns the brewery along with his wife, Gina...
October 15, 2018
The Southside Bethlehem Keystone Innovation Zone (KIZ), an area within the city that allows qualified startup companies to qualify for financial and advisory support benefits, has received an award from the International Economic Development Council (IEDC). The Bethlehem Economic Development Corporation (BEDCO) and the city of Bethlehem were awarded an Excellence in Economic Development Gold Medal for the KIZ, a project in the IEDC’s category of Partnership with Educational Institutions...
October 14, 2018
The Bethlehem Economic Development Corp. and the city received a Gold Excellence in Economic Development Award for the South Side Bethlehem Keystone Innovation Zone, a project in the partnership with educational institutions category of the International Economic Development Council. Lehigh University and Northampton Community College were the key educational institutions that served as co-applicants. This is the second time the KIZ has received this award, with the first coming a decade ago. The continued partnership and interaction with Lehigh and NCC have continued to evolve and strengthen...
October 12, 2018
f you haven’t been living under a rock for the last few years, you’re probably well aware of the indoor plant trend. There are terms for it – “house jungles,” “jungalows” and “urban rain forests” are just a few – and all it takes is a quick Google search to find a smattering of headlines citing millennials as the cause of the trend...
October 04, 2018
Entrepreneurs increasingly view South Bethlehem as a haven for starting companies. The proof is not only in the national attention the city receives, but globally as well. On Tuesday, the International Economic Development Council awarded Bethlehem Economic Development Corp. and the city of Bethlehem a Gold Excellence in Economic Development Award for its SouthSide Bethlehem Keystone Innovation Zone...
October 04, 2018
LV Startup is a monthly newsletter, created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, that is laser-focused on the needs of startups in the greater Lehigh Valley...
October 03, 2018
Bethlehem, PA – The Bethlehem Economic Development Corporation and the City of Bethlehem received a Gold Excellence in Economic Development Award for Southside Bethlehem Keystone Innovation Zone (KIZ), a project in the category of Partnership with Educational Institutions of the International Economic Development Council (IEDC)...
October 02, 2018
A simple ribbon-cutting for the Northampton Community College’s new Follett Family Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship just wouldn’t do. Instead, a giant multi colored light bulb with the NCC logo was designed and created by instructors from the center, and was lit as a symbol for all the new ideas and innovations they hope the South Bethlehem facility will inspire...
September 26, 2018
Jeffrey Boerner was busy working on Wednesday, but he sounded like an enthusiastic teacher on back-to-school night when he showed off Northampton Community College’s newest center for innovation, entrepreneurship and the community. College officials held a sneak peek of the Follett Family Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, part of a $5 million facelift inside the Fowler Family Southside Center on Bethlehem's South Side. The renovation covered the business center, expansion of the “Fab Lab,” or fabrication laboratory, and exterior work to the 511 E. Third St. building, said college spokeswoman Katherine Noll...
September 19, 2018
Keystone Edge tells the story of the new economy in Pennsylvania. It's a narrative of creative people and businesses, new development, cool places to live, and the best places to work and play...
September 07, 2018
LV Startup is a monthly newsletter, created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, that is laser-focused on the needs of startups in the greater Lehigh Valley...
August 30, 2018
A pharmaceutical startup in the Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeast Pennsylvania Tech Ventures in Bethlehem is expanding. US Specialty Formulations LLC, a specialty pharmaceutical manufacturer, plans to add space and three new highly skilled positions to its staff...
August 21, 2018
Few places represent the American story like Pennsylvania. Steeped in history, the Keystone State is a modern example of how legacy industries can thrive alongside the most innovative technology companies. And this vibrant, diverse economy is just one of the state’s strengths...
August 15, 2018
Keystone Edge tells the story of the new economy in Pennsylvania. It's a narrative of creative people and businesses, new development, cool places to live, and the best places to work and play...
August 02, 2018
The Fab Lab now occupies the 1st floor of the Fowler Family Southside Center. We experienced delays with construction and moving, but are getting settled into our new space. Expanding to nearly 8,000 square feet is no easy task and we appreciate your patience. As you can see, we still have some unpacking and organizing to do. We will re-open to the public the beginning of September. All of our classes are ready for registration! Because of our expanded size, we are able to offer more multiple classes at one time!
August 02, 2018
LV Startup is a monthly newsletter, created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, that is laser-focused on the needs of startups in the greater Lehigh Valley...
July 30, 2018
Many mid-tier wholesalers in the building materials supply industry still rely primarily on phone sales and obsolete inventory management technology and practices to distribute products to their HVAC, plumbing, and electrical contractor customers. Because of these inefficiencies and rising competition on the web, the wholesalers’ profit margins are very slim. Rocket Cloud, Inc.’s solution increases the average net profit of these wholesalers from 1% to 10-15%...
July 25, 2018
A new startup focused on home healthcare just received a big financial boost from an economic development agency. "Ideas are nothing and execution is everything," said CEO of Carenade Jordan Kapper. For entrepreneurs, execution is key, which is where Ben Franklin Technology Partners comes in- providing funding and mentorship for new startups. Carenade is one of those start-ups. It's a brand new way to shop around for home healthcare launching within a month. Ben Franklin recently committed to investing $100,000 in the company...
July 18, 2018
A Bethlehem-based startup company that makes state-of-the-art LED grow lights is tripling its space in the Lehigh Valley. Soltech Solutions, best known for its Aspect grow light product, is expanding its existing space within Pi: Partnership for Innovation, a startup business incubator in Southside Bethlehem. “With all of the grow lights they have in the office, it’s not surprising that Soltech is growing,” said Bethlehem Mayor Bob Donchez...
July 18, 2018
Keystone Edge tells the story of the new economy in Pennsylvania. It's a narrative of creative people and businesses, new development, cool places to live, and the best places to work and play...
July 13, 2018
A Bethlehem-based startup company makes a museum quality, photosynthetic LED light called the Aspect that is engineered to grow any plant indoors. Yes, that includes marijuana, where legal. "That's always the first question," Paul Hodges, the 27-year-old CEO of Soltech Solutions, said Thursday. Grow any plant indoors with Bethlehem-made Aspect light Hodges and his two fellow employees of Soltech, along with their two interns and a number of supporters, gathered to toast their expansion to a new office at Pi: Partnership for Innovation. Their new Suite 4 offers them triple the space of their old quarters inside the business incubator run by the Bethlehem Economic Development Corp. at 520 Evans St. on South Side...
July 10, 2018
Soltech Solutions, a manufacturer of specialty lighting for plants, has moved into a larger office at the Pi incubator in Bethlehem, the result of increased investment, demand and a new partnership with a major distributor for the home and garden market. Soltech makes a line of light-emitting diode pendant lights called Aspect that are a crossover of the interiors market and garden market. The lights are designed to help plants grow using the photosynthetic spectrum using a chip that pinpoints chloroform peaks that are ideal for plant growth...
July 09, 2018
Bethlehem, PA – Soltech Solutions, a manufacturer known for their state-of-the-art led grow light Aspect, is expanding within Pi: Partnership for Innovation. The startup company was formed in 2014 and has grown out of their 232 sq. ft. space in Suite 5 that they have occupied since January of 2017. With recent investment, growth, and increased demand in their products, Soltech Solutions will be tripling their office space as they expand into 777 sq. ft. in Suite 4...
July 05, 2018
LVstartup, a monthly e-newsletter about entrepreneurs and startups in the Lehigh Valley, has just become three years old. The latest issue was released on July 5, almost exactly three years after the inaugural issue debuted in the summer of 2015. The new edition highlights several startup-related stories from the Lehigh Valley, including Play Impossible landing a retail deal with Apple, Bethlehem’s UBMe being featured in Buzzfeed’s “Best Apps for College Students,” and Lehigh University hosting its Venture Fair...
July 06, 2018
LV Startup is a monthly newsletter, created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, that is laser-focused on the needs of startups in the greater Lehigh Valley...
July 02, 2018
A proximity-based networking app made by a Bethlehem startup company has just been placed in the spotlight by one of the most popular websites on the Internet. Buzzfeed featured UBMe on its list of the Top 10 Best Apps for College Students in 2018, alongside such smartphone application heavy-hitters as Google Drive, LinkedIn, DropBox and CliffsNotes. UBMe, an app created by Val Arzunian, allows users to connect with other people using the app, not just within a nearby radius, but who are physically located at a specific place, whether it’s a business, bar, college campus, concert, festival, or sporting event...
June 28, 2018
Saladax Biomedical Inc., the Bethlehem-based biotech company, announced it signed an agreement to acquire exclusive patient rights for antipsychotic drug tests from Janssen Pharmaceutica NV in Belgium. Janssen is part of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson. Saladax, a privately held company, makes diagnostic products that measure levels of chemotherapeutic and antipsychotic drugs in blood. In March, the company received clearance to sell two blood-based tests in Europe for the antipsychotic drugs risperidone and paliperidone...
June 27, 2018
In an effort to make Pennsylvania more business-friendly, the state’s economic development leader stopped by the Ben Franklin TechVentures at Lehigh University’s Mountaintop Campus in Bethlehem on Tuesday to solicit ideas from some of the early stage technology companies housed at the business incubator. Dennis Davin, secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development, said the information he gathers here and from discussions around the state will help his department advocate for funding and resources when Gov. Tom Wolf puts together the budget...
June 26, 2018
Saladax Biomedical, Inc., a diagnostics company providing kits to measure drug blood levels for adherence and medication management, has signed a license agreement with Janssen Pharmaceutica, NV, one of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson. Under the terms of the agreement Saladax acquired the worldwide exclusive patent rights for diagnostic tests that determine drug levels in patients undergoing treatment with antipsychotic medications. This intellectual property, along with the existing patents that Saladax already owns, places Saladax in a predominant position in the field of antipsychotic drug testing...
June 21, 2018
Snowvation, the leading activity booking & management platform company for the Mountain industry, today announced that it has secured an additional $700,000 investment bringing its total capital raised to nearly $1.2 million. The investment was made by Ben Franklin Technology Partners, Nelnet, Revelis Capital Group, Nebraska Angels, and several other independent investors & family offices. With news of the raise comes expansion to Switzerland for the company and its quickly-growing platform. The company has announced 2 clients in Switzerland operating at Verbier Resort, Nendaz Resort, and Zermatt Resort...
June 20, 2018
Keystone Edge tells the story of the new economy in Pennsylvania. It's a narrative of creative people and businesses, new development, cool places to live, and the best places to work and play...
June 15, 2018
Goblies Throwable Paintballs, which started as a homework assignment in a Lehigh University technical entrepreneurship course, are now available for purchase in Michaels stores across the country and online. Mezzimatic, the Bethlehem-based startup that designs and manufactures the marble-sized paintballs, has signed an exclusive deal to sell Goblies and other products in Michaels department stores through July 4. “I feel like I’m on a new playground,” Gardell said. “I am enjoying tackling the new challenges and opportunities that this stage of the business presents.”
June 13, 2018
NACCE Marketing & Communications Manager Leah Deppert recently attended the United States Fab Lab Network’s (USFLN) Annual Symposium at Houston Community College in Houston, Texas. She enjoyed connecting with many NACCE members and entrepreneurial catalysts from across the U.S. Here’s some feedback she gleaned from symposium attendees:
Jeff Boerner, director, Fab Lab, Northampton Community College – Bethlehem, PA...
June 12, 2018
A colorful, squishy, water balloon and paintball hybrid created by a Lehigh University graduate has been picked up by Michaels, the largest chain of art and craft stores in the country. Briana Gardell, CEO and founder of Mezzimatic LLC in Bethlehem, invented Goblies Throwable Paintballs as a graduate student in Lehigh University’s Technical Entrepreneurship program. Mezzimatic’s Play Paint, colorful, washable goo designed to be used in water guns, also is part of the deal with Michaels. Mezzimatic has had an exclusive deal with Michaels since March 9 to sell the two products at all of its stores in the United States and Canada and on Michaels’ website...
June 11, 2018
he Bethlehem start-up company behind Goblies has inked a deal with Michaels craft stores to sell the throwable paint balls and Play Paint, a newer product designed to be used in water guns. The company, Mezzimatic LLC., was founded by Briana Gardell, whose homework assignment as a Lehigh University graduate student inspired Goblies. She was tasked with making an egg out of soap, and the soap inspired the throwable paintball. Goblies are are cross water balloons and paint balls. The paint inside is like a powder used in color runs...
June 11, 2018
A toy created by a Lehigh University student is now being sold nationwide. Mezzimatic LLC, the makers of Goblies Throwable Paintballs, signed a deal with Michaels Stores. The company was started by Briana Gardell, who developed the idea for a hybrid water balloon and paintball while enrolled in Lehigh University's Technical Entrepreneurship program. Gardell launched a successful kickstarter campaign and grew her business in Bethlehem.
June 11, 2018
Bethlehem, PA – Mezzimatic LLC and their flagship product Goblies® Throwable Paintballs, which is a hybrid between a water balloon and paintball, along with their new Play Paint® that is designed to be used in water guns, are currently selling in Michaels Stores across the country and online! The company was founded by Briana Gardell who developed the concept during her enrollment in Lehigh University’s Technical Entrepreneurship program and graduated from Lehigh with her master’s degree in 2015. “Twenty-six prototypes later, I finally got something working” said Briana Gardell, CEO of Mezzimatic LLC...
