In the News

Ben Franklin Technology Partners is looking for innovators with big ideas in Happy Valley, Clarion, Clearfield, and Jefferson Counties — and the winner takes home $50,000. “If you are developing or crafting a product, process or innovation related to the maker economy, outdoors and recreation, forest products, manufacturing or technology, you need to apply for […]

Happy Valley innovation and ingenuity is a driving force in this Ben Franklin Technology Partners’ success story, but timing played an equally important role in the rise of SoftGenetics.  “It was kind of kismet,” chuckles co-founder John Fosnacht. “My partner Dr. Jonathan Liu and myself had just sold a weld sequencer to a leading cancer […]

5 Qs with Spectroscopy Founder Magnitude Instruments is a Ben Franklin-fueled startup with a mission: to make time-resolved spectroscopy available to everyone … not just the super nerds. “We’re democratizing it for all researchers,” says founder Eric Kennehan. And he says that incubating the company here in Happy Valley has been critical to their growing […]

Imagine mac and cheese, nacho chips and other packaged goods made with natural coloring that comes from avocado seeds instead of artificial colors. That’s the genius behind Persea Naturals and its flagship, patent-pending product, AvoColor. This disruptive natural food coloring compound produces colors ranging from yellow up to orangey-red. Virtually any food, beverage, baked good, […]

In a recent “Bugs without Borders” study, 89% of pest professionals report treating bed bug infestations in single-family homes, 88% report treating in apartments/condos and 67% report treating in hotels/motels. Bed bugs can live for months without a blood meal and survive temperatures from freezing to 122 degrees. They can travel home from your vacation or […]

Image: Ben Franklin Technology Partners Having a strong support system is necessary for the success of any entrepreneur, particularly when they’re just starting out. Here in Happy Valley, one of the strongest supporters of budding entrepreneurs is Ben Franklin Technology Partners, one of the longest-running technology-based economic development programs in the country. Since 1983, Ben […]