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Bethlehem tech startup wins Venture Idol
Stacy Wescoe//November 18, 2022//
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Bethlehem-based startup, FLX Solutions was the winner of this year’s Ben Franklin Venture Idol.
This was the 19th year for the competition, which was held Nov. 15 at TechVentures in Bethlehem.
More than 200 people were in attendance at the event, which was the first in-person Venture Idol since 2019. Events in 2020 and 2021 were held virtually because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This year’s prize money increased from $15,000 to $20,000 thanks to the sponsorships of Service Electric and PenTeleData.
FLX Solutions is the creator of the FLX Bot, a modular, snake-like robotic arm that can be used for visual inspection and 3D mapping of spaces that would normally be difficult to access.
Angelo Valletta, president and CEO of Ben Franklin of Northeastern Pennsylvania spoke at the event.
“Supporting early-stage technology firms is a key component of our mission,” he said. “In addition to providing seed capital to tech startups, Ben Franklin investments are a significant endorsement to help them attract additional funding. We also share in-house expertise, provide business and technical support, and bring in a network of experts, many of whom are here with us tonight, to advise our clients. Our Venture Idol event is one of the many ways that we help prepare and introduce our clients to follow-on funding opportunities”.
Three finalists pitched their ideas at the event, Amit Parmer of Cliquify; Matt Bilsky, of FLX Solutions; and Greg Martz of VZRscada.
The final three were selected from a total of seven Ben Franklin portfolio companies that pitched to investors earlier in the afternoon.
Other companies included BettorFantasy, GUIDE, Heudia Health, and Unison Workforce.
