Bringing the opportunity of Philadelphia’s innovation economy to the world.
THE FUND
The Global Opportunity Philadelphia Fund – the GO Philly Fund –
is a newly formed venture fund seeking growth stage follow-on investments pulled from Ben Franklin SEP’s portfolio.
Formed by Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern Pennsylvania, the Philadelphia region’s most active early-stage investor for over 35 years, and EPAM, a leading global product development and digital platform engineering services company, the Fund leverages its deep insights into Ben Franklin’s 250+ active portfolio companies to facilitate investor participation in the burgeoning opportunity within the Philadelphia region’s technology-based ventures.
The Fund provides capital for early-stage technology companies primarily in
the Philadelphia region (which includes the City of Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery counties). The Fund makes follow on investments to the early-stage companies that have passed Ben Franklin’s comprehensive due diligence process, supporting the growth of enterprises that build the community of innovation in Philadelphia.
Set within the surging opportunity of Philadelphia’s growth, the Fund is uniquely positioned to expedite investor participation in the region’s emerging technology ventures, while affecting the growth of the region at large.
Lead Partners
Ben Franklin Technology Partners
Since its beginning in 1982, Ben Franklin has invested more than $200 million into over 2,000 emerging technology enterprises in Greater Philadelphia, making it the most active seed investor in the Mid-Atlantic region, and ranked top 10 in the United States.
EPAM
Founded in 1993 in Princeton NJ, and headquarters in Newtown PA, EPAM has leveraged its software engineering expertise to become a leading global product development, digital platform engineering, and top digital and product design agency.
Portfolio Companies
Sidecar helps retailers unlock the full potential of today’s fastest growing online discovery and shopping channels. Their approach combines advanced artificial intelligence, a rich, retail-focused ...
TRIDIUUM is a decision/risk analysis company that has developed a Saas-based Behavioral Health platform designed to help identify suicidality, depression, PTSD, substance use and anxiety disorders in ...
Partners
OUR TEAM
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RoseAnn B. Rosenthal
CEO Emeritus, Ben Franklin
roseann@sep.benfranklin.orgHaving served as its President, CEO and member of the Board of Directors for 25 years, RoseAnn B. Rosenthal now serves…
Having served as its President, CEO and member of the Board of Directors for 25 years, RoseAnn B. Rosenthal now servesas CEO Emeritus for Ben Franklin. Praised by regional, national and international leaders as a pioneer of public-private partnerships and an invaluable resource for innovation-focused investment and growth in the Philadelphia region, Rosenthal has over forty-five years of experience in economic development, business investment, and regional planning.
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Scott Nissenbaum
President And CEO, BEN FRANKLIN
scott@sep.benfranklin.orgScott is President and Chief Executive Officer, bringing more than 20 years of venture capital, entrepreneurial, and operational…
Scott is President and Chief Executive Officer, bringing more than 20 years of venture capital, entrepreneurial, and operationalexperience to Ben Franklin. He spent 11 years investing in early stage technology companies as managing director at Novitas Capital, a $235 million family of early stage venture funds. In 2008 he founded Finite Carbon which, as president, he led to a position of market leadership for carbon offset in California’s regulated market for forestry. He has held seats on the Boards of more than 14 companies including Traffic.com (NASDAQ:TRFC), USA Technologies (NASDAQ:USAT), EZ Prints, Inc. (acquired by Café Press), Haley Systems (acquired by Ruleburst), ClickEquations (acquired by Channel Intelligence) and ImageTree (acquired by GeoDigital). Nissenbaum is a frequent speaker on the topics of venture capital and entrepreneurship at such industry meetings as The Wharton Energy Conference, The CFA Society of Philadelphia, and the National Science Foundation’s University Startup Conference. Nissenbaum also served as an adjunct faculty member at University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton school teaching the graduate course on Venture Capital and in the Management Information Systems Department at St. Joseph’s University focusing on business software applications. Mr. Nissenbaum received an MBA in Finance from St. Joseph’s University and a B.S. degree in Finance and a Minor in Economics from the Pennsylvania State University.