June 07, 2018
LV Startup is a monthly newsletter, created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, that is laser-focused on the needs of startups in the greater Lehigh Valley...
June 01, 2018
Matt Bilsky, founder of Impossible Incorporated LLC and post-doctoral student and adjunct faculty member at Lehigh University, has invented a patent-pending, snake-like robot that will revolutionize the electrical industry. Running wires through walls is currently a messy and expensive task. To run wires across a room, electricians must break into the wall at each stud and joist, and then drill a hole in the wall through which they can pull wires. After wiring, electricians must patch and paint the holes they drilled, which increases their task’s cost. The potentially hazardous opening of the wall results in large messes and damage that cannot be perfectly patched...
May 21, 2018
Goblies made an appearence on Up's hit reality show "Bringing Up Bates"!
May 21, 2018
Viddler Inc. of Bethlehem, the creator of online video software for business training, has quietly and successfully built an impressive list of big-name clients. Now, it’s on the cusp of broadening its scope in the health care industry and has risen above legal fights over patents and occasional financial setbacks. Since its inception in 2007, Viddler “has transitioned from an online video platform for private viewing to a solutions platform for training and education,” said Tom Stine, president of Viddler...
May 16, 2018
Keystone Edge tells the story of the new economy in Pennsylvania. It's a narrative of creative people and businesses, new development, cool places to live, and the best places to work and play...
May 03, 2018
LV Startup is a monthly newsletter, created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, that is laser-focused on the needs of startups in the greater Lehigh Valley...
May 01, 2018
‘Freebowler’ specializes in developing one of its kind “on-the-go personalized” (non-electric and portable) cricket bowling machine which solves the limitations with the existing bowling machine regarding usability, size, power requirements, use of machine balls, and expense. The cricket bowling machine solution is simplistic in design; its 40 inches in overall length and just about the size of a cricket kit. It folds up like any home-gym equipment; it’s got wheels making it mobile and fits effortlessly into the back of your car...
April 18, 2018
Keystone Edge tells the story of the new economy in Pennsylvania. It's a narrative of creative people and businesses, new development, cool places to live, and the best places to work and play...
April 05, 2018
LV Startup is a monthly newsletter, created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, that is laser-focused on the needs of startups in the greater Lehigh Valley...
March 28, 2018
Over the past several decades, Bethlehem has been at the forefront of stakeholder-driven revitalization and is an example of how a community can turn its unused industrial sites into new and exciting assets in the community. Formerly known for Bethlehem Steel, the city has developed a new reputation for its thriving arts and music scene and a cluster of innovative entrepreneurs...
March 22, 2018
Saladax Biomedical Inc. of Bethlehem, a diagnostics company providing kits to test for drug-level adherence and dose management, said it has received approval to sell two of its products on the European market, an approval the company called a major opportunity. The company received the CE mark, or Conformite Europeenne, which allows it to sell the first two products in its MyCare Psychiatry line of rapid tests for antipsychotics – used primarily to treat schizophrenia...
March 21, 2018
Saladax Biomedical Inc., a diagnostics company providing kits to test drug levels for adherence and personalized dose management, announced today that it has received CE mark (Conformité Européenne) approval for its first two products in the new MyCare™ Psychiatry line of rapid tests for antipsychotics: MyCare Total Risperidone Assay Kit and MyCare Paliperidone Assay Kit. The products are now approved for sale on the European market...
March 21, 2018
Cernostics, a privately-held company focused on delivering next-generation cancer diagnostics and prognostics, announced today that it has raised $2.5 million in Series A1 financing, led by Illumina Ventures. With this capital investment, Cernostics will be able to intensify its clinical and market development studies for the company's TissueCypher® Barrett's Esophagus Assay — the first test of its kind to predict risk of development of esophageal cancer in patients with Barrett's esophagus...
March 21, 2018
Viddler Inc., a leading provider of global video based training solutions announced today the 10th anniversary of their business agreement with McGraw Hill Education, Inc (MHE): a top tier global education provider. MHE uses Viddler’s secure video based platform to enable integrated delivery, playback, and interactivity for education clients...
March 21, 2018
Keystone Edge tells the story of the new economy in Pennsylvania. It's a narrative of creative people and businesses, new development, cool places to live, and the best places to work and play...
March 17, 2018
PYEONGCHANG, South Korea – Team USA collected two medals on the penultimate competition day of alpine skiing at the Paralympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 thanks to a silver-medal performance from Tyler Walker (Franconia, New Hampshire) in the men’s sitting slalom and a bronze-medal effort courtesy of Jamie Stanton (Oakland Township, Michigan) in the men’s standing slalom. The silver is the second Paralympic Winter Games medal for Walker and Stanton’s bronze is the first of his career...
March 14, 2018
PYEONGCHANG, South Korea – Day four of the alpine skiing competition at the Paralympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 was highlighted by a silver-medal performance courtesy of Tyler Walker (Franconia, New Hampshire) in the men’s sitting giant slalom Wednesday afternoon. The medal is the first of the four-time Paralympian’s career. After a horrific crash in Sochi four years ago in the men’s sitting downhill, Walker found redemption with a historic giant slalom that saw him land a spot on the podium. He put up the top time in the first giant slalom run with a mark of 1:06.30, besting the field by 1.18 seconds. His time of 1:07.49 in the second run secured silver for Team USA, the fourth alpine skiing medal of the Games...
March 06, 2018
Local software developer, Viddler Inc., today announced the addition of a nationally recognized client. Ascension is the world’s largest Catholic Healthcare provider and the largest non profit healthcare provider in the US. The provider recently completed implementation of Viddler Training Suite or VTS to provide a secure video based platform for enabling employee engagement, connection, sharing, and community for all associates...
March 05, 2018
Two weeks from tomorrow is still my target date to start the AT despite the recent return of nasty weather. I hope winter is blasting itself out and things will be mild come the start of spring. Today I did my first complete gear check to see what I may still need before I go. I think I'm ready. The first picture is all my stuff and the second picture is what it looks like when it's all packed. Pack weight before water is 32 pounds which is not bad with five days' of food plus winter gear...
March 01, 2018
LV Startup is a monthly newsletter, created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, that is laser-focused on the needs of startups in the greater Lehigh Valley...
February 23, 2018
After the Winter Olympics comes to a close, the 2018 Winter Paralympics will just be getting started, and some of the athletes participating in those games will be using skis made here in the Lehigh Valley. The Winter Paralympics is a major international winter sports athletic event for athletes with mobility disabilities. Held each year after the Winter Olympic Games, this year’s event will be held from March 9 to March 18 in Pyeongchang, South Korea. Among those in attendance will be Channy Tokura, the founder of DynAccess, the Bethlehem-based company that designs and manufactures adaptive ski equipment. This year, three Paralympic athletes will be using DynAccess monoskis...
February 22, 2018
Toy Fair 2018 concluded on Tuesday, but we came away with all sorts of new innovations, and outdoor toys and games to make summer a blast for you and your kids in the Hamptons. Have a look at some of our fun finds below. The odd but alluring Goblies throwable paintballs are exactly what you’d expect, and kids will love them. Made from seaweed, these bursting projectiles are fully biodegradable but leave a nice colorful splat when striking their intended target...
February 22, 2018
Bethlehem Mayor Bob Donchez delivered his 5th State of the City address at ArtsQuest on February 22nd, 2018. Soltech Solutions, Freebowler, and UBMe were all featured...
February 21, 2018
Keystone Edge tells the story of the new economy in Pennsylvania. It's a narrative of creative people and businesses, new development, cool places to live, and the best places to work and play...
February 20, 2018
Sam and Gina Masotto had long desired to open a brew pub, but the husband and wife duo had never opened a business before Bonn Place Brewing Company opened its doors in Bethlehem for the first time in July 2016. The venture was made possible in part by a $100,000 loan they received from a program run by the Community Action Committee of the Lehigh Valley. But Sam Masotto said in addition to the loan, which since has been paid in full, CACLV helped give them the knowledge and confidence they needed to succeed...
February 14, 2018
In my late-winter world, there’s nothing like a sprout on the windowsill or a group of flowering houseplants. But anyone who experiments with indoor gardens quickly learns that a sunny sill is not enough. Lights are required, and not just any light. If you haven’t shopped for plant lights in five years, it may be time to revisit the topic. Things have changed. “Lighting technology is evolving at light speed, and there are many different levels of advancement,” says Leslie Halleck, a horticultural lighting expert whose forthcoming book, “Gardening Under Lights: The Complete Guide for Indoor Growers,” will ship in July 2018...
February 12, 2018
When the 2018 Winter Paralympic Games start March 8 in Pyeongchang, South Korea, several alpine skiers will be shredding the slopes using monoskis made by a startup in Bethlehem. Watching from the sidelines and ready to assist with a bag of tools, if necessary, will be Channy Tokura, president and owner of DynAccess Ltd., and her husband, Joachim Grenestedt, a Lehigh University professor of mechanical engineering who designed the monoskis...
February 09, 2018
Less than five years after dropping out of Lafayette, Michael Stocker, founder & CEO of Snowvation Inc., returned to what would have been his alma mater Monday night to talk to aspiring entrepreneurs. Stocker, who was hosted by the IDEAL Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, spoke to around 30 students about his background, former education and how he was able to create his own start-up that eventually led him to success...
February 08, 2018
It’s been a busy year so far for the Southside Bethlehem Keystone Innovation Zone (KIZ). The KIZ, an area within the city that allows qualified startup companies to qualify for multiple financial and advisory support benefits, has announced that two companies will be receiving $15,000 each in Technology Transfer Grants. Revivify, a medical device company, and Vidura Tech, the creators of a high-tech yoga mat, have each received the grants, which seek to aid in the commercialization of innovative technologies that possess promise for technology transfer into the marketplace...
February 01, 2018
LV Startup is a monthly newsletter, created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, that is laser-focused on the needs of startups in the greater Lehigh Valley...
January 31, 2018
One device aims to relieve joint pain. The other is being developed to augment the traditional yoga mat. Each have received a $15,000 startup grant from the Southside Bethlehem Keystone Innovation Zone Technology Transfer Grant program. Revivify, at 26 E. Third St. in Bethlehem, is a medical device company that has created a product that uses three pain-relief modalities to assist in healing joint injuries or in conditions such as osteoarthritis...
January 29, 2018
Bethlehem, PA – The Southside Bethlehem Keystone Innovation Zone (KIZ) awarded two $15,000 Technology Transfer Grants to Revivify and Vidura Tech at its January meeting...
January 20, 2018
We take for granted that we live in the age of technology. Technology makes just about every aspect of our lives easier, from cooking to attending college. Students have always gone to the library to do their work, but before we had computers, you had to actually crack open a book to find the information you needed. You couldn’t just hit “Control + F” to search the page and find exactly what you’re looking for. If you can imagine, that means things like research, homework, and studying were even more time consuming than they are now...
January 17, 2018
Keystone Edge tells the story of the new economy in Pennsylvania. It's a narrative of creative people and businesses, new development, cool places to live, and the best places to work and play...
January 04, 2018
Just weeks after two Bethlehem startup companies received $400,000 in state funding, the state of Pennsylvania has announced another 11 startups located in the city will be receiving $442,158 in Keystone Innovation Zone (KIZ) tax credits. All 11 of these companies are located within the Southside Bethlehem Keystone Innovation Zone, an area within the city that allows qualified startup companies to qualify for multiple financial and advisory support benefits...
January 04, 2018
LV Startup is a monthly newsletter, created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, that is laser-focused on the needs of startups in the greater Lehigh Valley...
January 03, 2018
Since its founding seven years ago by several successful local entrepreneurs, the Lehigh Valley Angel Investors has given $2.4 million to help give promising startups a chance. The investment group has grown to include 52 members who meet monthly at the TechVentures building at Lehigh University’s Mountaintop campus to hear presentations from applicants seeking funding for their startups. The Lehigh Valley Angel Investors are an affiliate of the Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania, which operates the TechVentures facility and provides space for tech-based companies in early stage development...
December 28, 2017
Bethlehem, PA – 11 Bethlehem start-up companies have been awarded $442,158 in tax credits through the Keystone Innovation Zone (KIZ) Tax Credit Program by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development. These companies are all located within the Southside Bethlehem Keystone Innovation Zone (SBKIZ), which is administered by the Bethlehem Economic Development Corporation...
December 22, 2017
Good morning! Here are top tech startup news stories you need to know this Friday, December 22.
Xverity hopes to cure a ‘disconnect’ between patient care and home care. Xverity Inc., is a 3-year-old health care startup company that applies software tools, such as a mobile apps, to help homebound patients receive coordinated access to services from clinical and social-care providers. The company came third at Ben Franklin’s “Venture Idol,” a competition modeled after TV shows “Shark Tank” and “American Idol” that pits high-tech, early-stage entrepreneurs against each other for a share of $15,000 in funding...
