Tech Transfer: Why It Matters and How Philly’s Making It Better

As we approach our nation’s birthday this weekend, let’s give a nod to another Philadelphia first: The University City Science Center. It’s the nation’s oldest and largest urban business incubator, providing physical space, resources and funding to help startup companies and university researchers commercialize new technologies. With 31 university partners across the region, the Science Center is no stranger to technology transfer, the process that allows university research to be commercialized for greater public benefit.

It’s also at the center of a national debate over whether tech transfer encourages or hampers the creation of tech startups.

Read more at Philly Mag’s Philly Post.

visitPA and Foursquare send you after badges for Pennsylvania trekking

If you make it out to South Philadelphia’s rapidly redeveloping East Passyunk corridor, Pennsylvania’s tourism board wants to give you  a badge.

Last month, visitPA announced a partnership with location-based social networking juggernaut Foursquare, offering three badges for users who check in at various locations across the Commonwealth.

Visit East Passyunk and a couple others from a list of two dozen stops shops and commercial venues in Pennsylvania and earn the PA Retail Polka badge. Hit up Nat Mechanics on your way to the PA Shooflyer or the Mutter Museum in your quest for the PA 4 Score and 7.

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Reminder: our meetup is tonight!

Just a friendly reminder to head on over to Octo Waterfront Grille on Columbus Boulevard tonight to grab a few brews with Technically Philly and Silver Marketing Group.

In fact, the first one is on us.

The weather is set to be a relaxing 80 degrees, and what better way to spend a beautiful day than enjoying a Delaware River breeze with your closest friends? We hope to chat about the local technology industry, hear your thoughts on TP and find out what you all are working on.

So, RSVP and come find us under our large Technically Philly banner that looks like the logo at the top of the page. We hope to see you there!

Startup Roundup: HootSuite and Skullcandy pick Philly partners

Introducing Technically Philly’s Startup Roundup. Here, we’ll parse out the small pieces that make our greater Startup ecosystem thrive. We want to keep you in touch with the innovations that we can’t quite get to covering, but that deserve highlight. Follow along with the Startup Roundup’s dedicated RSS feed. If you’ve got news to share, get in touch.

DEFINITE READS

Aria Systems has announced that social media dashboard Hootsuite has chosen Aria’s cloud billing and subscription management tools to manage its paid subscription offerings.

Trendy audio headset manufacturer Skullcandy has partnered with GSI Commerce to take advantage of the latter’s digital marketing services TrueAction.

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VC Roundup: BFTP brags and Neat Co. raises cash

Welcome to the VC Round-up, where we’ll parse through venture capital news related to Philadelphia-based private equity firms and the companies they fund. Subscribe to the roundup as an email newsletter. If you have any VC-related news to pass along to us, please drop us a line.

DEFINITE READS

Just in case you had any doubt that Ben Franklin Technology Partners is one of the shinning stars in a city mostly devoid of pro-business entities, the state-funded organization went ahead and made a list of all the states that are trying to imitate BFTP. Ohio even went ahead and named its BFTP clone the “Thomas Edison” program.

Speaking of ol’ Tommy E, Edison Venture Fund and MentorTech Ventures have invested $2.75 million in the Neat Company, maker of Neat Receipts, a paperless receipt product. Though, if you read our startup roundup, you all ready knew that.

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Local tech veteran leads virtual event software VCopious

Companies that host extravagant events—where hundreds or thousands of staffers travel to a single location, sometimes for several days—are cutting back. And virtual reality platforms that mimic the success of social network Second Life are filling the void online.

In Conshohocken, virtual event software solution VCopious hit the ground running in May, led by local seasoned tech entrepreneur Kenyon Hayward.

“The reality is that the virtual environment marketplace is on a very strong upswing,” Hayward, the company’s CEO, says.

In addition to saving costs on those lavish conferences, using virtual reality hosting software, companies can use the virtual space 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and can have customers or employees interacting with content.

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Event Highlights: June 28th – July 4th, 2010

It’s a holiday weekend, Philadelphia.

