Philly weekly roundup: School bus AI; New Wharton podcast; No. 4 for life sciences labs

Welcome to the roundup of the latest from Philly's tech and entrepreneurship scene. Want this in your inbox? Subscribe for free.

This week in Philly, ClearCOGs raised $3.8 million, local VC investment slows down and more.

Read on for Technical.ly’s weekly roundup of top news in the region.

📰 News Incubator: What else to know

• We are partnering with the Department of Commerce to spotlight small businesses across the city as part of a Grow Philly project. Small business owners can apply to be featured here. [Technical.ly]

• Fintech leaders from across the country traveled to Delaware for an event with the Center for Advancing Financial Equity, solidifying the state as a sector hub. [Technical.ly]

• Greater Philadelphia ranked No. 4 on the Colliers 2025 Life Sciences report with 1.1 million square feet of lab space being developed in the city. [Colliers]

• Social networking app Ryla, a 2025 RealLIST honorable mention, is accepting submissions for its Philly Tech Week design competition until April 25. The company is looking for merch designs that capture the spirit of the Philly tech ecosystem. [Technical.ly/Ryla]

• The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia announced Anna Paulson as its next president and CEO. [Philadelphia Fed]

• The Pew Charitable Trusts released its 2025 Philadelphia State of the City report. Philly’s economy was strong last year, but the city still faces challenges that are exacerbated by continuing federal funding cuts. [Pew]

• Federal funding for life sciences is necessary to continue innovation, writes Tiffany Wilson, president and CEO of the University City Science Center. [Fortune]

• The School District of Philadelphia launched a pilot that uses AI cameras to catch drivers who pass school buses. [The Inquirer]

• The Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority did not pass proposed guidelines for its Digital Skills and Community Capacity Program. [Benton Institute]

• The Wharton School released a new podcast called “Where AI Works.” The show features business school faculty discussing real-world applications for AI. [Wharton School]

🗓️ On the Calendar

• Technical.ly event: Tune into Builders Live on April 23 where Technical.ly CEO Chris Wink will discuss ecosystem building with guests Brian Brackeen, Maria Underwood and Victor Hwang. [Register here]

• Partner event: Spend Earth Day learning about Philly startups with a strong drive toward creating a more sustainable future. The Greater Philly Green Startup Pitch Competition will showcase local climate and greentech innovations on April 22. [Sign up]

• Partner Event: Get practical strategies for building emerging tech at PACT’s 2025 Phorum conference on April 22, featuring workshops, discussion panels and the annual Demo Pit competition. [Register]

• Temple students graduating with master’s degrees in Geographic Information Systems will present their capstone projects on April 22. [Register here]

• Curious about the origins of cryptocurrency? Get answers from author Benjamin Wallace on April 22. [Get tickets]

 • Philly Hardware Meetup is gathering at Burro Robotics on April 23. [Register here]

• 1Philadelphia’s spring meetup is on Thursday, April 24 at Indy Hall. [Register here]