December 22, 2017
You live in Los Angeles while your octogenarian mother resides in Bethlehem, but you are her sole caregiver. Mom’s schedule every Monday includes doctor visits, a hair appointment and grocery shopping. But she doesn’t drive and transporting her to and from her various stops poses a challenge. So if there was a way to arrange for a concierge service to take care of the transportation, and it was executed every week without fail, wouldn’t you have peace of mind living in LA...
December 19, 2017
South Bethlehem’s collaborative office space welcomed a new tenant looking to use technology to help people keep their household and company fridge food fresh. FreshFridge, a manufacturer and developer of refrigerator management devices and applications, said it established its headquarters in Suite 8 at Pi: Partnership for Innovation on 520 Evans St...
December 14, 2017
A manufacturer and developer of refrigerator management devices and applications is the latest startup company to establish its headquarters in the city of Bethlehem. FreshFridge is the designer of a mobile app and other digital equipment that allows the user to track and monitor the freshness of food in their refrigerator, freezer, and pantry. “FreshFridge is working to continually improve the lives of others both at home by saving time and money on daily chores and in the workplace by providing sustainable employment opportunities in a rich and diverse environment where interpersonal relationships are held in the highest regard,” said Alex Burdine, co-founder of FreshFridge...
November 02, 2017
LV Startup is a monthly newsletter, created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, that is laser-focused on the needs of startups in the greater Lehigh Valley...
Young Entrepreneurs Receive Assistance From Keystone Innovation Zone
Over the past 13 years, the Keystone Innovation Zone has invested more than $7 million to support young innovators and entrepreneurs who aim to take their businesses to the next level. Students, young innovators and public figures gathered in Iacocca Hall for a presentation from the South Bethlehem branch on Nov. 21.
Through the KIZ, local leaders and private investors provide funding and networking resources to help young minds launch businesses on a larger scale...
November 22, 2017
444 jobs created. $7.8 million in investment. Nearly $1.2 million in technology transfer grants awarded. 141 new products developed. Those are just a few examples of the impact the Southside Bethlehem Keystone Innovation Zone (KIZ) has had since its founding 13 years ago, it was announced at the program’s annual update event on Nov. 21 at Lehigh University’s Iacocca Hall. “Innovation and entrepreneurship are foundational traits of our city and will continue to lead us in this new economy,” said Bethlehem Mayor Robert Donchez. “It is through programs like the Southside Bethlehem KIZ that we are able to retain and attract bright minds, technology, and products in our city.”
November 21, 2017
Whether it’s an app that connects people at events, a museum-quality energy-efficient lighting product for plants or a portable machine for the sport of cricket, startups in South Bethlehem are creating innovative products. The program that’s been fueling their growth is The SouthSide Bethlehem Keystone Innovation Zone. The financial incentive program has been funding startups through grants and tax credits that have helped more than 80 companies since its inception in 2004 and is one of 29 throughout the state...
November 21, 2017
Bethlehem, PA – The Southside Bethlehem KIZ released a 12-page booklet today that was first introduced at the Southside Bethlehem KIZ Annual Update. It provides an overview of the program in addition to highlighting recent updates and changes.
Some notable highlights include:
- Soltech Solutions moving to Bethlehem and manufacturing the Aspect
- UBMe moving to Bethlehem and marketing their proximity-based networking app
- Freebowler marketing their cricket bowling machine in the United States and India
- BB&T recently joined the KIZ as a Primary Partner
These booklets have been and will continue to be produced annually...
November 21, 2017
Bethlehem, PA – The Southside Bethlehem Keystone Innovation Zone (KIZ) held their annual breakfast meeting on November 21st in the Wood Dining Room at Iacocca Hall on Lehigh’s Mountaintop Campus. There were 130 attendees registered for the event, which ran from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., and several local startup companies set up table displays for the networking session. Presentations followed and included updates from Mayor Bob Donchez, Lehigh’s President John Simon, KIZ Director Asher Schiavone, Northampton Community College’s President Mark Erickson, and the PA Dept. of Community and Economic Development Office of Technology & Innovation Deputy Secretary Sheri Collins...
November 21, 2017
Check out this video on Freebowler LLC that aired at the 2017 KIZ Annual Update...
November 21, 2017
Check out this video on Soltech Solutions LLC that aired at the 2017 KIZ Annual Update...
November 21, 2017
Check out this video on UBMe, Inc. that aired at the 2017 KIZ Annual Update...
November 15, 2017
Keystone Edge tells the story of the new economy in Pennsylvania. It's a narrative of creative people and businesses, new development, cool places to live, and the best places to work and play...
November 02, 2017
LV Startup is a monthly newsletter, created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, that is laser-focused on the needs of startups in the greater Lehigh Valley...
November 01, 2017
Keystone Edge tells the story of the new economy in Pennsylvania. It's a narrative of creative people and businesses, new development, cool places to live, and the best places to work and play...
October 26, 2017
When Ben Franklin Technology Partners was founded in 1982, Governor Richard Thornburgh was looking for a way to solve Pennsylvania’s unemployment problem. “There was an enormous amount of pressure on him to do something on unemployment, and this was all caused by the demise of Pennsylvania’s heavy industry, especially steel,” said R. Chadwick Paul, ’76, the president of Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania. “And so he came up with the idea of Ben Franklin Technology Partners as a partnership between business, government and the state’s research universities.”
October 18, 2017
UBMe, an app created in Bethlehem and used in over 54 countries, allows people to connect with others around them, whether it be on college campuses or in public areas such as bars, restaurants or concert venues. Users who check in with the app can see who is at a given location, view what events are happening in their area and receive potential discounts at local restaurants. More than 5,000 events are pinned throughout the United States. Creator and Bethlehem resident Val Arzunian saw potential for his app to allow people to connect. However, connecting isn’t where the idea came from...
October 18, 2017
Keystone Edge tells the story of the new economy in Pennsylvania. It's a narrative of creative people and businesses, new development, cool places to live, and the best places to work and play...
October 13, 2017
A medical device developer and manufacturer has received new funding from the Southside Bethlehem Keystone Innovation Zone (KIZ) to help commercialize its product. CryoConcepts has received a $15,000 technology transfer grant to help facilitate the commercialization of CryoLab, a bench-top instrument that will utilize cryogen gas for esthetic, veterinary, and medical applications. “The CryoLab is a platform product that will allow the company to expand into new markets meeting the needs of many healthcare practitioners,” said Sam Niedbala, CEO of CryoConcepts...
October 11, 2017
Saladax Biomedical, Inc., recently presented a study on the value of adjusting paclitaxel doses at two leading conferences. The results show that serious side effects such as neutropenia, and neuropathy are greatly reduced when oncologists personalize each patient’s chemotherapy dose using a simple blood test. At IATDMCT Saladax received the Best Poster Presentation Award for TDM...
October 08, 2017
Call it beginner’s luck (though certainly skill was involved) as several upstart breweries from Pennsylvania and New Jersey won medals over the weekend at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver. The veterans showed up, too, of course. Iron Hill Brewery’s Media location took home two silvers, bringing its medal count to 47 in a 21-year winning streak. Sly Fox Brewing in Pottstown struck gold in the Belgian- and French-Style Ale class with Grisette Summer Ale. Yards Brewing’s Extra Special Ale won the silver among 73 entries. Bethlehem’s Bonn Place Brewing double-medaled, scoring a silver in Ordinary or Special Bitter with Mooey, and a bronze in the English-Style Mild Ale class with Nemo. (Good luck now finding Nemo.)
October 05, 2017
LV Startup is a monthly newsletter, created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, that is laser-focused on the needs of startups in the greater Lehigh Valley...
September 29, 2017
As a former ski instructor, Michael Stocker knows first-hand the pain of navigating the logistics of learning how to ski. “For the majority of ski resorts, the process for booking a lesson, actually arriving and getting the lesson started is pretty chaotic,” he said. Now with $420,000 in fresh investment from a recent funding round, the 24-year-old CEO is ready to bring his cloud-based software product, Snowvation, to more resorts, while also continuing to develop what he calls the “Yelp for ski instructors.” Snowvation disclosed raising $265,000 a June SEC filing, while Stocker confirmed the remainder of the round closed at the end of August. “We’re investing in two engineers and we’re looking to hire an additional business development person,” he said...
September 20, 2017
A former Bethlehem Steel factory is being transformed into a space for small, emerging companies to thrive. Rich Thompson, former CEO of Freshpet, is the founder and CEO of Factory LLC, a company looking to invest in food and beverage companies with the ability to grow by giving them a shared home in a former factory at 315 Columbia St. in South Bethlehem. The site is near Lehigh University, SteelStacks and Northampton Community College’s Fowler Family Southside Center. “We purchased the old Bethlehem Steel building and we are going to re-appropriate it and give it a new life,” Thompson said...
September 20, 2017
Keystone Edge tells the story of the new economy in Pennsylvania. It's a narrative of creative people and businesses, new development, cool places to live, and the best places to work and play...
September 18, 2017
Many areas of Northampton Community College's Fowler Center have held onto the vestiges of the building's Bethlehem Steel plant offices days. Walking through the first floor is like taking a walk back in time. But that's about to change. A $5 million renovation of the South Bethlehem building's entrances, first and third floors is underway after NCC trustees approved the contracts. The project will almost double the size of NCC's Fab Lab and transform the building's first floor into student spaces, the lab and the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship...
September 13, 2017
Blight removal in Bethlehem, a redeveloped Allentown Metal Works, a master plan for the envisioned Da Vinci Science City in Easton, an expanded business incubator at Lehigh University – all these and more are moving forward thanks to $1.45 million in new grants from the BB&T Economic Growth Fund at the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation. The grants are aimed at stimulating economic growth in Lehigh and Northampton counties.“Funding for economic development is vital to the continued improvement in the quality of life in the Lehigh Valley,” says Bernie Story, the foundation’s president and CEO...
September 12, 2017
I am co-owner of Soltech Solutions alongside Mike Planer and Chris Clark. We have been developing green lifestyle products for a few years although the Aspect was our first product to hit the market a year ago. Since then we’ve been continuing to develop new product lines and grow our manufacturing and sales operations. We got into manufacturing because we found a need for certain green energy efficient products that you can simply and tastefully incorporate into your lifestyle. It’s a pretty long story that begins with a non-profit, solar energy and a series of post-college decisions, but Soltech really began to take shape when we noticed several trends that were merging and rising simultaneously...
September 12, 2017
Cernostics, a privately-held diagnostics company focused on delivering next-generation cancer diagnostics and prognostics, announced today the appointment of Lisa Bichsel as Vice President of Marketing to continue development and growth for the company. Ms. Bichsel previously served as Vice President of Marketing for C2 Therapeutics and Commercial Marketing Director for BARRX Medical, companies offering eradication therapies for the pre-cancerous condition, Barrett's esophagus...
September 10, 2017
Sam Massoto and Ryan Kelly are the only two employees brewing on a Wednesday morning. “You almost finished adding in the hops?” Massoto called over to Kelly, as Kelly stood over the massive equipment, checking to make sure every ingredient was scaled out perfectly. Massoto, 36, is the owner, president, grand chancellor and head brewer of Bonn Place Brewing Company. He opened the brewery with his wife and co-chancellor, Gina, in July 2016. Bonn Place, located on 310 Taylor St. in Bethlehem, is a quiet place and the owners intend to keep it that way. Massoto and his wife were actors for years and were looking for a place to open a brewery. They came through Bethlehem in 2012 and fell in love with the area, specifically the South Side. Massoto said once they found the location on Taylor Street, they decided it was here or nowhere else...
September 07, 2017
LV Startup is a monthly newsletter, created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, that is laser-focused on the needs of startups in the greater Lehigh Valley...
August 16, 2017
Keystone Edge tells the story of the new economy in Pennsylvania. It's a narrative of creative people and businesses, new development, cool places to live, and the best places to work and play...
August 14, 2017
Sal Salamone, Ph.D. shares how Ben Franklin Technology Partners helped him launch and grow his business...
August 03, 2017
LV Startup is a monthly newsletter, created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, that is laser-focused on the needs of startups in the greater Lehigh Valley...
August 02, 2017
Musikfest fans from all over the country will now have access to an innovative local networking app called UBMe that allows visitors to fully explore the city of Bethlehem, meet new people, and find local business deals. UBMe is also inviting everyone in the Bethlehem area to join in on the treasure hunt series that will start August 5th and continue throughout the 10-day music festival. The UBMe treasure hunt details and maps will be posted on their Facebook and Instagram pages @UBMeWorld and also handed out at Musikfest...
July 25, 2017
Viddler provides interactive online media solutions for corporate communications, interactive training, and digital publishing...
July 25, 2017
FreeBowler believes in innovating cricket and developing accessible training aids which helps all cricketers train like the pros...
July 25, 2017
Soltech Solutions is an American based company founded to develop and provide the highest standards of energy efficient products for the home and office...
July 25, 2017
HarborLight Software is a leading provider of real-time marine data collection and reporting software. HarborLight Software works with government and non-government organizations and commercial agencies in the fisheries market to build custom software...
July 20, 2017
Rick Anthony interviews Val Arzunian, founder and CEO of UBMe.com, a smartphone app that connects people who share interests in the same place...
July 19, 2017
Keystone Edge tells the story of the new economy in Pennsylvania. It's a narrative of creative people and businesses, new development, cool places to live, and the best places to work and play...