Great for barbecue, fireworks and your backyard pool, but bad for your neighborhood technology event calendar. Nearly every event this week is jam-packed on Tuesday and Wednesday so picking your agenda this week will be tough, but we’re here for you, dear reader.

On Monday, brushup on your Drupal modules and themes at the Zivtech’s Drupal meetup (can you tell we’re WordPress guys at heart?). On Wednesday, you have your pick between Social Media Day and Technically Philly’s very own meetup with Silver Marketing Group at Octo.

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Thanks to our weekly sponsors

Technically Philly is made possible by advertisers and sponsors that are important to Philadelphia’s technology community. This week we’d like to thank:

Volpe and Koenig, P.C. — Since 1987, intellectual property boutique law firm Volpe and Koenig has provided guidance on matters relating to patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, e-commerce, technology joint ventures, non-disclosure agreements, technology acquisitions, licensing and litigation. Whatever your intellectual property law issue… Volpe and Koenig bring law to your ideas.

Nonprofit Technology Resources – Fairmount-based NTR refurbishes used computers and peripherals for families and individuals in Philadelphia who may not otherwise be able to afford to buy a computer. We urge you to donate to this great local cause.

Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce – The Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce is dedicated to promoting growth and economic development, advocating for sound public policy, and serving its members with outstanding programs and benefits. GPCC is the premier advocate of the region’s business community, representing members in 11 counties across three states with one voice.

Caffeine Fish – Caffeine Fish develops the Trainboard iPhone app and offers iPhone development consulting in the Philadelphia area.

Towerstream – Towerstream is the leading 4G service provider in the U.S. and is setting up shop in Philadelphia. Contact Towerstream to find out how, in less than a week, you can have first-class 4G service for your business.

Eight Eleven – The folks at Camden-based Eight Eleven do it all. Branding, communications, marketing, advertising, Websites, Web content management, user-experience (Web & software) and public relations. And they also do it for a lot of tech companies, of all sizes, to boot. Heck, they even customized a media kit just for you. Hit ‘em up.

Springboard Media – Springboard Media is a certified Apple Specialist and retailer based in Center City and now, in Exton. They’ve got a ton of accessories and a great trade-in program that can score you up to $1,500 when you’re ready to upgrade.

Interested in joining these organizations and individuals in supporting Technically Philly? Check out our ad packages and contact our Ad Sales Manager. Can’t find something that fits? We’ll customize a package for you.

Beerleaguer reportedly purchased by Comcast SportsNet

In March, Comcast SportsNet purchased Philadelphia sports blog The700level.com. Three months later, CSN has apparently made another move.

Last week, Jason Weitzel, the founder of seven-year-old Phillies blog Beerleaguer.com, announced that his site had been acquired for an undisclosed sum.

Like in the 700 Level deal, the property was bought out entirely though it will retain editorial control and its founder was given a position with CSN.

Weitzel, who spent eight years at the Reading Eagle newspaper, most recently at readingeagle.com, says he left to take a content manager position with Comcast Sports Group. But he says he’s not worried about stepping on the toes of Enrico Campitelli, the 29-year-old founder of the 700 Level.

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Technically Philly’s June meetup at Octo!

It’s been too long, Philadelphia. Let’s hang out.

True, we held a meetup last month at the venerable Dark Horse Pub just off South Street, but we just can’t get enough of you folks.

Wednesday, June 30, we’re partnering again with Silver Marketing Group to host a technology professionals meetup at Octo Waterfront Grille along the Delaware River.

We worked with Silver in January and we were thrilled with the turnout. When several established technology community folks stopped by and mentioned that it was a more diverse crowd of people than they were used to—including members of the city’s many technology silos—we were thrilled. And we’re sure this one will cross as broad a spectrum of techies in Philadelphia.

As always, we hope you’ll come and chat about our editorial and what’s happening with Philly tech. It’s of course a great networking opportunity, as well. The gig is free, and oh yes, and there’s a free drink in it for anyone who shows up. Make sure you RSVP. And gosh, with all the movement around waterfront development going on, where better than Octo.

Let’s drink one to this great city and to our vibrant technology scene. See you there!