Businesses developing innovative initiatives in health care are among those that will benefit from the latest round of funding from Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania.
Saladax Biomedical, at Ben Franklin TechVentures in Bethlehem, $200,000 
Saladax Biomedical develops and manufactures test kits for chemotherapy and anti-psychotic indication areas that measure the levels of therapeutic drugs in patients to optimize effects without triggering negative side effects. The Ben Franklin investment supports the regulatory approval and commercialization roll out of assays for the anti-psychotic drug market.
Ophidion, at Ben Franklin TechVentures in Bethlehem, $150,000
Ophidion is focused on the development and delivery of gene-silencing short interfering ribonucleic acids (siRNAs) and antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) to the brain to treat Huntington’s disease and other neurodegenerative diseases. The Ben Franklin investment supports research and development of pre-clinical studies.
Steel Jupiter, at Ben Franklin TechVentures in Bethlehem, $100,000
Steel Jupiter protects human health and the environment by commercializing technologies that significantly increase the performance of air filters and masks in trapping and immobilizing viruses. The Ben Franklin investment supports manufacturing optimization of Zinnia filter coatings.
Human Active Technology, Forks Township, $25,000
Human Active Technology manufactures and sells ergonomically designed office furniture. The Ben Franklin investment supports upgrading the company’s Enterprise Resource Planning system to improve information flow and reporting. Human Active Technology will partner with Enterprise Systems Partners (ESPI) and Lehigh University’s Center for Supply Chain Research.
The four grants are part of a total investment of $925,000 that Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania is making to a total of 11 companies. Some of the funding comes from Pennsylvania Small Business Credit Initiative funds from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development.
Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania (Ben Franklin Northeast) fosters innovation and entrepreneurial success by providing investment capital and business support services to technology startups and established manufacturers. Among the most active seed stage investors in the country, Ben Franklin Northeast invests in and supports companies to create and retain highly paid, sustainable jobs, accelerate technology-based economic growth in northeastern Pennsylvania, and advance technologies that improve the human condition.
The Northeast chapter is one of four chapters that make up the statewide Ben Franklin Technology Partners system. Last year, the program supported 2,018 companies and helped clients create nearly 1,508 jobs while retaining 10,145 more positions.
Those companies are driving innovation in the Pennsylvania economy, developing 130 patents and software copyrights, commercializing 249 new products, and launching 90 new processes. Last year, the companies generated $2.4 billion in revenue and secured $1.1 billion in post-Ben Franklin financing.