July 14, 2017
Stretching west from the New Jersey state line to include Bethlehem, Allentown, Emmaus and Easton, the Lehigh Valley lies about halfway up Pennsylvania’s eastern edge. It’s got rocks and rollercoasters, Moravians and music, craft breweries and kiffles (if you’ve never heard of the latter, ask a local). Bethlehem, a city of just over 75,000, sees that number swell to about one million for ten days each August thanks to the country’s largest free music festival, staged in the shadow of its iconic steel stacks. Bethlehem Musikfest launched in 1984, and this year it’s running August 4 through 13. The flagship event of the non-profit ArtsQuest happens with the help of corporate and city agency partners and over 1,600 volunteers. Last year’s fest drew 957,000 people from nine countries to hear almost 400 artists on 15 stages...
July 10, 2017
After three successive years of stopping at the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks as the lead roles in a touring production of “Tony ’n Tina’s Wedding," Bonn Place Brewing Company owners Gina and Sam Masotto knew they were hooked on Bethlehem. Now, just a few years later—and a short walk away from SteelStacks—in a mural-wrapped building at 310 Taylor Street on Bethlehem’s South Side, they’re about to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the vibrant brewpub...
July 07, 2017
LV Startup is a monthly newsletter, created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, that is laser-focused on the needs of startups in the greater Lehigh Valley...
July 03, 2017
A new research document with title ‘Global Cryosurgery Devices Market 2017-2021’ covering detailed analysis, Competitive landscape, forecast and strategies. The study covers geographic analysis that includes regions like Americas, APAC, EMEA and important players/vendors such as CryoConcepts, Cryoswiss, Cryonic Medical etc. The report will help user gain market insights, future trends and growth prospects for forecast period of 2017-2021...
June 29, 2017
The Bethlehem Economic Development Corporation and the City of Bethlehem received a grant from the BB&T Economic Growth Fund of the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation. This will create a revolving loan fund to remediate blighted properties and help address the need for small-scale manufacturing space...
June 28, 2017
Bethlehem, PA – The City of Bethlehem and Mayor Bob Donchez have received an Honorable Mention Small City 2017 City Livability Award in support of the Southside Bethlehem Keystone Innovation Zone during the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ 85th Annual Meeting in Miami Beach. The award recognizes mayoral leadership in developing and implementing programs that improve the quality of life in America’s cities, focusing on the leadership, creativity, and innovation demonstrated by the mayors. This year’s winning cities were selected by former mayors from a pool of over 150 applicants...
June 21, 2017
Keystone Edge tells the story of the new economy in Pennsylvania. It's a narrative of creative people and businesses, new development, cool places to live, and the best places to work and play...
June 12, 2017
Val Arzunian, the founder of UBMe, a new startup in Bethlehem’s Pi incubator, saw that there were many social apps that people could download. Some let you browse people with similar interests. Some let you see and connect with people in your area, and some let you check in at your favorite places. He saw a way to combine all of what he saw as the helpful features used by many of these social apps and combine them into one app, one that allows people in specific locations to meet, talk and network...
June 07, 2017
A startup that streamlines the ski experience for resort guests is getting a lift in the form of fresh investments.
Snowvation Inc., a company that formerly was based remotely in Easton, now has office space in Bethlehem’s TechVentures facility at Lehigh University’s Mountaintop Campus. Michael Stocker, CEO and founder of Snowvation Inc., said his startup went through a traditional startup accelerator program hosted by the Rockies Venture Club, a nonprofit angel investing group in Denver, and garnered a lot of interest from members...
June 02, 2017
Bethlehem, PA – UBMe, developer of a self-titled proximity-based local networking app, recently established their headquarters in Suite 7 at Pi: Partnership for Innovation. The startup company was formed in 2016 and currently occupies the 177 sq. ft. space. Val Arzunian is the CEO and oversees the overall development of the company including sales, finances and day-to-day operations. He is a Long Island University – C.W. Post graduate with a degree in Business Marketing...
June 01, 2017
LV Startup is a monthly newsletter, created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, that is laser-focused on the needs of startups in the greater Lehigh Valley...
May 30, 2017
A robot dinosaur has invaded part of Northampton Community College. It was created in the Lehigh Valley, but made a trip to California and brought home top honors. The 14-feet custom built dinosaur robot was created in the Fab Lab at Northampton Community College. Director of the Fab Lab Jeffrey Boerner said, "Tobor has taken a life of its own at the college. Everybody knows who Tobor is now." The FAB-A-SAUR took home top honors at this year's World Maker Faire in San Francisco, which is the largest festival in the world that celebrates inventions. Tobor won six editor choice ribbons and was also named best exhibit by PC Magazine...
May 24, 2017
There are plenty of smartphone apps available out there to help users connect with people nearby. But Val Arzunian is taking a different approach. He’s the creator of UBMe, a free proximity-based networking app that allows users to connect with other people using the app, not just within a nearby radius, but who are physically located at a specific place, whether its a business, bar, college campus, concert, festival, sporting event, or something else entirely. “It has a lot of different uses and a lot of different possibilities,” Arzunian said of UBMe, which works in more than 100 million places in 54 countries. “We’re marketing it as a local network for the modern world.”
May 15, 2017
A Bucks County biotech company with a laboratory in the Lehigh Valley has acquired a Ben Franklin TechVentures startup. Lampire Biological Laboratories Inc. expects to complete the acquisition of H.B. Custom Media Inc. around June 1, President Gregory F. Krug said Monday. He declined to disclose financial terms. Lampire, which is headquartered in Bedminster Township, sells human and animal blood antibodies and related products, including serum and plasma, that are used in diagnostic testing by some of the world's leading life science companies, Krug said...
May 15, 2017
Keystone Edge tells the story of the new economy in Pennsylvania. It's a narrative of creative people and businesses, new development, cool places to live, and the best places to work and play...
May 11, 2017
Next Thursday, May 11th, Congressman Charlie Dent will be hosting a Small Business Day event, featuring a presentation from Lehigh University SBDC. The event is FREE and features resources for current small business owners and those who aspire to own their own business. If interested, please fill out the registration form and either e-mail it to charliedentevents@mail.house.gov or fax it to Makala Ashmar in the Lehigh Valley office at (610) 770-3498. Additionally, please note that you must be registered to attend.
Sessions
9:45 - 11:00 First Step - Determining and Starting Your Business
11:15 - 12:15 Finding Funding for Your Business
1:00 - 2:30 International Trade and Government Contracting Panel
May 10, 2017
In November 2016, Paul Hodges and two fellow entrepreneurs launched a Kickstarter campaign for the world’s first LED grow light made for interior design. Soltech’s elegant design, the Aspect, offers museum-quality light, interchangeable lampshades, and 15 different cord colors to match any interior. Its unique low-wattage LED light saves money on electric costs, provides enough light to promote the healthy growth of a variety of plants, and is built to last 17 years. As the Kickstarter campaign gained momentum, the trio behind the Aspect needed a place to focus on production. They needed to meet increased demand for the light and continue their mission to help people live healthier and happier — all while adding comfort to homes and offices everywhere...
May 09, 2017
LAMPIRE Biological Laboratories, Inc., announced it has completed the acquisition of H. B. Custom Media, based
out of the Ben Franklin Tech Ventures Business Center, in Bethlehem, PA. The acquisition includes all equipment, materials and personnel. LAMPIRE Biological Laboratories, Inc., is a provider of human and animal blood and blood products, OMNI C3 cell culture bags, monoclonal and polyclonal antibody development, manufacturing, and purifcation services and operates as a Critical Material Manufacturer for a number of fortune 500 companies and their subsidiaries. LAMPIRE offers clients a wide array of products and services fundamental in the fields of drug discovery, compound development and clinical and research diagnostics...
May 04, 2017
LV Startup is a monthly newsletter, created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, that is laser-focused on the needs of startups in the greater Lehigh Valley...
April 25, 2017
Bethlehem, PA - Lehigh Valley-based toy maker Mezzimatic LLC has quadrupled its manufacturing operations at SoBeCoWorks, a South Bethlehem co-working space. The announcement was made by Santiago Rivera, founder of SoBeCoWorks and 25-year-old Briana Gardell, owner of Mezzimatic. Mezzimatic Inc. was launched in May 2015 by Gardell, a Lehigh University, Master’s of Technical Entrepreneurship graduate. Mezzimatic manufactures Goblies, a washable, vegan paintball product. In 2016, CNBC Named Goblies one of the Hottest Toys at the New York City Toy Fair. Gardell expects substantial, continued growth for the Goblies paintball product line, in addition to other Mezzimatic toys products on the design board...
April 24, 2017
Two companies are moving out of a business incubator into larger offices as they capitalize on their growth prospects. The Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania said it will graduate two client companies from its TechVentures building at Lehigh University’s Mountaintop Campus in Bethlehem. The organization said Orbweaver Sourcing LLC is relocating to a facility in downtown Bethlehem that is four times the size of its existing space, and Sunbound Technology is moving to a Whitehall Township facility eight times its incubator space. Orbweaver provides complete, real-time supply chain integration solutions for the electronics manufacturing industry...
April 19, 2017
Keystone Edge tells the story of the new economy in Pennsylvania. It's a narrative of creative people and businesses, new development, cool places to live, and the best places to work and play...
April 13, 2017
Bethlehem Mayor Bob Donchez believes that perhaps no other Pennsylvania city has seen more changes in manufacturing over the past 25 years than the city of Bethlehem. When Bethlehem Steel shut its doors in 1995, it was the city’s largest employer, landowner, and taxpayer, and its closure resulted in the loss of more than 25,000 jobs and left behind 1,800 acres of brownfields. Since then, the city has worked to remediate portions of blighted areas and steadily rebuild and reinvent the city’s landscape, Donchez said. Today, the Sands Casino Bethlehem Resort and ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks stand on former Steel land, the city has become a leader in innovation and entrepreneurship, and it is considered a haven for new startup companies thanks to such programs as the Southside Bethlehem KIZ and Ben Franklin TechVentures...
April 13, 2017
The Chamber and the LVEDC brought together some of the greatest minds from the local manufacturing scene on Wednesday, for a discussion about the manufacturing climate in Bethlehem. The informative event was kicked off with a warm welcome to all in attendance by Bethlehem Mayor Bob Donchez. The event was then turned over to, the President of the LVEDC, Don Cunningham, who led the evenings discussion along with a panel of experts consisting of Rex Boland V.P & G.M of B. Braun of America, Doug Michels President & CEO of Orasure Technologies Inc. Todd Schurra , G.M of Curtiss- Wright Corp and Michael Planer , Chief Technology Officer of Soltech Solutions...
April 10, 2017
When Sam and Gina Masotto first stepped foot in Bethlehem in the winter of 2012, they were surprised by what they discovered. Living in the Big Apple at the time, the husband-and-wife duo were the stars of Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding, the longest-running Off-Broadway show in history, which was making its premiere at the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks. While the couple didn’t expect they’d be visiting a rundown steel town, they also didn’t anticipate finding anything that resembled the mix of arts, culture and dining establishments they found in some of the larger cities in which they performed...
April 06, 2017
LV Startup is a monthly newsletter, created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, that is laser-focused on the needs of startups in the greater Lehigh Valley...
April 04, 2017
Manufacturing has not disappeared in America, it has changed. And it certainly has not disappeared in the Lehigh Valley, where manufacturing is once again the top sector in terms of economic output. The Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation (LVEDC) will be partnering with the Bethlehem Chamber of Commerce to host “Manufacturing Momentum in Bethlehem,” an event that highlights the new manufacturing that has come to define the city. “You hear a lot of talk about America’s manufacturing past, but today, the Lehigh Valley is leading the way in building America’s manufacturing future,” LVEDC President and CEO Don Cunningham said. “That’s why the theme of our new marketing campaign is, ‘Hey, world, we still make stuff here!’”
The event will be held Wednesday, April 12, in the Foundry Room of the Sands Casino Bethlehem Hotel. It will be run from 4 pm to 5:30 pm with cocktails, appetizers, and the program. Tickets are $40, and attendees can register on the Chamber’s website...
March 15, 2017
The New England Saltwater Fishing Show was a big success this weekend. Steve Medeiros, president of the Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association (www.risaa.org), said, “We had a line of 600 people waiting to get in Friday that stretched from the ticket office at the Convention Center all the way to the hotel.” And, on Sunday morning at 11 a.m. (an hour after the show started), the line I saw had about 400 people in it. Medeiros said, “We sold out booth space (over 300 exhibitors) a month before the show and we won’t know formal attendance numbers until we get a report from the Convention Center, but it is sure to be record breaking.” More than 15,000 people have attended the show in the past. Here are a few exhibits that caught my attention at the show...
March 15, 2017
Keystone Edge tells the story of the new economy in Pennsylvania. It's a narrative of creative people and businesses, new development, cool places to live, and the best places to work and play...
March 10, 2017
Operating out of Bethlehem, Pa., Soltech Solutions develops green, energy efficient products that can enhance daily life. From planting newbies to green thumbs, Soltech’s Aspect LED grow light can turn anyone into a garden guru, providing plants with the required light to grow inside a home. A passionate team of three entrepreneurs’ designs and manufactures Soltech’s product lines with the mission of helping people live healthier and happier while adding comfort to homes and offices everywhere. For this spotlight, we spoke with Soltech co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Paul Hodges...
