Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania’s (Ben Franklin Northeast) Board of Directors has approved the investment of $675,000 in support of regional economic development. Seven companies, including six technology startups and one established manufacturer, received funding.

Ben Franklin Northeast announces $350,000 in early-stage company investments:

Click-Video Scranton,

Lackawanna County. Ben Franklin Northeast Investment: $100,000. Click-Video is a software-as-a-service (SaaS) training and teaching platform for corporate training and higher education utilized for in-person and virtual settings. Their new product, REACHUM, provides a more interactive and engaging experience that seamlessly integrates presentation, video, surveys and gamification. The investment will support commercialization efforts associated with the REACHUM product.

Greener Cleaner Technologies Carbondale,

Lackawanna County. Ben Franklin Northeast Investment: $100,000. Greener Cleaner Technologies is a fuel and emissions efficiency product for the trucking industry. The investment supports protecting intellectual property and installation of initial units validating their product’s performance parameters.

Cemboo Reading,

Berks County. Ben Franklin Northeast Investment: $50,000. Cemboo is a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) distribution platform that provides digital library owners the ability to control, monetize and distribute their content while maintaining 100 percent of the ad revenue. The investment supports the development of a mobile application that can be customized for enterprise clients; the app will enable end users the ability to upload videos and manage content on the go.

OptoVibronex Ben Franklin TechVentures,

Bethlehem, Northampton County. Ben Franklin Northeast Investment: $100,000. OptoVibronex is a life science startup developing a non-invasive technique that will offer physicians a faster way to diagnose diseases and track the effectiveness of treatments in fields such as skin cancer, ophthalmology, breast cancer, wound healing, dermatology, orthopedics, neurology, and vascular surgery. The investment supports completing clinical trials, publishing findings, and applying for Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval.

Ben Franklin Northeast announces $300,000 in early-stage company investments as part of the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI). These projects were financed in part from Pennsylvania Small Business Credit Initiative funds from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Community and Economic Development:

MXTR Automation Williamsport,

Lycoming County. Ben Franklin Northeast. Investment: $200,000. MXTR Automation is a marketing automation platform that streamlines the sales process for multi-location enterprises, dealerships and franchises. The investment supports accelerating their market development plan to increase sales, marketing, and product development.

UBMe Bethlehem,

Northampton County. Ben Franklin Northeast Investment: $100,000. UBMe is a web and mobile application that provides end-to-end experience management for events. The platform incorporates event discovery, ticketing, food and merchandise sales, and a social media element to keep people engaged while at the event. The investment supports product development and customer acquisition among restaurants, event organizers and higher education.

Ben Franklin Northeast announces $25,000 in investments in established manufacturers, which is provided in 1:1 matching funding for work with a college or university partner:

Follett Easton,

Northampton County. Ben Franklin Northeast Investment: $25,000. Follett manufactures high quality, innovative ice storage bins, ice storage and transport systems, ice machines, ice and water dispensers, ice and beverage dispensers, and medical-grade refrigerators and freezers for the foodservice and healthcare industries. The investment supports preparation for an Enterprise Resource System (ERP) system upgrade by analyzing current processes, establishing system level requirements, identifying opportunities to implement digital process improvement, and helping to build a foundation for change management. Follett will partner with Lehigh University’s Center for Supply Chain Research on this project.