5 orgs’ reflections on 2024 and plans for 2025

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2024 was an eventful year across the tech world, and 2025 is already filling up with plans and potential.

This is especially true for Technical.ly’s clients and Preferred Partners, established and vetted organizations making moves in their industries and supporting their local communities. While they range from growth-stage and enterprise tech companies to service providers and economic development groups, they all had significant accomplishments last year and lofty goals for the near future.

For Fastmail, an Australia-based independent email provider with an office in Philadelphia, 2024 saw a big change that had been a long time coming. “This year, we finally merged our two personal email products, upgrading all Pobox users into full Fastmail users,” said Head of Special Projects Ricardo Signes. “It was a huge effort and came after years of kicking it down the road. It also helped free us up to move all of our servers to new data centers with no interruption of service. Lots of them moved from New Jersey to here in Philly.”

Likewise, financial services firm Vanguard also underwent a large update to its tech infrastructure. “Our biggest accomplishment in 2024 was transforming the majority of Vanguard’s application portfolio. Through a focused and strategic effort, we successfully re-wrote applications that were executed in traditional data centers to cloud-native applications running in the public cloud,” said Amy Dobra, head of personal investor technology strategy and transformation. “The results of these efforts are already driving significant value to our clients in the form of increased resiliency of our infrastructure and a cloud-native environment that allows for nimbleness and quicker delivery of new features. For instance, this effort has delivered an entirely new public site, secure site and mobile app. Client satisfaction across all our channels has increased as a result. Vanguard’s effort to completely modernize and transform our IT stack underscores our commitment to our clients and our ongoing dedication to delivering best-in-class capabilities and outcomes.”

Tech companies weren’t the only ones achieving growth and recognition — law firm NEXT powered by Shulman Rogers also had a big year. Founder Anthony Millin ran down a list of notable accomplishments from the last 12 months: “We were recognized in 2024 by Legal Week as the best law firm in the US for enabling startup success. We continued to expand our innovative offerings of predictable fixed price legal packages for a number of startup needs from launch through Series Seed, and built on our goal to provide a customer experience that is client focused, collaborative and transparent. We ended the year with the launch of My NEXT Raise, a new platform that delivers a Pathway to Investor Readiness as part of our mission to empower startup success.”

Looking ahead to this year, Tech Council of Delaware executive director Zakiyyah Ali is staying focused on the org’s primary aims. “The Tech Council of Delaware has four goals for 2025 as part of our new strategic plan,” she said. “Pursue investments beneficial to Delaware’s tech workforce system, support tech workforce development to enhance the skills and earnings potential of current and aspiring tech professionals, develop and advance public policy positions at the state and federal levels to benefit Delaware’s tech ecosystem, and facilitate connections and relationship building between the tech workforce and employers and recruiters.”

And in Maryland, TEDCO is looking forward to continuing and expanding its offerings to foster an inclusive entrepreneurial innovation ecosystem. “2025 will bring the same support from TEDCO and so much more,” said CEO Troy LeMaile-Stovall. “Our current trajectory will include the implementation and roll out of new programs — such as the Concept Capital, FLLIP, Baltimore Innovation Initiative and BRIDGE programs — new grant opportunities like those offered through Equitech Growth Fund, and a defined focus on supporting founders’ journeys through the Venture Development team. On top of these integral, new programs and initiatives, TEDCO will continue to offer investment opportunities through the established Social Impact Funds, Seed Funds and Venture Funds. These three funds have supported hundreds of portfolio companies on their journey, and we won’t be stopping any time soon.”

Looking to connect more with your local tech community this year? Check out other companies in the Technical.ly network here to find out about their missions, cultures and initiatives.

And for more orgs supporting startups, entrepreneurs and technologists, take a look at Technical.ly’s Preferred Partners list here.

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