News/Events
Soltech Solutions Grove™ LED Grow Light (Video)
August 31, 2023
Soltech Solutions LLC just launched their 4th product.
The Grove is ideal for most indoor houseplants and herbs, this under-cabinet/shelving or wall mounted LED bar light enhances plant growth while adding a touch of elegance to your space...
Here’s a Closer Look at the Lehigh Valley Companies...
August 4, 2023
Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania (Ben Franklin Northeast) recently approved $675,000 in funding in support of regional economic development. Three of the seven companies selected for investment are in the Lehigh Valley...
Businesses in this Lehigh Valley city receive more than $600,000
June 1, 2023
A record 12 startup companies in Bethlehem have been awarded a combined $611,842 in tax credits, the state Department of Community and Economic Development announced Thursday. All of the companies are located in the South Side Keystone Innovation Zone, which is administered by the Bethlehem Economic Development Corp...
PRESS RELEASE: Innovative Bethlehem Startups Secure...
June 1, 2023
Bethlehem, PA – A total of $13+ Million in KIZ Tax Credits have been awarded to KIZ Companies across the Commonwealth. The comprehensive list of awardees can be found here. 12 Bethlehem start-up companies have managed to secure $611,842 in tax credits according to the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development. These companies are all located within the Southside Bethlehem Keystone Innovation Zone (SBKIZ), which is administered by the Bethlehem Economic Development Corporation...
Paul Hodges - Co-Founder & CEO, Soltech Solutions, Bethlehem
May 25, 2023
Paul Hodges, along with his two business partners, “took a leap of faith” and opened Soltech Solutions, which sells plant lights, in Bethlehem in 2014.
Why did you choose to open your business in Bethlehem?
I remember sitting down and having a conversation with the guys and being like, “Hey, we need to make an ultimatum,” because we were all living in our respective parts of the world after college...
Goblies Could Be The Next Hot Toy
March 29, 2023
For an entrepreneur, there’s nothing more thrilling than seeing your product on the shelves of national retailers. For Briana Gardell, CEO of Bethlehem-based Mezzimatic LLC, that dream recently came true. Goblies Throwable Paintballs and Play Paint are now on sale at Target stores nationwide near the sporting goods department. Not bad for someone who first made the product in her apartment’s kitchen while a graduate student at Lehigh University...
From the Kitchen to the Factory
March 25, 2023
With spring now upon us, it’s a better time than ever to get outside and get active. And oftentimes that can come with making a mess. That's where a new product from a Bethlehem-based startup company comes in. Mezzimatic LLC recently got approval from the Target Corporation to sell its Goblies Throwable Paintballs and Play Paint in Target stores nationwide and online, according to a release from the Bethlehem Economic Development Corporation and its Keystone Innovation Zone...
Throwable paintballs created by Bethlehem entrepreneur hit the shelves at Target (Video)
March 22, 2023
BETHLEHEM, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- A Bethlehem-based entrepreneur turned a class project into a popular kids' product you'll now find in the stores at Target. Briana Gardell started making throwable paintballs in her apartment kitchen in the Lehigh Valley. Now her invention, Goblies, are available nationwide...
PRESS RELEASE: Goblies Hit Their Target!
March 22, 2023
Bethlehem, PA – Mezzimatic LLC, an innovative startup company based in Bethlehem, has struck a major deal with Target Corporation. Target will carry the company’s flagship product Goblies Throwable Paintballs and Play Paint online and in-stores nationwide...
FLX Solutions Wins 2022 Ben Franklin Venture Idol
November 16, 2022
FLX Solutions, a Bethlehem-based startup that 3-D printed snake-robots for use by home inspectors, commercial contractors, and utility field technicians to go through and see behind walls and tight spaces, was the winner of this year’s Ben Franklin Venture Idol,..
StartUp Lehigh Valley Pitch Competition Awards $33,000 in Prizes to Entrepreneurs
October 27, 2022
When Giana Jarrah’s mother was diagnosed with an aggressive stage of pre-cervical cancer, she decided to become a biomedical engineer. After attending Lehigh University, the Allentown resident developed a probiotic supplement for urinary and vaginal health...
Manufacturing in Lehigh Valley (Video)
September 27, 2022
The Lehigh Valley has become a Top 50 manufacturing market in the United States, and manufacturing jobs have grown about 11 times greater than the annual growth rate across the whole country over the last five years. The Lehigh Valley has more than 750 manufacturers employing about 35,000 people. Manufacturing is the second largest economic sector of the Lehigh Valley economy, contributing $7.9 billion – or about 18% – to the Lehigh Valley’s $42.9 billion gross domestic product...