March 09, 2017
As news swirls about the potential $1.3 billion sale of the Sands casino, Mayor Robert Donchez briefly acknowledged the elephant in the room Thursday at his annual State of the City speech that focused more on fighting blight, keeping the city safe and growing business. Donchez drew attention to new technology companies, such as Soltech, to the large mixed-use projects such as Greenway Commons. He also noted that the city is completing a downtown market analysis to identify the types of shops the city has and what gaps there are with demand. The city will form a recruitment strategy based on the results...
April 12, 2017
Local companies held a discussion about what the future holds for the manufacturing business in Bethlehem on Wednesday. NBC10’s Randy Gyllenhaal has the latest on an industry that is not disappearing, but is quickly changing...
March 09, 2017
The Global Chlorine Dioxide Market primarily includes a basic overview of the Chlorine Dioxide industry. It also includes Chlorine Dioxide definitions, classifications and applications. It segments the market by applications, types, regions, competitive players and also analyzes Chlorine Dioxide market size, business share and Chlorine Dioxide revenue, price and sales. The report mainly covers the Chlorine Dioxide market in North America, the Chlorine Dioxide market in Europe, the Chlorine Dioxide market in Asia-Pacific, the Chlorine Dioxide market in Latin America, Middle as well as Africa...
March 02, 2017
LV Startup is a monthly newsletter, created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, that is laser-focused on the needs of startups in the greater Lehigh Valley...
February 18, 2017
Keystone Edge tells the story of the new economy in Pennsylvania. It's a narrative of creative people and businesses, new development, cool places to live, and the best places to work and play...
February 17, 2017
Viihealth, Inc., a next-generation Customer Engagement Company dedicated to helping global Life Science clients improve business results, has acquired Hubdata SARL, a French based provider of leading edge decision analytics SaaS solutions. The Hubdata team has effectively utilized machine learning based advanced analytics to drive business outcomes, such as customer loyalty, yield management, repeat revenue, and profitability for international clients. The Hubdata platform provides viihealth the foundational core to effectively add advanced data analytics that provide prediction and prescription guidance in its solution suite to address the needs of Life Science marketers...
February 10, 2017
After Paul Hodges started Soltech Solutions, a manufacturer of state-of-the-art LED grow lights, he conducted a comprehensive search for an attractive startup climate that would be best help his new company grow and thrive. He went with the Lehigh Valley. “Between the beautiful office spaces and the friendly businesses within the Pi building, we couldn’t ask for a better work environment” says Paul Hodges, CEO of Soltech Solutions, which recently established its headquarters at the Bethlehem incubator Pi: Partnership for Innovation...
February 09, 2017
A post on CNN Money citing Bethlehem as one of the “100 best places to live and launch a company” helped spur a startup to establish its home in the city. Soltech Solutions, a manufacturer of light-emitting diode lights that grow plants, said it established its headquarters in Suite 5 at Pi: Partnership for Innovation in Southside Bethlehem. The startup company formed in 2014 and its three employees occupy the 232-square foot space where it will manufacture the product called the Aspect...
February 08, 2017
Soltech Solutions, a startup maker of LED grow lights, has opened its headquarters in Bethlehem's Partnership for Innovation. Soltech was awarded a $15,000 grant this month by the Southside Bethlehem Keystone Innovation Zone Board. The grant will be used to build the company's inventory of a new type of grow light called Aspect. The LED pendant light grows plants using the photosynthetic spectrum while displaying them with museum quality lighting. Soltech CEO Paul Hodges said in a statement that he looks forward to growing his 3-year-old business in Bethlehem...
February 08, 2017
Bethlehem, PA – Soltech Solutions, a manufacturer of state-of-the-art led grow lights, recently established their headquarters in Suite 5 at Pi: Partnership for Innovation. The startup company was formed in 2014 and their three employees currently occupy the 232 sq. ft. space. Paul Hodges is the CEO and oversees the overall development of the company including sales, finances and day-to-day operations. He is a Temple University graduate with a degree in Political Science and History...
February 02, 2017
LV Startup is a monthly newsletter, created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, that is laser-focused on the needs of startups in the greater Lehigh Valley...
January 30, 2017
Catalyzing innovation in our companies isn't just our mission; it's our passion. In 1983, at the start of the Ben Franklin Technology Partners, we identified and developed new ways to help northeastern Pennsylvania companies utilize technology to competitive advantage. Business incubation was one of those ways, and over the years, we’ve become very good at it...
January 24, 2017
LiveHelpNow announces the release of Secure Forms, a new feature that enables Help agents and customers to securely exchange confidential information from within a chat session or via email. Until now, it was impossible to collect confidential or order information in a chat or email because both chats and emails provide clear text communication, which is not HIPAA and PCI compliant. With Secure Forms, instead of insecurely sharing credit card, social security, and other highly confidential information, agents can take advantage of a secure upload capability built right into the chat window...
January 18, 2017
Saladax Biomedical Inc., which develops specialized diagnostic tests at the Ben Franklin TechVentures incubator, said Wednesday it has signed an agreement to license two tests for Alzheimer's disease to a major health care company. The Bethlehem biomedical company hopes its tests will help detect the early onset of Alzheimer's disease, said DeWayne Davenport, who heads Saladax's commercialization and business development...
January 18, 2017
Keystone Edge tells the story of the new economy in Pennsylvania. It's a narrative of creative people and businesses, new development, cool places to live, and the best places to work and play...
January 12, 2017
Have you ever wanted to install an overhead light fixture but not deal with the headache required to make it a reality? Re-wiring in any building is taxing process. Ripping apart drywall and placing the desired wiring and putting it all back up is annoying for even the most experienced contractors. Matthew Bilsky, current adjunct professor and recent doctoral recipient in the department of mechanical engineering and mechanics, discovered a solution through an innovative way of thinking...
January 10, 2017
Bethlehem, PA – The Bethlehem Economic Development Corporation (BEDCO) and the City of Bethlehem are excited to welcome BB&T as the newest Primary Partner to the Southside Bethlehem Keystone Innovation Zone (KIZ). BB&T has awarded BEDCO a $10,000 grant in order to help fund KIZ Technology Transfer & Student Internship Grants. These grant programs help to facilitate growth in early-stage startup companies...
January 06, 2017
Nine early-stage companies in a south Bethlehem business-incubation area have been approved for nearly $540,000 in tax credits through Pennsylvania's Keystone Innovation Zone program. Four companies, Cernostics, Hager Biosciences LLC, Orbweaver Sourcing LLC and Livehelpnow LLC each received $82,585 in tax credits, according to information released Friday from the state Department of Community and Economic Development. Other companies, with their list of awards, are...
January 06, 2017
Bethlehem, PA – 9 Bethlehem start-up companies have been awarded $537,792 in tax credits through the Keystone Innovation Zone (KIZ) Tax Credit Program by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development. These companies are all located within the Southside Bethlehem Keystone Innovation Zone (SBKIZ), which is administered by the Bethlehem Economic Development Corporation. Companies that received tax credits include...
January 06, 2017
Harrisburg, PA – Department of Community and Economic Development Secretary Dennis Davin today announced the approval of $15 million in tax credits to support 263 early-stage companies through the Keystone Innovation Zone (KIZ) Program. “It is important that we support Pennsylvania’s talent pipeline, from higher education to business ownership, and provide opportunities for entrepreneurial success and the KIZ Program does just that,” said Sec. Davin...
January 05, 2017
Pratheek Palanethra has been playing cricket since he was four years old, and growing up in India, he never lacked in opportunities to play or practice. But after moving to Bethlehem to attend Lehigh University, he found he’d often have to drive to New Jersey and spend upwards of $150 just for one hour of practice, losing half the day on traveling when he could be spending that time playing the game. That’s why Palanethra, 24, and Justin Jacobs, 28, have teamed up to form the company Freebowler...
January 05, 2017
LV Startup is a monthly newsletter, created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, that is laser-focused on the needs of startups in the greater Lehigh Valley...
December 21, 2016
Keystone Edge tells the story of the new economy in Pennsylvania. It's a narrative of creative people and businesses, new development, cool places to live, and the best places to work and play...
December 12, 2016
Ruins are often cast aside after the demise of great empires. The Colosseum has become a tourist attraction, the Mayan ruins exist largely to be climbed, the Egyptian pyramids serve as fodder for UFO conspiracy theorists. But there are some kingdoms whose legacies continue on...
December 01, 2016
CEO and Founder, Mezzimatic, LLC
M.Eng., Technical Entrepreneurship Program, Lehigh University, 2015
B.S., Business Information Systems, Lehigh University, 2014
Briana Gardell developed 26 prototypes of her invention, Goblies, before hitting the mark, so to speak. Conceived during Briana's year as a grad student in Lehigh's Technical Entrepreneurship (TE) program, Goblies are non-toxic, bio-degradable, hand-thrown paintballs - basically colorful wet powder encased by a non-latex membrane...
December 01, 2016
LV Startup is a monthly newsletter, created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, that is laser-focused on the needs of startups in the greater Lehigh Valley...
November 16, 2016
Keystone Edge tells the story of the new economy in Pennsylvania. It's a narrative of creative people and businesses, new development, cool places to live, and the best places to work and play...
November 15, 2016
There is no shortage of real estate to rent or own in the Lehigh Valley, from shared co-working spaces and business incubators, to warehouses that exceed 1 million square feet. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy for startups or growing companies to find the perfect next space, especially if they lack the right resources or networks. An event organized by the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation (LVEDC) on Nov. 17 discussed this challenge, highlighting the need for smaller footprint space and helping connect brokers and developers with the region’s entrepreneur community...
November 15, 2016
In the Lehigh Valley, a cavernous, century-old Bethlehem Steel facility once again brims with the mighty machines that transformed a young, agrarian nation into an industrial powerhouse. The National Museum of Industrial History, an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, opened in August. According to Andria Zaia, the museum’s curator of collections, the goal is to “forge a connection between America’s industrial past and the innovations of today by educating the public and inspiring the visionaries of tomorrow.”
November 14, 2016
Argolife SAS, a subsidiary of viihealth, Inc., a next-generation digital customer engagement solutions provider for the Life Science industry, announces commercial release of MCM Builder™, its cloud-based SaaS solution to quickly and cost-effectively build and update multi-channel digital content...
November 10, 2016
On November 3rd, Play Impossible Corporation in Lewisburg won Ben Franklin Venture Idol, hosted by the Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania (BFTP/NEP). The event was held at the Innovation Institute in Ben Franklin TechVentures, BFTP/NEP’s award-winning and LEED Gold-certified technology incubator/post-incubator on Lehigh University‘s Mountaintop Campus. A cross between Shark Tank and American Idol, the event demonstrates a significant way in which early-stage entrepreneurs seek and obtain seed capital...
November 07, 2016
He is simply known as "the bike guy." Jonathan Akers '10 '15G graduated from Lehigh with a B.S. in finance and a M.Eng. in Technical Entrepreneurship. The Allentown native has made an impact with a number of companies since his completion of the program a year and a half ago, including work with west coast company Lithium Cycles' Super '73 motorbike, and currently with Bethlehem start-up Altor Locks...
November 03, 2016
LV Startup is a monthly newsletter, created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, that is laser-focused on the needs of startups in the greater Lehigh Valley...
October 31, 2016
The Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania’s (BFTP/NEP) Board of Directors has approved the investment of $671,000 in support of regional economic development. BFTP/NEP’s goal is to help lead northeastern Pennsylvania to a better economic future by building partnerships that develop and apply technology for competitive advantage...
October 28, 2016
Bethlehem, Pa - Hatch House Ventures, with locations in Lehigh Valley, Philadelphia, Southern New Jersey, and Delaware, was recently recognized as one of the “Best Entrepreneurial Companies in America” by Entrepreneur Magazine’s Entrepreneur 360™ List, the most comprehensive analysis of private companies in America. Based on this study forged by Entrepreneur, Hatch House Ventures is recognized as a well-rounded company that has mastered a balance of impact, innovation, growth and leadership...
October 28, 2016
Saladax Biomedical, Inc., the leader in developing oncology diagnostics that increase the impact of personalized medicine, announced today that Dr. Salvatore J. Salamone, the Company's Founder, President, and Chief Executive Officer has been inducted into the New Jersey Inventors Hall of Fame. Salamone is being honored for: "Luminary discoveries and contributions in the fields of oncology research, therapeutic diagnostics, health care and medical device services." The award was presented at an award ceremony on Thursday, October 27, 2016...
October 26, 2016
The state is seeding a south Bethlehem venture capital fund with $5 million to support early and growing technology companies. The Commonwealth Financing Authority (CFA), through its New Pennsylvania Venture Capital Investment Program, has approved the money for Originate Growth Fund II LP, which is managed by Originate Ventures. In a news release, the state says Originate is seeking to raise up to $60 million in aggregate commitments, taking between 20 and 30 investments in early stage technology companies with an average target of $1 million to $3 million per investment. Originate will target start-ups in health care, business services and the financial sector...
