The Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania (BFTP-NEP) Board of Directors has approved the investment of $205,000 in support of regional economic development.

Approved in the circulation area of Lehigh Valley Press by Ben Franklin were the following early-stage company investments provided to clients in the form of loans.

EggZack, Ben Franklin TechVentures, Bethlehem, Northampton County. Ben Franklin Investment: $50,000. Expand EggZack's sales effort by adding more resellers and increasing its direct sales force. EggZack provides an automated sales and marketing system that is specially designed for companies that serve local markets. The web- and mobile-based platform automates the management of website, search-engine optimization, social media, local search, email marketing, blogs, video and directory optimization to generate more local leads. The system then makes it convenient for leads to convert into sales.

Orbweaver Sourcing, LLC, Ben Franklin TechVentures, Bethlehem. Ben Franklin Investment: $65,000. Develop a "supplier-pricing infrastructure" in a cloud-based software solution for electronic circuit board manufacturers. This feature will allow end customers and other industry participants to collect a more robust set of data from component manufacturers and distributors.

East Coast Erosion Control, LLC, Bernville, Berks County. Ben Franklin Investment: $25,000. University Partner: Lehigh University Enterprise Systems Center. Improve measures of back-end processes to improve customer delivery performance, reduce cost-of-goods sold, increase efficiency and maximize production capacity at this manufacturer of erosion control products for the construction industry.