Andrew Hill Named Inaugural Director of the New Lehigh Ventures Lab
August 22, 2022
Andrew Hill, startup founder and former chair of strategic leadership and professor at the U. S. Army War College, has been named inaugural director of the new Lehigh Ventures Lab, a startup accelerator for founders in the early stages of launching their ventures. Lehigh Ventures Lab is a joint initiative between the university’s Baker Institute for Entrepreneurship, Creativity & Innovation and the College of Business...
Entrepreneurs Invited to Test Business Ideas at Virtual Idea TestLab
August 18, 2022
Aspiring entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to test the viability of their business ideas through a free, four-week program called the Virtual Idea TestLab offered this fall through the Penn State Lehigh Valley and the Lehigh Valley Launchbox, among other organizations. Applications are due Sept. 1 for anyone interested in participating. Visit here to register or for more information about the program...
Lehigh University Master’s Program Helps Students Develop Entrepreneurial Mindset
August 12, 2022
Lehigh University graduate Jessie Garcia is the founder and CEO of Tozuda, an impact sensor manufacturing company that develops head impact sensors that can be attached to football or hockey player helmets and detect whether an impact that could indicate a serious head inquiry has occurred. And it all started at Lehigh’s technical entrepreneurship program...
Ben Franklin Announces 5 Investments Totaling $252,500
July 19, 2022
The Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania’s (BFTP_NEPA) Board of Directors has approved the investment of $252,500 in support of regional economic development. Five companies from BFTP_NEPA’s 21-county service area received funding. Investments identified as a continuation project indicates that the client achieved pre-determined milestones and is receiving more funding to accomplish additional project work...
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Bethlehem Startups Get $450,000 in Keystone Innovation Zone Tax Credits
May 25, 2022
A half-dozen Bethlehem startup companies have been awarded a total of more than $450,000 in tax credits from the Southside Bethlehem Keystone Innovation Zone (KIZ). Soltech Solutions received just over $150,000 in KIZ tax credits, while Seven Sirens Brewing Company and Paro AI, Inc. were each awarded $100,000. Almas Foods International received $88,569, while Opatmo LLC and UBMe, Inc. were also provided tax credits...
Lehigh Valley Rising Ep. 9 Lighting Companies (Video)
May 19, 2022
The Lehigh Valley is home to the lighting industry's biggest names, such as Lutron, SolTech, EcoTech Marine, PPL, SolTech, and LightLab International. Take a look at how each one of these companies shows us how important light can be...
Award-winning product ‘Built by Bethlehem
May 9, 2022
Bethlehem-based startup Soltech Solutions recently won the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Eastern Pennsylvania Entrepreneurial Success of the Year Award. The company aims to help people “bring nature indoors” with its design-inspired plant lights for home and office. Paul Hodges, Soltech’s Chief Executive Officer, said he founded the company with two others in 2016 shortly after graduating from college...
PRESS RELEASE: Bethlehem-based Startups Awarded $456,614 in KIZ Tax Credits
May 19, 2022
Bethlehem, PA – A total of $14 Million in KIZ Tax Credits have been awarded to KIZ Companies across the Commonwealth. The comprehensive list of awardees can be found here. 7 Bethlehem start-up companies have managed to secure $456,614 in tax credits according to the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development...
Soltech Solutions, Lehigh University SBDC Win SBA Awards
May 16, 2022
The U.S. Small Business Administration’s Eastern Pennsylvania District Office has announced its 2022 Small Business Week Award Winners, and two of the winners are based right here in the Lehigh Valley. Soltech Solutions LLC, a Bethlehem-based manufacturer of state-of-the-art grow lights for plants, has received the Eastern Pennsylvania Entrepreneurial Success of the Year Award for 2022...
SBA Officials visit Eastern Pennsylvania’s 2022 Entrepreneurial Success of the Year (with Video)
May 11, 2022
The U.S. Small Business Administration’s Eastern Pennsylvania District Office announces Soltech Solutions, LLC, located in Bethlehem, as the recipient of its Eastern Pennsylvania Entrepreneurial Success of the Year Award for 2022...
Soltech Solutions Wins Eastern PA Entrepreneurial Success of the Year Award
April 14, 2022
Eastern Pennsylvania Entrepreneurial Success of the Year Award: Soltech Solutions LLC, Bethlehem; Cofounders Paul H. Hodges, Michael A. Planer, and Chris L. Clark; nominated by J. William Reynolds, Mayor, City of Bethlehem and President, Bethlehem Economic Development Corporation...
