Grab the confetti, Philly. It’s time to celebrate the tech ecosystem’s wins from 2025.
For this year’s Technical.ly Awards, we revamped the six award categories and combed through community nominations and the past year of reporting. We narrowed those suggestions down to a list of 24 nominees.
Readers submitted more than 4,000 votes to choose the winners — and we’re ready to share the final results.
The honorees include ecosystem advocates, big raises and educational resources. Meet the winners of the 2025 Technical.ly Awards in Philly.
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Product of the Year: Philadelphia STEM Education Directory
Managed by the Philadelphia STEM Ecosystem, this interactive map includes over 55 science and technology education programs for youth around the city. The resource also includes around 35 professional development opportunities for educators.
The free tool helps spread the word about STEM programming in the city, opening doors for students and creating connections in the ecosystem, according to Betsy Payne, manager of STEM professional networks for the Philadelphia Education Fund.
“We are looking forward to connecting with more in-person STEM programs that offer students pre-K through high school out-of-school time opportunities,” Payne told Technical.ly. “Students get so much out of these programs, and we want to make sure that they know about all the opportunities that Philadelphia has to offer.”
Programming of the Year: SaaS and Tech Growth Meetup
Every level of tech professionals are welcome at this monthly meetup group, where companies can make both local and national connections.
The event mixes networking and guest talks from successful company leaders. Uniquely, it brings in guest speakers from outside the Philly region, as well.
“Our mission is to build the No. 1 community supporting SaaS and tech startups through real connections, expert programming and growth-driven collaboration,” said Michael Bertoni, founder and CEO of recruiting firm SaaS Talent, which organizes the meetup.
SaaS and Tech Growth Meetup’s goal for the coming year is to continue creating programming that connects Philadelphia to the national tech community and helps startup founders build confidence, he said.
Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year: Meredith Tretiak
Tretiak founded her startup Ryla in 2024 with one mission in mind: building community. This year, she showed up for the Philly ecosystem in more ways than just her app, participating in community events such as Founders Alley, the Lion Cage pitch competition and Founders Live.
“This past year, through countless conversations with community builders, I’ve seen just how urgent and widespread this need [for community] is,” Tretiak said.
She is building Ryla to help businesses, community groups, clubs, schools and other orgs plan in-person opportunities to connect and keep in touch with each other. Tretiak believes community building can lead to meaningful returns on investment, she said.
In 2026, her focus will be on getting more people to use her platform and encouraging company leaders to embrace the need for community.
Thought Leader of the Year: Robert Christmas
Christmas is an active advocate for the life sciences ecosystem in Pennsylvania, both online and in the community.
“This year, I am most proud of being part of a scientific community that is built on the idea of helping others live longer and healthier lives,” he told Technical.ly.
In his role as COO of the Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center, he provides guidance and support to early-stage companies developing treatments and therapies through events and programming.
In the coming year, he is looking forward to seeing some behind-the-scenes ideas come to fruition and supporting the commonwealth’s life sciences community, he said.
Power Move of the Year: HiveBio Accelerator launches first cohort
Launched in 2025, this accelerator for Philly region-based underrepresented life sciences founders selected its first cohort — and HiveBio participants are already seeing results.
The nine-month program concluded this month with an investor showcase, where it shared that 8 out of 10 of the cohort’s companies raised funding, half of which were at least $500,000 checks, according to Becky Beattie, CEO of LaunchBio.
Throughout the accelerator, founders repeatedly met with investors and mentors, building long-lasting relationships.
“We’re excited to expand our offerings and provide additional resources, like no-cost shared lab space for startups participating in HiveBio,” she said.
Money Move of the Year: Proscia raises $50M
Digital health company Proscia raised $50 million this spring, which it partially used to solidify its presence in Philadelphia by expanding its Center City team, according to CEO David West.
This year, the company also added new customers, incorporated AI into its tools and launched a new product that uses pathology data to inform drug development, he said.
For Philly, that builds up the ecosystem’s healthtech workforce and boosts the region’s life sciences reputation.
“In 2025, we’ve had a record number of go-lives,” West said. “In 2026, we get to watch our customers realize the full power of pathology AI at scale across therapeutic development and diagnostics.”