October 25, 2016
At its annual breakfast meeting Monday at Lehigh University's Iacocca Hall on its mountaintop campus, the Deputy Secretary of the PA Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) Office of Technology and Innovation ranked Southside Bethlehem's Keystone Innovation Zone (KIZ) the best in the state. PA DCED Deputy Secretary Sheri Collins was referring to the Southside Bethlehem's KIZ--a partnership that creates entrepreneurial opportunities and fosters innovation by aligning the combined resources of educational institutions and the public and private sectors. There are 29 KIZ zones throughout the state...
October 25, 2016
Bethlehem, PA – The Southside Bethlehem KIZ released a 12-page booklet today that was first introduced at the Southside Bethlehem KIZ Annual Update that was held yesterday. It provides an overview of the program in addition to highlighting recent updates and changes.
Some notable highlights include:
- Mezzimatic LLC establishing a manufacturing facility and producing their flagship brand Goblies
- ViiHealth, Inc. and their recent growth spurred by newly secured clients
- Bonn Place Brewing Company which recently opened in Southside Bethlehem
- Merchants Bank and PPL Corporation recently joined the KIZ as Primary Partners
These booklets have been and will continue to be produced annually...
October 24, 2016
Since its inception in 2004, the Southside Bethlehem Keystone Innovation Zone (KIZ) has helped create more than 400 new jobs and facilitated over $6 million in investment to more than 90 eligible companies. That translates to about $75,000 of assistance per company. “By fostering a highly-concentrated collection of students, entrepreneurs, and startup companies, South Bethlehem has effectively positioned itself as a catalyst for innovation,” Bethlehem Mayor Bob Donchez said...
October 24, 2016
Check out this video on Mezzimatic LLC - Goblies that aired at the 2016 KIZ Annual Update...
October 24, 2016
Check out this video on Bonn Place Brewing Company that aired at the 2016 KIZ Annual Update...
October 24, 2016
Check out this video on ViiHealth, Inc. that aired at the 2016 KIZ Annual Update...
October 24, 2016
Michael Kansky has a simple motto: “Life is too precious to be 40 minutes on hold.” It's a motto that helped the Ukranian-born founder and CEO of LiveHelpNow in Bethlehem to create a business that is one of the fastest-growing companies not only in the Greater Lehigh Valley, but in the country. For the past two years, the provider of customer service software and solutions has been named to Inc.'s 500 list of fastest-growing companies. This year it ranked No. 4 in Pennsylvania and No. 284 in the United States and Canada...
October 24, 2016
Join us for the Southside Bethlehem KIZ Annual Update on Monday October 24th from 8:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m. This free event will be held in the Wood Dining Room on the 2nd floor of Iacocca Hall.
Agenda
8:00 - 8:55 Networking, Breakfast Buffet, Company Displays
9:00 - 10:00 Presentations
Presentations
John Simon - President (Lehigh University)
Robert Donchez - Mayor (City of Bethlehem)
Asher Schiavone - Economic Development Coordinator, Director of KIZ (City of Bethlehem)
Briana Gardell - CEO (Mezzimatic LLC)
Mark Erickson - President (Northampton Community College)
Sunny Verma - President (ViiHealth, Inc.)
Sam Massotto - Owner (Bonn Place Brewing Company)
Sheri Collins - Deputy Secretary (PADCED Office of Technology and Innovation)
October 19, 2016
Keystone Edge tells the story of the new economy in Pennsylvania. It's a narrative of creative people and businesses, new development, cool places to live, and the best places to work and play...
October 14, 2016
Mezzimatic’s flagship product is Goblies – paintballs that you throw by hand. They’re painless, like a water balloon, but make a colorful splash like a paintball. They’re 100 percent biodegradable, so you don’t have to pick up pieces like with water balloons. Goblies started in 2015 as a do-it-yourself kit. Children can make them at home while learning about chemistry in the process. The kit includes 12 stackable molds; ingredients to make 108 Goblies; and red, yellow, and blue mixable dyes...
October 07, 2016
After graduating college and faced with the question “what’s next?”, the answer was obvious to the three young men – develop this company they had been discussing for quite some time. However, due to the gravity and reality of their college loans, they were forced to move back to their homes to help lessen the weight of the costs they had just accumulated. But home had three very different geographic meanings for the three young men. It was obvious that if they were to continue developing their company, they would have to decide on a single location to call their home and headquarters...
October 06, 2016
Did you know the world’s lightest high-security bike lock is manufactured and sold right here in the Lehigh Valley? The Bethlehem-based startup Altor Locks has created the 560G, a high-strength bicycle lock composed of four solid Grade 5 titanium rods, linked together by stainless steel rivets that incorporate titanium shields. Often used in fighter jets and spacecraft, Grade 5 titanium is one of the strongest alloys in the world. But thanks to its very high strength-to-weight ratio, the 560G is also lightweight, and derives its name from its weight of only 560 grams, or 1.23 pounds...
October 06, 2016
LV Startup is a monthly newsletter, created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, that is laser-focused on the needs of startups in the greater Lehigh Valley...
October 04, 2016
Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf visited the Lehigh Valley this week to announce funding for a major expansion project at a Bethlehem business incubator for early-stage technology-oriented companies. Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania (BFTP/NEP) will receive a $1.5 million state grant to support the construction of a 19,685 square-foot expansion to Ben Franklin TechVentures, located on Lehigh University’s Mountaintop Campus in Bethlehem...
September 27, 2016
Bethlehem’s newest small-batch brewery, Bonn Place Brewing Co., rises up near the footprint of South Bethlehem Brewing Co., which closed in 1954. What started as a dream for Sam Masotto and his wife Gina became reality on July 31, when they served their first pints of South Bethlehem-brewed beer. I recently stopped in to see Sam and Gina and get a look and taste of Bonn Place Brewing. Parking was easy to find, and the path up the ramp led to the beautifully appointed mahogany double doors...
September 23, 2016
DynAccess is excited to release our latest monoski, the “Hydra”, which is a new generation of high performance racing monoski with unique suspension kinematics. The name “Hydra” is a reference to the mythical Lernaean Hydra, a serpentine water monster with multiple heads in Greek and Roman mythology. The many “heads” behind this revolutionary creation include DynAccess team, Marcel Kuonen, former Swiss athlete and monoskiing coach for over 20 years and YOU – the ATHLETE – because the Hydra’s design is as unique as each individual rider using it...
September 21, 2016
Interbike’s indoor show is truly overwhelming; getting lost and being late and forgetting to eat are par for the course, as is the feeling that you can’t possibly cover everything. Here we bring you the most interesting things our editors saw from each day of the indoor show. If you’ve invested some hard earned cash in a new dream bike, you deserve a new dreamy lock to go with it...
September 21, 2016
Keystone Edge tells the story of the new economy in Pennsylvania. It's a narrative of creative people and businesses, new development, cool places to live, and the best places to work and play...
September 20, 2016
People get pretty excited when a company like Ecotech Marine is present at conferences, and MACNA 2016 was no exception. This year in San Diego, the manufacturer’s booth was dominated by a single product: the recently announced 3rd iteration of their flagship aquarium LED light- the Radion G4. While Ecotech presented several other well-known products, such as Vortech propeller pump line and the Vectra return pump, the new Radion stole the spotlight with its elegant, minimalistic approach and the highly sophisticated electronics hiding inside its shiny black case...
September 20, 2016
Finish this sentence: “Networking is ____.” If you filled in that blank with “terrible,” “awkward,” or “the worst,” I feel you. Networking is one of those things that you really have to practice to get good at, unless you’re one of those humans who’s just naturally gifted at it — and I think there are maybe ten of those in the whole world. However, you know what’s not hard? What anyone with opposable thumbs (and probably some without) can do? Tinder. And that’s why Valor Connect has taken that Tinder interface we’ve all come to love and applied it to professional networking...
September 19, 2016
Orbweaver is not a household name, but that doesn't mean the Bethlehem startup won't be a factor in technology. In fact, the tech startup at TechVentures, the Ben Franklin Technology Partners business incubator on Lehigh University's Mountaintop Campus, might already hold that distinction. Founded in 2012, Orbweaver supplies real-time supply chain integration solutions for the electronics manufacturing industry...
September 15, 2016
Check out the action from last year's Southside Bethlehem KIZ Annual Update...
September 13, 2016
CHEP, a Brambles Company, and Element ID have announced a partnership to offer a complete, best-in-class asset tracking system targeted at manufacturers and warehouses. The companies are offering a full-turnkey solution encompassing a customized solution design based on existing processes, hardware, software, and the support to assure stakeholder alignment...
September 07, 2016
WHAT: Fred Kimock, Ph.D., presents an innovative product that he and partners at NeatCap Medical in Bethlehem, Pa., are using in neonatal intensive care units (NICU) to protect the hearing, growth, and cognition of premature babies.
WHEN: Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2016, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
WHERE: Da Vinci Science Center
September 02, 2016
When Jeff Boerner stepped foot in the White House, he felt as deep a connection with the makerspace movement as he has ever felt in his life. “It was the most wonderful experience,” he said. “It just made the movement feel so alive, so real. Looking around at all these makers from all over the country, all of a sudden, it was like, ‘This is really happening.’ I couldn’t have felt more at home with a group of people.”
September 01, 2016
LV Startup is a monthly newsletter, created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, that is laser-focused on the needs of startups in the greater Lehigh Valley...
September 01, 2016
A biotech company based at Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania's TechVentures has received an initial investment of $1.3 million to pursue its specialty in cancer diagnostics testing. Ben Franklin said in a news release that Cernostics Inc. is receiving the money from lead investor UPMC Enterprises, an affiliate of Pittsburgh's health care system UPMC...
August 25, 2016
Jeff Boerner of Bethlehem was surprised when he was personally invited to the White House. “They reached out to me,” said Boerner. “That’s what kind of amazes me.” Boerner serves as the Director of the Fab Lab at Northampton Community College. A location dubbed a “maker space” allowing creators and innovators an open-access space to create, design and learn about their vision. “It’s just a place where you can make almost anything,” said Boerner...
August 23, 2016
The Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania offers plenty of opportunities for new companies to start and thrive. Factors that help drive this grown include incentives, many colleges and universities, grants and economic support, and much more...
August 18, 2016
The Northampton Community College’s Fab Lab has been invited to speak at the White House for a discussion of notable individuals who run, support, or are involved with maker spaces around the country. The meeting next week is being organized by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) which, among many other initiatives, encourages young people to create and invent, and promotes entrepreneurship in hardware and manufacturing...
August 17, 2016
Keystone Edge tells the story of the new economy in Pennsylvania. It's a narrative of creative people and businesses, new development, cool places to live, and the best places to work and play...
August 14, 2016
As we enjoy our final concerts, snacks and mug refills at Musikfest, take solace in the fact you can keep the beer flowing and good times going all year long at Bethlehem's newest brewery, Bonn Place Brewing Co...
August 12, 2016
This electronic fishing logbook was designed by fishermen for fishermen to document their fishing success. We are so sure that you are going to love it, that we are offering it FREE for 30-days. Just tap to start your trip, and the eFin Logbook documents your route. Take a photo of your catch, tap to record your bait, and tap to save the length of each fish. The eFin Logbook automatically saves the date & time, weather conditions, and GPS location for each catch. A map of your trip and each of your catches is recorded as well, so you can see where the fish were biting...
August 12, 2016
The PPL Corporation is partnering with the Bethlehem Economic Development Corporation (BEDCO) to help provide grant funding to and help facilitate growth for early-stage startup companies in the Lehigh Valley. The PPL Foundation has become the newest Primary Partner to the Southside Bethlehem Keystone Innovation Zone (KIZ) program, and has awarded BEDCO a $4,000 grant to help fund KIZ Technology Transfer and Student Internship Grants...
August 12, 2016
Bethlehem, PA – The Bethlehem Economic Development Corporation (BEDCO) and the City of Bethlehem are excited to welcome PPL as the newest Primary Partner to the Southside Bethlehem Keystone Innovation Zone (KIZ). The PPL Foundation has awarded BEDCO a $4,000 grant in order to help fund KIZ Technology Transfer & Student Internship Grants. These grant programs help to facilitate growth in early-stage startup companies...
August 04, 2016
LV Startup is a monthly newsletter, created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, that is laser-focused on the needs of startups in the greater Lehigh Valley...
July 28, 2016
ViiHealth, Inc., a next-generation Customer Engagement Company dedicated to helping Life Science clients improve business results, has acquired Argolife SAS, a global Multichannel CLM digital content solutions company, and Argonautes Tunisia, SARL, a digital content production and development agency...
July 19, 2016
Keystone Edge tells the story of the new economy in Pennsylvania. It's a narrative of creative people and businesses, new development, cool places to live, and the best places to work and play...
July 16, 2016
Andy Fine's corporate outfit often includes a purple T-shirt featuring artwork that shows hands clasped in a handshake. The handshake does not symbolize the physical act, Fine says, but a virtual one he believes his company can facilitate as the next generation of networking...
July 07, 2016
LV Startup is a monthly newsletter, created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, that is laser-focused on the needs of startups in the greater Lehigh Valley...
