Philly daily roundup: What’s next for the Tech Hub; Nonprofit closure trends; Funding cuts for robotics in schools

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Philly is keeping the Tech Hub dream alive

Philadelphia was not selected to be one of the 12 tech hubs that received implementation awards from the US Economic Development Administration. 

But hope is not lost. There are still benefits to being a designated Tech Hub. Plus, all of the consortium’s partners are committed to finding a way to fund their proposal, said Tony Green, chief scientific officer for Ben Franklin Technology Partners. 

➡️ Learn more about the next steps for the consortium

Did cheap money kill tech nonprofits?

Venture for America, Byte Back and Women Who Code all experienced significant revenue spikes during the pandemic, followed by sharp declines that led to closures. 

Sudden increases in revenue can cause unsustainable growth and problems down the line if organizations can’t keep up with the funding. Without consistent financial backing, Technical.ly CEO Chris Wink writes, our economies will be less representative and dynamic.

➡️ Read Chris’s column on how these non-profit closures are part of a bigger trend

News Incubator: What else to know today

• The School District of Philadelphia is no longer partnering with the Philadelphia Robotics Coalition to fund robotics teams across the city. [X]

• Tax technology company Vertex acquired Austrian software company Ecosio for $180 million in cash and stocks. [Technical.ly/Philly Biz Journal]

• Verizon’s educational program Verizon Innovative Learning announced an esports league this fall in partnership with the nonprofit Games for Change. [Verizon]

• The Shapiro Administration chose 11 people for its first cohort of the Governor’s Science and Technology Fellowship. [Impacto Media]

🗓️ On the Calendar

• Code for Philly’s August Hack Night is August 13 at Indy Hall. [More details]

• Philly Tech Entrepreneurs’ happy hour series is back on August 27. [More info]