Philly weekly roundup: What a dual HQ can do for a startup; Nucleus Award winners; Nerd Street raised $6M

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Startup splits time between Philly and DC

Home maintenance platform Birdwatch initially launched in the DC area, but quickly expanded to Philly. The company’s cofounders said they jumped at the opportunity to see if their startup had broader value. 

Birdwatch connects homeowners to maintenance and repair professionals. Cities in different environments will always have specific needs, but many homeowners across the country face similar challenges, cofounder Chris Rosenbaum said. 

➡️ Find out how the founders manage dual headquarters

4 Philly tech leaders win Nucleus Awards

The annual Nucleus Awards last week recognized Bon Ku, Michael Burychka, Dan Rhoton and Danae Mobley for their work to propel Philly’s science and technology ecosystem forward.

While accepting their awards, each honoree shared a call to action with the audience. The advice ranged from encouraging creative problem-solving to supporting early career technologists and investing in the region’s youth. 

➡️ Read more about the winners and what they want to see change in Philadelphia

Career opportunity at Grace Hopper Celebration

Susquehanna International Group is a global quantitative trading firm headquartered on the western edge of Philadelphia. As one of the largest proprietary trading firms in the world, Susquehanna impacts the financial markets by providing liquidity and ensuring competitive prices for buyers and sellers.

Whether you want to learn more about what goes into building trading systems or how the firm uses game theory to trade options, Susquehanna leaders are hoping to meet you at Grace Hopper Celebration, the largest conference for women and nonbinary technologists, which goes down Oct. 8-11 at the Pa. Convention Center. 

➡️ Stop by GHC Booth No. 1023 to check out Susquehanna

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News Incubator: What else to know today

• Philly-based gaming company Nerd Street raised $6 million to support its collegiate partnership programs. Read more in this month’s Money Moves. [Technical.ly]

• Greentech company Carbon Reform, which just won the Philadelphia Startup World Cup pitch competition, received an investment from the Cisco Foundation for an undisclosed amount. [Technical.ly/Philly Biz Journal]

• SEPTA plans to integrate 10 hydrogen fuel cell busses into its fleet this fall as part of a new zero-emissions pilot program. [WHYY]

• The University of Pennsylvania ranked No. 2 on Fast Company and Inc.’s Ignite Schools list. The list recognizes the top schools in the country that have an impact on business and society. [Fast Company]

• Mayor Cherelle Parker announced the economic development plan associated with her agreement with the 76ers to build an arena in Center City. Parker announced she supported the arena plan earlier this month. [City and State]

• Coworking community Indy Hall announced it will remain at its Northern Liberties location for another five years.  [LinkedIn]

• 3D geospatial company Cesium, which was recently acquired by Bentley Systems, awarded Battle Road a Cesium Ecosystem Grant. The developer will create a Cesium plugin on the open-source asset library for the gaming development company Godot. [Technical.ly/Cesium]

• Online safety software company Kidas is partnering with gaming tech company Razer. Kidas’s safety software is now available on Razer’s gaming platform. [Kidas]

• The Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance announced a Social Impact Database, a digital record of all arts and culture organizations in Philadelphia. [Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance]

🗓️ On the Calendar

• Engineering Leadership Roundtable will be discussing tech debt and strategy at its meetup on Oct. 2. [More details]

• Celebrate Black creatives on Saturday, Oct. 5 at the CADO Market Innovation Fair. [More details]

• Join Philly tech’s ‘unconference’ BarCamp Philly on Oct. 5. [Buy tickets]

• PACT’s next Life Sciences Roundtable on Oct. 9 will discuss patents in the pharmaceutical industry. [Register here]

• Startup Valley’s Networking and Pitch event is on Oct. 9 [Details here]

• Partner event: 1682 makes it’s post-COVID return on Oct. 18. Hosted in Center City at the fun Five Below HQ, the ticketed event ($500-$650) features a full day of workshops, panels and more on how AI and innovation are impacting the tech scene. [Register]

• Drexel University is partnering with YellowDig for the Human Connection Summit on Oct. 23. [Buy tickets]

• Attend Klein News Innovation Camp just 10 days after the presidential election on Nov. 16 for a day of themes that will include: artificial intelligence, content creators and the outcome of the election. [Register]