June 23, 2016
In south Bethehem, excitement is brewing for Bonn Place Brewing Co., which has been under construction for about a year at 310 Taylor St. According to Sam Masotto, who will be operating the business with his wife, Gina, there is no tentative opening date for the brew pub, but he hopes to have it open as soon as possible. Most of the renovations are complete and the business received its brew pub permit this week, he said. The brewery includes three seven-barrel stainless steel fermenters, a 1,000-litre oak foudre, brite tank, hot liquor tank, mash-lauter tun and kettle...
From Steel Town to Startup Central
For the century-long history of Bethlehem Steel, Bethlehem was a company town and the Southside was its capital. Tens of thousands of steelworkers lived and worked there in the shadow of its massive blast furnaces. Today, Southside bustles with a different kind of energy, due in large part to the Southside Bethlehem Keystone Innovation Zone...
June 14, 2016
Business incubation provides vital support to entrepreneurs and early-stage firms at their most vulnerable times. It is often pivotal to their survival and prosperity. For more than 30 years, Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania (BFTP/NEP) has been a pioneer in the field. Our experience nurturing young companies in an incubator facility is deep and has been recognized with the prestigious National Business Incubator Association Incubator of the Year Award on two occasions...
June 14, 2016
Keystone Edge tells the story of the new economy in Pennsylvania. It's a narrative of creative people and businesses, new development, cool places to live, and the best places to work and play...
June 11, 2016
From the first municipal water pump system to the I-beam, Bethlehem has been a cradle of innovation and industry for 275 years.
It began with the Moravians, who settled the land in 1741 and built a self-sustaining community with 50 industries in 20 years. By the mid-19th century, industry became the bedrock of the community with the rise of what became Bethlehem Steel. Its flagship plant attracted thousands of workers from all over the world to make the steel, while the era's brightest minds created ways to make the steelmaking process more efficient and the product stronger.
Other businesses took root around Bethlehem, including factories making silk, beer, candy, spices and, more recently, HIV tests and other technology...
June 02, 2016
LV Startup is a monthly newsletter, created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, that is laser-focused on the needs of startups in the greater Lehigh Valley...
May 18, 2016
Keystone Edge tells the story of the new economy in Pennsylvania. It's a narrative of creative people and businesses, new development, cool places to live, and the best places to work and play...
May 12, 2016
The titanium Altor 560G bicycle lock combines light weight with heavy-duty strength so environmentally proactive commuters can keep on going green. Truth be told, bicycling in the city ain’t always pretty. Urban cyclists must compete with cars and trucks just to get to where they’re going; then hope against hope their oft-pricey two wheeled machine is still safely locked when it’s time to go home. So, like, “get a bigger (and heavier) lock,” right? Wrong: traveling light is the key to commuting success. A startup firm named Altor feels cyclists’ pain and their all-new 560G bike lock hits bike thieves where it hurts...
May 11, 2016
Cernostics, Inc. today announced that findings from three scientific studies of its new TissueCypher® Barrett's Esophagus Assay will be presented at the Digestive Disease Week (DDW) meeting in San Diego. DDW is the world's largest conference on Gastro-intestinal Medicine and the ideal place for physicians to view data supporting the reliability and cost-effectiveness of Cernostics' TissueCypher® Barrett's Esophagus Assay— the first clinical assay of its kind to predict the risk of developing esophageal cancer...
May 10, 2016
The International Economic Development Council features KIZ Co-chair Bill Michalerya! Find out what he has to say about the Southside Bethlehem KIZ and building relationships with community partners...
May 05, 2016
As we celebrate National Small Business Week, we are reminded of the quote attributed to the great composer Irving Berlin, who said, "The toughest thing about success is that you've got to keep on being a success." Anyone who has started or led a successful small business will surely understand that sentiment...
May 05, 2016
LV Startup is a monthly newsletter, created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, that is laser-focused on the needs of startups in the greater Lehigh Valley...
May 02, 2016
A new bike lock is looking to secure a place in the market. Newly funded on Kickstarter, Altor’s 560G folding lock is perfect for those seeking low weight and high security. To clarify, 560 grams is 1.24 pounds, which makes Altor’s offering a featherweight compared to other locks in its projected security class...
May 02, 2016
Got a good idea for a company or product and need a little help growing it? The Southside Bethlehem Keystone Innovation Zone has some answers on its new website, www.southsidebethlehemkiz.com. The site provides entrepreneurs information about financing, office space and other expertise they need to get their young companies established. It also contains information on educational institutions, grants, partners of the program, events and other news...
April 29, 2016
Startups and entrepreneurs looking for financial support now have an easier path to find their way. The Southside Bethlehem Keystone Innovation Zone, one of many zones in the state which are designed to provide a range of benefits to startups, now has its own website at www.southsidebethlehemkiz.com...
April 28, 2016
Over the last 12 years, the Southside Bethlehem Keystone Innovation Zone (KIZ) has led to the creation of nearly 400 new jobs, over 100 new products developed, and about $6 million invested in 80 companies. But it’s never had it’s own website. Until now...
April 27, 2016
Keystone Edge tells the story of the new economy in Pennsylvania. It's a narrative of creative people and businesses, new development, cool places to live, and the best places to work and play...
April 27, 2016
When it comes to bike locks, there are two main types: heavy but effective U-locks, and lighter but less secure setups such as cables with padlocks. Well, Altor Locks is out to change that. Its compact new 560G weighs just 1.23 lb (or 560 grams, hence the name), yet is claimed to be extremely theft-resistant. We recently had the chance to try out a demo unit for ourselves...
April 25, 2016
The 560G is the lightest high-security bike lock on the market. Made from grade 5 titanium, it weighs 560 grams or 1.23 pounds...
April 14, 2016
ViiHealth, Inc., a next generation Customer Engagement and Digital Solutions Company dedicated to helping pharmaceuticals and life science companies improve their business results, announces a new strategic partnership with RK Management Consultants, Inc. (RKMC), a leading information technology services provider that specializes in planning, managing and implementing technology driven business solutions for enterprises...
April 07, 2016
LV Startup is a monthly newsletter, created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, that is laser-focused on the needs of startups in the greater Lehigh Valley...
April 02, 2016
Scientists doing research in cutting-edge areas such as transgenic technology, stem cells, growing human organs and in-vitro fertilization need media in which to grow tissue. Karen Hoskins had 22 years of experience in making tissue culture media and reagents for medical research as an employee of Specialty Media (acquired by several other large companies; now EMD Millipore, a division of Merck)...
March 31, 2016
Web chat software substantially improves the support experience for both business owners and the customers they serve. LiveHelpNows’ robust application gives your agents tools to chat with several customers at once in a prompt and personal way without the customer frustration of long hold times or the wait for a return email. Because LiveHelpNow allows you to customize every part of the process, you can enhance and coordinate your brand while providing customers with a more targeted and personalized experience...
March 21, 2016
E-commerce merchants are taking a new approach to assist consumers. Smaller online-only retailers are rapidly adopting live chat customer service, according to Michael Kansky, CEO of live chat platform provider LiveHelpNow. Because these companies do not need to invest in brick-and-mortar stores, they can devote more energy toward operating a live chat service. Merchants have been adopting LiveHelpNow's services at an average annual rate of 84%, according to Kansky...
March 19, 2016
In Bethlehem, small business is driving our economy. From the time the Moravians first settled Bethlehem in 1741, small business driven by a pioneering spirit has fueled its commercial and economic growth. Two examples — the Moravian Book Shop established in 1742 and The Sun Inn established in 1758 — are still operating to this day. Now blessed with two downtowns, the Moravian Historic District and the South Side Arts District, Bethlehem has witnessed renewed growth in small business over the past two decades...
March 19, 2016
From a small, second-floor office in south Bethlehem, Bill Spain keeps track of fish. Actually, his company, HarborLight Software, develops software that helps fishermen record their saltwater catches...
March 12, 2016
Cerora, a firm from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, has created a headset, with an associated smartphone app, which monitors brain health. The headset measures brainwaves and tracks eye movement; the app uses the smartphone’s internal sensors to test patients’ balance and reaction times. Cerora plans to launch the product this year, subject to review by America’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA); it could help diagnose concussion and other neurodegenerative diseases....
March 10, 2016
Bethlehem startups and small companies continue to benefit from the Southside Bethlehem Keystone Innovation Zone (KIZ), a designated zone within the city designed to foster entrepreneurial growth. The Kitrex creation, this time a triceratops, by Architrep, the Lehigh Valley startup that creates three-dimensional origami dinosaurs. The company recently received a $15,000 KIZ technology transfer grant...
March 08, 2016
Seven start-up companies in Bethlehem received $403,000 in tax credits through Pennsylvania's Keystone Innovation Zone.
The awards include $25,830 for DynAccess Ltd., $49,668 for H.B. Custom Media Inc., $44,509 for Innovform Therapeutics LLC, $39,191 for Map Decisions LLC, $43,818 for Pivitec LLC, $100,000 for ViiHealth Inc. and $100,000 for Hager Biosciences LLC...
March 07, 2016
Glover is among a new crop of toy inventors who developed their ideas—by accident or design as part of class assignments—while at Lehigh. All were winners in the EUREKA! Ventures Competition, a series of student entrepreneurship competitions run by Lehigh’s Baker Institute for Entrepreneurship, Creativity and Innovation. As they look to market their toys, they hope to have an impact on play, and perhaps inspire creativity or foster learning.
Glover and Briana Gardell ’14, ’15G exhibited their inventions in mid-February at the venerable North American International Toy Fair in New York, which draws buyers, manufacturers and others from around the world. Last year, they attended the show, along with Shannon Varcoe ’15 and Lauren Villaverde ’14, ’15G, with the support of alumna Alita Friedman ’87, CEO of Alita’s Brand Bar and former chief brand officer of the UglyDoll brand, for which she won the Women in Toys award and Toy of the Year...
March 03, 2016
LV Startup is a monthly newsletter, created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, that is laser-focused on the needs of startups in the greater Lehigh Valley...
March 01, 2016
As startups strive to grow, the state looks to support those companies with working capital. The State Department of Community & Economic Development said it approved nearly $18 million in tax credits to support 239 early stage companies through the Keystone Innovation Zone Tax Credit program. With 28 zones throughout the state, a number of Greater Lehigh Valley startups earned tax credits in 2015.
The SouthSide Bethlehem Keystone Innovation Zone is one of many zones in the state which are designed to provide a range of benefits to startups...
February 26, 2016
They're called Goblies, and the 23-year-old Bethlehem entrepreneur who makes them is leaving her mark on the toy world. "I really like the idea of getting outside and playing and then having science be incorporated into that," begins Briana Gardell. The CEO of her company Mezzimatic LLC started this adventure in October 2014, when she was doing some homework at Lehigh University...
February 23, 2016
Log your fishing trip data instantly and easily in the palm of your hand! Enter your catch data on your smartphone or tablet as soon as it happens, and Harbor Light's eFin Logbook creates a logbook entry that documents your critical catch information...
February 19, 2016
So-called STEM and STEAM toys make up a rising trend in the industry. STEM products focus on teaching science, technology, engineering and math. STEAM toys seek to teach STEM-related ideas by using art. "Companies have begun to understand if it's going to be educational, it has also got to be fun," Pasierb told CNBC.
A newcomer to Toy Fair, Briana Gardell, who recently graduated from Lehigh University's Technical Entrepreneurship master's program, has created Goblies, a throwable and biodegradable paintball kit. "[Goblies] are painless like a water balloon, but they create a colorful splatter like a paintball," Gardell told CNBC. "The product is sold as a kit that allows kids to make a hundred [Goblies] with food ingredients and cosmetic dyes, while learning about chemistry."
February 18, 2016
Who said science can't be fun? Certainly not Briana Gardell, a recent graduate of Lehigh University's Technical Entrepreneurship master's program and CEO of Goblies, a throwable and biodegradable paintball kit...
February 15, 2016
The largest trade show in the Western hemisphere for toy industry professionals, retailers, and press representatives was held this weekend, and Lehigh Valley companies both large and small were in attendance.
The Toy Industry Association, Inc. held its Toy Fair 2016, the 113th annual event, in the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City from Feb. 13 to 16, welcoming more than 30,000 registered industry professionals and displaying hundreds of thousands of new toys and games in 415,000 square feet of exhibit space...
February 09, 2016
For the last 20 years, a Lehigh University program has given students the chance to work with Lehigh Valley companies and industrial sponsors to design, fabricate, and produce new products. The name of that program is changing, but the overall mission remains the same: to give Lehigh students in engineering, business, and the design arts the opportunity to work in interdisciplinary teams with industrial sponsors to design, fabricate, and produce new products.
In addition to the newly-changed name, the Southside Bethlehem Keystone Innovation Zone (KIZ) has made it easier than ever before for KIZ companies to sponsor and participate in the program...
February 04, 2016
LV Startup is a monthly newsletter, created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, that is laser-focused on the needs of startups in the greater Lehigh Valley...
January 29, 2016
Briana Gardell had never even played paintball before – she wasn’t a fan of the welts and bruises. When asked about it, she’d say with a shrug: “It just hurts too much.” So who would’ve thought she’d start made her own business making paintballs that can be thrown by hand?
The 23-year-old Lehigh University graduate is the CEO of Mezzimatic LLC, the company behind Goblies, marble-sized paintballs that can be thrown like water balloons, creating the same colorful splats as if they were fired from a paintball gun...
