Avisi Technologies, founded in 2017 at the University of Pennsylvania, is a medical device startup investigating the use of patented nanotechnology in an ocular implant to stop blindness in glaucoma patients. 

University City District recently highlighted innovators from around the neighborhood who are driving forward the future of University City in their State of University City 2023 publication. Watch the video, presented by University City District, to meet seven local founders, inventors, and business leaders including Pennovation's own Denita L. Henderson and Vertiq who are helping to pave the way for the next 25 years.
 

Philly Tech Week returned on May 5th - 13th featuring a week-long celebration of technology and innovation in Greater Philadelphia. The week-long series was comprised of in-person and virtual events organized by dozens of partners and led by Technical.ly, a news organization that serves a community of tech professionals. Tech Week brings together tech and tech-adjacent professionals from all over to connect, network, and show off their latest ideas.

In 2022, Pennovation Works, like many other ecosystems and institutions, saw an increase in activity and reactivation of the space as we continued the return to normalcy from the pandemic years. In addition to the reinvigoration of the space, Pennovation Works announced new leadership and staff, programming, and most notably, advancements in the overall development of the 23-acre site.

On April 12th-13th, Pennovation Works in partnership with Publicize, held a two-day speaker series on Marketing Essentials for Innovators. The event's comprehensive agenda covered various essential marketing aspects including digital marketing and growth, leadership and company culture, media and PR, commercialization of tech, fundraising, and innovation. Renowned industry leaders who have played instrumental roles in the success of companies such as Facebook, Eventbrite, IBM, Motorola, and IGN all participated.

The UPenn and Philadelphia startup communities were well represented in Austin, Texas during the South by Southwest (SXSW) Interactive conference in March.  Members of the Pennovation Works leadership team, PCI Ventures and Penn Center for Innovation were in attendance to help promote their startup portfolios and support Amplify Philly’s goal of attracting the best talent, clients and consumers to live, work and play in Philadelphia. 

The Pennovation Accelerator invites a cohort of local startups to engage in a six-week program to develop their business strategy and cultivate their network.  Cohort companies will  participate in weekly educational sessions presented by subject matter experts.  Each company is paired with an experienced mentor to advise them on their journey. In addition, curated networking opportunities help the companies make connections into the larger Philadelphia entrepreneurial community.

Pennovation Works is proud to share the PCI Ventures 2022 Spotlight. The annual report highlights PCI Ventures’ impressive portfolio companies, profiles their dedicated company leaders, and includes examples of the unique programming and services provided to this community.

PCI Ventures has been in operation for 12+ years, below are a few overall statistics featured in the Spotlight’s By the Number section.

On October 18th, Pennovation Works hosted Warm Intros: BioAdvance with Frederick "Rick" Jones, M.D., M.B.A., Partner at BioAdvance.

He shared an overview of BioAdvance, their core areas of interest, and insights on how to best engage with local VCs. Rick also spent some time talking about the larger economic environment and venture capital.  Following the presentation, Rick offered one-on-one virtual office hours to the Pennovation Works community.
Watch the recording of the session here.

The PCI Ventures at Pennovation Works Showcase was hosted on Thursday, October 27th, to celebrate Pennovation Works' 6th Anniversary and PCI Ventures' 12 years of service to the Penn community. The Showcase brought together a diverse group of entrepreneurs, faculty members, investors, and industry leaders for an evening of education and networking. Startup companies from the PCI Ventures portfolio and Pennovation Works member companies participated in a poster and demo session, see the full list of featured companies below.