PHILADELPHIA, March 11, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- Four innovative, up and coming, emerging companies and their management teams were honored Thursday evening, March 10, 2005, for their extraordinary achievements at the 11th Annual Ben Franklin Emerging Business Awards, affectionately known as The Bennies. The accomplishments of MacroArray Technologies, LLC, PartySpace.com, Really Strategies, Inc. and Nucleonics, Inc. were all celebrated at the event held at the Wyndham Franklin Plaza in Philadelphia.
The Bennies, co-founded in 1994 by The Entrepreneurs' Forum of Greater Philadelphia and Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern Pennsylvania, was the first awards program in the region established for seed and early-stage companies. The event promotes area companies in recognition of their breakthrough technologies, product innovations and management excellence. Each winner received a $1,000 cash prize. This year's event also served as the backdrop for the official southeastern Pennsylvania release of the TechFormation 2005, with special videotaped remarks from Secretary Dennis Yablonsky of the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development.
In 2004, Ben Franklin Technology Partners -- in partnership with 35 other economic development organizations from across the Commonwealth -- produced Pennsylvania TechFormation 2005, which describes the lifecycle of a technology-based company from concept to maturity and reinvention. The document shows how Pennsylvania's economic development entities address the various stages of development and growth of these companies, providing key stakeholders with a clear understanding of the process of early-stage technology company development.
Secretary Yablonksy ended his remarks by thanking each of the honored companies for playing a crucial role in helping to build Pennsylvania's innovation economy.
The winners of the 2005 Ben Franklin Emerging Business Awards are:
-- Most Innovative Product Award:
MacroArray Technologies, LLC, an early-stage biotechnology company that is capitalizing on the growing need for novel diagnostic tests that both diagnose a disease and monitor therapeutic efficacy.
-- Most Innovative Service Award:
PartySpace.com, the region's most comprehensive event-planning web site featuring reception facilities, vendor listings, wedding web sites, a local bridal registry and an online calendar containing over 175 exclusive reception facilities and detailed information on other wedding service providers.
-- Best Management Team:
Really Strategies, Inc., a premier provider of content management solutions, XML repositories, and technology consulting services to publishers, media companies, and other content-centric companies.
-- Biotech Company of the Year:
Nucleonics, Inc. is developing novel RNA interference-based therapeutics for viral and other diseases, initially focusing its efforts on therapies targeting Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C.
BDO Seidman LLP, Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll, LLP, and SR One, Limited were premier sponsors of the event.
Since 1982, Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern Pennsylvania (BFTP/SEP) has helped grow the region through science, technology and entrepreneurship. BFTP/SEP provides entrepreneurs and established businesses the capital, talent and expertise they need to compete in the global marketplace. Like its namesake, Ben Franklin invests in, builds upon and delivers solutions that grow communities and create wealth by supporting today's technological ideas and tomorrow's scientific discovery.