Downington’s ThingWorx gets $5 million from Safeguard

Welcome to the VC Roundup, 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.

First Round Capital-backed Single Platform is getting the once-over from Google.

Philly Business Journal’s Peter Key writes about the Philly invasion in the 67th Ward. We’ll link you but you won’t be able to read past the third paragraph, because you need a subscription. In the past 18 months, First Round Capital and DreamIt Ventures have opened up New York branches.

Downington-based ThingWorx has received $5 million from Safeguard Scientifics for its Series B round. The company makes a “connected applications platform.” We’ll have more later this month.

Ben Franklin Technology Ventures has invested $2 million in five biotech companies.

CityRyde’s bike sharing software close to being awarded carbon credit certification

Timothy Ericson remembers well the time he spent volunteering and thus helping to steer Paris’s bike sharing program Velib, one of the first of its kind in the world.

It gave him and his buddy Jason Meinzer intimate knowledge of the mechanics of the bike sharing model.

Something clicked for the two friends, who realized that carbon credits, which can be sold in an open market to companies that hope to reduce their carbon footprint, factored in to it somehow.

When they came home in 2007, they founded CityRyde, a software company that provides bike sharing programs with fleet-management capabilities and soon, the ability to track carbon reduction provided by bike travel and sell those credits.

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Switch Philly is back and now accepting demo submissions

And we’re back.

One of the great parts of our job is constantly coming across interesting companies and products. However, we feel that many companies don’t get the attention they deserve. As a result we created Switch Philly, a rapid-fire demo event where five companies get seven minutes to show off the cool things they are working on.

Last time around Zecozi, P’unk Ave, Azavea, Myna Music and Packlate demoed to a crowd of 160 at the University of the Arts (watch the complete event here).

For the latest edition, the Spring 2011 Switch Philly will be held at Huntsman Hall at the Wharton School of Business in University City and will be one of the cornerstones of Philly Tech Week on Tuesday, April 26th.

We’re currently on the hunt for companies to demo. Our only requirements:

• You have a consumer-facing product
• You are based in or around Philadelphia
• You have a live demo ready, no powerpoints

If you’re interested, please fill out this form and further information is available at SwitchPhilly.com. We promise to get back to you as soon as possible.

And stay tuned for demo videos from the Fall 2010 Switch until Philly Tech Week.

Two real, actionable steps toward greater transparency from State Treasurer Rob McCord

Asking for an infinite supply of anything is expensive, says Pennsylvania State Treasurer Rob McCord.

Rob McCord, PA State Treasurer

That might especially be said of transitions toward governmental transparency through technology.

“When I came into office, I was pounding on the table saying ‘Why don’t we have every contract over $5,000 shared online?’ McCord, who took the treasurer’s seat in 2009 told Technically Philly during an interview in Bryn Mawr last month. “Well, it’s because that’s impossible. We don’t have the capacity, and it would cost too much to get there right away.”

Outgoing Philadelphia CTO Allan Frank, too, said “moving the mountain” of updating outdated systems while simultaneously releasing data and moving forward transparency is a bigger project than many realize. Frank’s interim successor Tommy Jones says his priority is focusing on infrastructure because of capacity concerns.

So governments need to find the low cost, actionable start, he says, not the blue-sky ideal that won’t happen.

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Event Highlights: February 21 – 27, 2011

Our event calendar has been just like the weather lately: hot and cold.

After a few weeks full of empty boxes, this is one of the most packed weeks we’ve ever seen here at Technically Philly, especially this Thursday. This week: Philly Tech Meetup brings the startups, Chariot Solutions brings the knowledge and YIP and TP bring the developers.

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Allan Frank wants to be the Pat Croce of technology: Q&A on leaving city CTO role

Chief Technology Officer Allan Frank listens to remarks during the Information Technology Opportunity Summit. Copyright City of Philadelphia. Photograph by Mitchell Leff.

The first consolidated leader of IT in City of Philadelphia history stepped down earlier this month after two and a half years at the helm. While we covered Allan Frank’s legacy and interviewed his interim successor Tommy Jones, much was left unsaid.