January 21, 2016
The Lehigh Valley is an innovation hub with all the necessary elements for a company in the life, biological, and biomedical science fields to be successful...
January 19, 2016
The Lehigh Valley continues its recent run of ranking high in the nation in key areas of economic development, ranking in the top 65 metropolitan markets in the nation for patent development, a key measure of an innovative economy.
The Lehigh Valley ranks even higher when compared to markets its own size, coming in at 21st in United States metropolitan regions with a population of 200,000 to 1 million people...
January 11, 2016
The Southside Bethlehem Keystone Innovation Zone (KIZ) has awarded its first technology transfers grants of 2016, helping to support startup companies seeking to market and commercialize a product or service.
A total of $35,000 was awarded to Cernostics, Inc., a cancer diagnostics company; CrowdPlsr, which uses crowdfunding to attract concerts and events; and Mezzimatic LLC, which makes a “throwable paintballs” product called Goblies...
January 09, 2016
Keystone Edge - Azevan Pharmaceuticals is currently in Phase Two of clinical trials for a drug that its founders hope will help patients with mood disorders, including intermittent explosive disorder and PTSD. Dr. Michael Brownstein, one of the co-founders of the company, has an extensive background in neuropharmacology, including a fellowship at the National Institutes of Health under Nobel Prize-winner Julius Axelrod...
January 07, 2016
LV Startup is a monthly newsletter, created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, that is laser-focused on the needs of startups in the greater Lehigh Valley...
December 31, 2015
Channy Tokura probably never would have guessed that she’d spend the past couple winters on some of the country’s most majestic mountains with some of the world’s most inspiring athletes. For Tokura, though, her introduction to entrepreneurship was anything but ordinary...
December 03, 2015
LV Startup is a monthly newsletter, created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, that is laser-focused on the needs of startups in the greater Lehigh Valley...
November 16, 2015
City information sessions on startup grants and seed funds are a great place to start. Be sure to introduce yourself to key players while there. Also, set up one-on-ones with stakeholders receptive to meeting. “Don’t be shy about asking to run things by them,” says Bethlehem, Pa.-based Steve Boerner, co-founder and president of Hatch House, a 12-month live-work program for founders in or just out of college...
November 16, 2015
The Lehigh Valley’s economic history is most often associated with heavy industry and manufacturing, Bethlehem Steel and Mack Trucks. Often overlooked is the region’s impressive history of innovation and entrepreneurship that has led to business growth and development for centuries. Consider this...
November 05, 2015
LV Startup is a monthly newsletter, created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, that is laser-focused on the needs of startups in the greater Lehigh Valley...
November 04, 2015
Check out this video on Viddler, Inc. that aired at the 2015 KIZ Annual Update...
November 04, 2015
Check out this video on EcoTech Marine, Inc. that aired at the 2015 KIZ Annual Update...
November 04, 2015
Check out this video on CryoConcepts LP that aired at the 2015 KIZ Annual Update...
October 19, 2015
It’s been just over a decade since the Southside Bethlehem Keystone Innovation Zone (KIZ) was created, and it’s done a lot to foster innovation and entrepreneurship in the city in that time. Since 2004, the KIZ has led to 387 jobs created, 227 patents filed, 103 new products developed, and $63 million investment capital and third party grants and loans leveraged. Since the program’s inception, about $6 million have been invested in 80 companies.
These accomplishments were among those highlighted at the Southside Bethlehem KIZ Annual Update on Oct. 19, attended by about 200 people at the Lehigh University‘s Iacocca Hall...
October 19, 2015
Though Bethlehem Steel ceased operations in Bethlehem years ago, the city is well on its way to a full recovery from industrial decline.
That’s according to Mayor Bob Donchez, who spoke this morning at Lehigh University’s Mountaintop Campus about the importance of a state incentive program. The program has been fueling growth for entrepreneurs in SouthSide Bethlehem through grants and tax credits that have helped more than 80 companies since its inception in 2004...
October 21, 2015
The Northampton Community College (NCC) Fab Lab offers open access to state-of-the-art technologies ranging from a full metal and woodshop, spray booth, 3D printers, laser cutters, a Sound Lab, guitar-making and repair studio, cold casting and more.
Whether you're prototyping new product ideas, improving on existing ones or crafting for fun, the Labs offer the tools and intellectual resources you need to dream, design and create...
October 01, 2015
LV Startup is a monthly newsletter, created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, that is laser-focused on the needs of startups in the greater Lehigh Valley...
September 22, 2015
After a Lehigh University student was rendered paralyzed from the waist down after a mountain biking accident ten years ago, Lehigh University mechanical engineering professor Joachim Grenestedt paid him a visit at a ski resort in upstate New York.
He didn’t like what he saw. Skiing equipment was available for the paraplegic student, but much of it was broken, and Grenestedt could immediately tell that even the functional equipment could be improved upon...
September 03, 2015
LV Startup is a monthly newsletter, created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, that is laser-focused on the needs of startups in the greater Lehigh Valley...
August 28, 2015
Find places to go that take your mind in new directions. My visit to the Steel Stacks in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, was eye-opening and inspirational. Below the towering stacks, massive iron cauldrons and fiery pits of iron ore stand as a rusted relic of the industrial age...
August 24, 2015
Live Help Now, a company that creates live customer service chat software for businesses, previously operated in Willow Grove, Pa., but they quickly realized they had to move to the Lehigh Valley. The reason: nearly all the company’s very talented computer programmers were Lehigh University graduates commuting from Bethlehem...
August 13, 2015
2015 Inc. 5000 Rank
#284
3-Year Growth
1,635%
2014 Revenue
$2.1 M
Jobs Added
9
August 06, 2015
LV Startup is a monthly newsletter, created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, that is laser-focused on the needs of startups in the greater Lehigh Valley...
July 24, 2015
How did a paper-based, human-sized dinosaur costume made in Bethlehem wind up on White House lawn? It's all thanks to one homework assignment and a Jurassic imagination. While studying technical entrepreneurship in a master's program at Lehigh University, Lisa Glover was assigned a project in which she was to research a manufacturing process and demonstrate it in a creative manner. She explored origami...
July 20, 2015
When James Byszewski of Fifth Street Capital Partners in Bethlehem was graduating from college in 2002, entrepreneurship wasn't considered much of an option for new grads. “My goal was to get involved with a good company and work my way up,” Byszewski said. Thirteen years later, he and business partner Louis Intile saw a different environment for the Lehigh University students who were living in some of the South Side properties they owned...
July 16, 2015
With the resources they had as students -- the use of video equipment, cutting-edge technology, software packages and free mentoring -- the business was humming along. But when Boerner graduated in 2009, all that support evaporated.
After seeing the same thing happen to other student entrepreneurs, he had an idea. Hatch House, located in Southside Bethlehem, was born...
July 02, 2015
LV Startup is a monthly newsletter, created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, that is laser-focused on the needs of startups in the greater Lehigh Valley...
June 23, 2015
Bethlehem received a donation from Merchants Bank Tuesday for two programs, one aimed at growing the city's technology startup companies and the other for cleaning up the South Side.
The $5,000 check will go toward helping businesses hire student interns and technology transfer grants for businesses in its Keystone Innovation Zone, which covers 3.5 square miles in south Bethlehem...
June 23, 2015
Bethlehem received a donation from Merchants Bank Tuesday for two programs, one aimed at growing the city's technology startup companies and the other for cleaning up the South Side.
The $5,000 check will go toward helping businesses hire student interns and technology transfer grants for businesses in its Keystone Innovation Zone, which covers 3.5 square miles in south Bethlehem...
May 04, 2015
When you watch Tyler Walker race down a mountain, you can’t help but notice his form. Walker, a member of the U.S. Adaptive Ski Team and the 2014 U.S. Paralympic Alpine Skiing Team, is able to tilt his ski at an extreme angle as he maneuvers around gates. “Tyler’s ski and the frame bank up to about an 80-degree angle, but his torso is still almost vertical,” says Joachim Grenestedt, professor of mechanical engineering and director of Lehigh's Composites Lab...
April 30, 2015
When husband-and-wife actors Sam and Gina Masotto came to Bethlehem with a tour of the production "Tony n' Tina's Wedding," they fell in love with the town. They had always been big fans of Milwaukee's working-class, post-industrial vibe. Bethlehem had that, too, but it was a lot closer to their friends and family in the Northeast, they said.
Now the Masottos plan to make Bethlehem more than just a tour stop. They're working to move to town and just signed the lease on a storefront where they plan to open a brewpub...
April 30, 2015
Tony and Tina brought barrels of laughter to Bethlehem with the touring performance of their mock wedding. Now the actors who play the colorful couple plan a return to the Christmas City in a different role — as brewers. Gina and Sam Masotto, who are married in real life, have signed a lease for a south Bethlehem building where they want to open the brewpub. Named for the Weehawken, N.J., street where the couple started their life together, Bonn Place Brewing Co. would include eight barrels of beer brewed on site, local wines and locally sourced food...
April 25, 2015
When Donna DeMarco and Robert Sandie launched their interactive online video startup, they didn’t move it to a major tech hub like Silicon Valley. Instead, they kept their company, Viddler, headquartered in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. And DeMarco thinks that decision has ultimately been beneficial for the business...
February 06, 2015
The Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development on Thursday announced that it has approved $17.1 million through the Keystone Innovation Zone Tax Credit program, for 227 companies in the state's 28 KIZ zones...
January 21, 2015
A dozen Bethlehem startups recently received a jump-start in funding from the state. The Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development awarded $578,427 in tax credits to 12 Bethlehem startup companies through the Keystone Innovation Zone tax credit program.
All 12 companies are within the Southside Bethlehem Keystone Innovation Zone, which is administered by the Bethlehem Economic Development Corp., a nonprofit organization...
January 02, 2015
Bethlehem has a good deal of office space for budding entrepreneurs, with Ben Franklin TechVentures at Lehigh University's Mountaintop Campus and Pi: Partnership for Innovation on East Fourth Street. But what's an entrepreneur to do when he or she gets an idea in the middle of the night and wants to collaborate with other business-minded folk or get to a maker space right away?
September 01, 2014
When charter-boat captain Steven Anderson takes a group of fishermen out from the Port of Galilee in Narragansett on his 31-foot boat Bare Bones, he takes a touch-screen tablet so he can record data about fluke, also called summer flounder. “I enter the details about the fluke as we’re catching them. It even gives the GPS coordinates of where the fish was caught,” said Anderson, who’s been a charter-boat captain for 10 years and owns Steve’s Boat Repair in Warwick...
May 01, 2014
Patrick L. Clasen came to SBA resource partner Lehigh University Small Business Development Center (SBDC) as a student with his partners Timothy Marks and Justin Lawyer to launch a manufacturing venture grown from their project, developed with the Lehigh University Integrated Product Development Program...
March 14, 2014
Focus host Laura McHugh learns how the Bethlehem-based company Cerora creates remote brain scanners...
December 19, 2013
No challenge is too big for entrepreneurs in Lehigh Valley. Technology developed by new companies in the region solves problems across a range of markets. The first – and only – FDA-approved rapid HIV test for at-home use came out of Lehigh Valley, as has a genetic test for connective tissue diseases. The area is home to a firm that uses advanced technology to create micro-thin wafers for semiconductors, as well as a startup that makes lights and pumps for reef aquariums to promote coral growth without harming fish...
August 07, 2013
Your website is just a website, until it can tell your story. Your customers have a lot of choices to make and they need a reason to choose you over all the rest...
April 18, 2013
EcoTech Marine's international success has come in no small part from the assistance of state and federal programs available to small businesses. This video identifies this symbiotic relationship and the positive impact it has had on the ability of EcoTech Marine to do business and grow overseas...
February 11, 2009
Texas Instruments Incorporated today acquired Bethlehem, PA-based CICLON Semiconductor Device Corporation, a leading designer of high-frequency, high-efficiency analog power management semiconductors. The acquisition expands TI's capability to improve energy efficiency in today's end-equipment designs, including high-power computing and server systems...
January 20, 2009
Learn more about the Keystone Innovation Zone. It's creating new jobs and helping entrepreneurs thrive. Our area boasts an award winning program...
April 01, 2008
Bethlehem, once the Lehigh Valley's steel capital, is now bustling with tech and biotech startups, thanks to resources stemming from Lehigh University and health centers in the region. The city welcomes new businesses with open arms, offering technical assistance, low-interest "gap" financing, a tax abatement program, enterprise zone incentives, and a loan pool providing up to $2 million for new and existing businesses. In addition, Ben Franklin Technology Partners, an internationally recognized, state-funded program based at Lehigh University, links early-stage technology firms and established manufacturers with funding, employees, technology, and universities...
August 09, 2006
I just got a sneak peek at a video sharing site due to launch in September, called Viddler. The company has focused on making the video publishing experience compelling and enabling discussion, tagging and sharing tied to particular moments in time. It’s a good looking system with smart features and a viable business model...
July 14, 2004
PA Governor Edward G. Rendell today announced that Lehigh University and Franklin & Marshall College have been certified by the Department of Community and Economic Development to participate in the Keystone Innovation Zone program, a cornerstone of the Governor's economic-stimulus initiative...
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