Philly’s Venture Cafe, the once-popular University City meetup, shuts down after 6 years

Local startups are making strategic moves through accelerators, partnerships and executive leadership changes — but one major opportunity just shuttered. 

The University City Science Center ended its Venture Cafe program, a biweekly meetup for founders and other stakeholders. At the same time, the startup resource organization announced the next cohort of its Capital Readiness Program, including three Philly-based startups. 

Plus, transportation tech startup Jawnt is partnering with parking platform SpotHero and adtech data analytics platform FullThrottle.ai announced a new CEO. 

Check out all the details and more power moves below the chart, where we look at the top 10 desirable skills for jobs right now and how many job postings request each skill. 

Innovation meetup group Venture Cafe shuts down

The University City Science Center is ending its biweekly Venture Cafe programming. The program was launched in 2018 and facilitated networking, panels and discussions among founders in the Science Center’s community.

This decision aligns with the Science Center’s goal to continually evaluate and upgrade its programming, Kristen Fitch, senior director of marketing, told Technical.ly. March 20 was the last Thursday gathering at the Science Center. The global Venture Cafe network will continue to operate in other cities. 

Venture Cafe Philadelphia launched around the same time that the Science Center’s 3675 Market Street office opened, providing a way to engage with the community and strengthen partnerships with other orgs in uCity Square, Tiffany Wilson, president and CEO of the Science Center, said.   

“By all accounts, we reflect on Venture Cafe as a major success for the Science Center,” Wilson said. “We’re eager to continue building upon that foundation to meet the changing needs of this dynamic ecosystem.”

Jawnt partners with SpotHero to book parking via commuter cards

Local transportation technology company Jawnt is partnering with parking reservation platform SpotHero. The partnership will allow Jawnt members to book and pay for parking on SpotHero using the money on their Jawnt commuter cards. The new feature is already available. 

“While we champion public transit for its sustainability, we know that it’s not always accessible to commuters due to proximity, scheduling or other factors,” said Jeff Stade, CEO of Jawnt. “By enabling drivers to reserve their parking through the SpotHero app, they are given the power to make their car commutes more sustainable while also saving time and money.”

The 2024 RealLIST Startup honoree works with companies and organizations to offer commuter benefits to its members and employees. The company’s platform integrates with existing payroll systems to make it easier to manage benefits programs. 

FullThrottle.ai appoints new CEO

Adtech company FullThrottle.ai appointed Ken Kennedy as its new CEO. Kennedy brings 30 years of experience working at software companies, most recently as COO and president of revenue management and digital monetization at business support software company CSG. 

West Chester-based FullThrottle.ai’s platform works with organizations to better understand data about its audience. 

“The company has a strong foundation, a talented team, and incredible potential for growth,” Kennedy said. “Together, we will build on our successes, drive innovation, and unlock new opportunities to deliver value for our customers every day.” 

3 Philly companies selected for Science Center’s funding accelerator

The University City Science Center announced the seventh cohort of its Capital Readiness Program, an accelerator for healthtech startups preparing to raise funding. Ten companies from the United States and Canada were selected to come to the Science Center the first week of April. 

This round, the center selected three companies local to Philly. Cerespectus is a medical device company that developed a catheter to deliver gene therapy to the central nervous system. UprightVR is developing VR rehabilitation tests and exercises to help people regain balance and prevent falls. Liife’s platform uses cryptography and blockchain technology to ensure identity security.

“This program will enhance our funding readiness and connect us with inspiring entrepreneurs and industry leaders on our journey,” said Jamie Moses, cofounder and co-CEO of Liife. 

Since launching in 2023, the Capital Readiness Program has worked with 60 companies, which have collectively raised over $35 million. 

More power moves: 

• Colby Maldini joined the Wistar Institute as a new faculty member in the HIV Cure and Viral Diseases Center. Madini joins as part of the Caspar Wistar Fellowship program, which supports younger researchers. 
• Healthtech company Liife appointed former Amazon Web Services leader Elizabeth Boudreau to its advisory board. Boudreau currently runs a startup consulting firm, Practical Acceleration. 
• Philly-based Kidas, an anti-bullying software for online games, partnered to provide its software on esports software company GgCircuit’s platform. 
• The Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia awarded banking executive Daniel K. Fitzpatrick the 2024 William Penn Award, which recognizes the accomplishments of businesspeople in the region.