Frank, who wants to be ‘the Pat Croce of technology,’ says his tenure as Chief Technology Officer has connected him to Philadelphia in a special way. He says he’s set the stage for a renaissance to come and is keeping his Overbrook Farms home so he can watch it all come about.

Below, in his own words, Technically Philly talks to Frank about how he wants to be remembered and what is next for him.

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The Bright Side of Blight in Kensington: New York Times

Former Next American Cities editor Diane Lind writes an op-en in the New York Times on blight in Kensington:

EVEN in Philadelphia, with its 40,000 vacant properties and a quarter of its population living below the poverty line, the Kensington neighborhood still shocks. On a frigid afternoon, a prostitute lingers in the shadow of the elevated train tracks, waiting restlessly for customers. Husks of long-closed factories stand amid thigh-high winter wheat. Streams of garbage flow down the streets, as if both the people and the city government had agreed to forsake the effort of propriety.

Open Angel Forum applications are due today

Spend a few months paying attention to politics in Philadelphia, and you’ll likely hear the term “pay to play.” Turns out, the same can be true for local venture capital.

Created by Mahalo and Weblogs Inc. co-founder Jason Calicanis, the Open Angel Forum is an answer to pay-to-pitch events that often charge startups and small businesses hefty fees for the privilege for pitching a group of venture capitalists and angel investors. And, after stints in the 67th Ward, Boston and other cities, the Open Angel Forum is coming to Philadelphia.

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Making it cool to care in Philadelphia and other Links

DEFINITE READS

• Growing and Prosperous [Metropolis] — Tom Ferrick writes on how the neighborhoods around Center City have changed in the past 10 years.
• Corbett Promises Drastic Budget Cuts [My Fox Philly] — “Where Pennsylvania’s Budget Cuts Will Come From”
• Geotagging Visualization of Philadelphia [Geekadelphia] — You know you’re going to click on this, and you should.

MIGHT BE OF INTEREST

• Philadelphia: Making it Cool to Care [Alex Hillman's blog] — On the technology community’s activism.
• Antique ads show the genesis of social networking [NewsWorks]
• Mayor Nutter: Philadelphia is a City on its Way Back [Chamber blog] — On an event during which the Mayor spoke about the region’s future.
• You Will Probably Be Excited About This Homegown iPhone App [Philebrity] — Laris Kreslins at Lime Projects launches CoverPuppy, an app that takes your dog photos and puts them on spoof doggie magazine covers.
• Q&A: Company Buys Robot a Rocket Ride to the Moon [Wired] — Pittsburgh-basedAstrobotic President David Gump on plans for his private enterprise on the moon.
• Hello Philadelphia [Organics + Binary] Corey Leigh Latislaw, a mobile developer who moved into Philly in May, is loving her firsts.

GIVE A GLANCE

• Phila. firm creates ShootersTV division [Philadelphia Business Journal] — From Shooters Inc., whom we’ve covered
• Jobs important part of Phila. urban landscape [Philadelphia Business Journal] — That’s a a helluva compelling headline, but the story tracks a New York Times op-ed from Diane Lind on Kensington’s future
• College and Business Will Never Be the Same: Philadelphia University Integrates Design, Engineering and Commerce [Xconomy] H/T PTN

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:

Optimized Cable Company – OCC is a distributor of high end electronic cable products, at a much lower price than most physical storefronts. Pick up some HDMI cables for your upcoming football parties today!

Springboard Media – Springboard Media is a certified Apple Specialist and retailer based in Center City and now, in E, ton. 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.

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.

GOPromos Promotional Pens – GOPromos has great promotional items, like custom envelopes, for you to use with your company or for personal use. Get great products to give away!

OpenDesks – OpenDesks.com lets you monetize unused workspaces – a cubicle, a conference room, an office or a seat in the lunchroom – as long as there’s somewhere to sit and work, you can post it. Join OpenDesks.com‘s Founders Circle today for a low-cost lifetime membership.

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.

Empowerkit MLM Software – Empowerkit roots are in Philadelphia where it started as a company. It creates websites for Franchisees through powerful software solutions.

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.