U.S. Representative Susan Wild Visits Pi
April 11, 2022
We were happy to host, with Mayor Reynolds, U.S. Representative Susan Wild at Pi: Partnership for Innovation. Her dog Zoey served as tour guide and met a friend...Soltech Solution's office dog Loki. It was great to hear about the success that startups Soltech, Goblies, and Zaffrus have had...
Bethlehem-based Saladax Acquires Patent Portfolio
April 5, 2022
BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Bethehem-based Saladax Biomedical Inc. has acquired a patent portfolio from Janssen Pharmaceutica NV. Saladax did not disclose terms of the agreement to acquire intellectual property from Janssen, which is part of Johnson & Johnson. The transaction includes 17 patent families and, along with Saladax's existing intellectual property, covers the major antipsychotic drugs that are prescribed worldwide, according to a Saladax press release...
Startup Resources: State Tax Credits (KIZ, R&D)
March 16, 2022 (12:00 p.m.)
Learn about tax credit resources offered through the State of Pennsylvania. Often times, as a business owner, you spend so much time focused on launching, growing, and managing the day-to-day operations of the company...and for good reason. But resources may be available to you through local, State, and Federal government organizations. So let the resources work for you and work smarter, not harder. This seminar is geared towards startup companies in the Lehigh Valley that are developing innovative and proprietary technology...
Bethlehem Mayor Reynolds and Staff Visit TechVentures
February 17, 2022
Bethlehem Mayor William Reynolds and his staff met with Ben Franklin staff and had a tour of Ben Franklin TechVentures on February 16. Ben Franklin TechVentures is Ben Franklin Technology Partners’ award-winning technology incubator/post-incubator, located on Lehigh University’s Mountaintop Campus in Bethlehem...
Say ‘Goodbye’ to Outdated Online Reviews and ‘Hello’ to Real- Time Feedback!
February 15, 2022
With support from the Ben Franklin Technology Partners, the Southside Bethlehem KIZ and Pennsylvania CareerLink, Bethlehem technology company, UBMe has officially launched real-time feedback for restaurants on the UBMe App, which will revolutionize the way customers can obtain live information from restaurants and the way online reviews will take place moving forward...
Small Business Incubators Grow Companies, Jobs, and Networks
January 20, 2022
Paul Hodges had an idea to make grow lights that looked good in homes and offices, unlike those on the market that were suitable only for the basement.
“I realized that people wanted to grow plants inside, but the lights were ugly,” he said. “I wanted to make beautiful lights with warm white ambient light in modern fixtures.” To accomplish his goal, Hodges turned to the Partnership for Innovation (Pi) at the Southside Bethlehem Keystone Innovation Zone (KIZ) for help...
Northampton Community College to Develop Pathways to Manufacturing Program
January 18, 2022
Northampton Community College (NCC) has been awarded new state funding to develop a Pathways to Manufacturing program for low-income individuals, veterans, and others in the Lehigh Valley. NCC will receive $199,125 through the Manufacturing PA Training-to-Career Grant program, which is designed to help companies identify and train a skilled workforce for existing or newly open positions...
Bethlehem Startup Among ‘Most Fundable Companies’ List
December 14, 2021
FLX Solutions, a Bethlehem-based startup that creates modular snake robots, has received national recognition on the Pepperdine Graziadio Business School’s fourth annual Most Fundable Companies List. The company was one of 16 early-stage U.S. companies to receive the prestigious designation, and one of only three to receive a Platinum registration. FLX Solutions competed against over 3,300 other companies under consideration for the list...
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Ben Franklin to Invest $495,000 in 11 Companies
December 13, 2021
The Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania’s (BFTP/NEP) Board of Directors has approved the investment of $495,000 in support of regional economic development. Eleven companies from BFTP/NEP’s 21-county service area received funding. Investments identified as a continuation project indicates that the client achieved pre-determined milestones and is receiving more funding to accomplish additional project work...
Pepperdine Graziadio Business School's Most Fundable Companies of 2021
November 30, 2021
Congratulations to the 2021 Pepperdine Graziadio Business School’s Most Fundable Companies® presented by the Singleton Foundation for Financial Literacy & Entrepreneurship. In our fourth year, more than 3,300 early-stage US startups from across all 50 states vied for a space on the list...
Gift Guide: The Best Tech Gifts for Plant Geeks
November 23, 2021
Sometimes when you get mad about something silly on the internet, people will tell you, “go touch some grass.” But a few months back, when Mark Zuckerberg announced Facebook’s rebrand to Meta and shared his vision of the metaverse, I felt an insatiable need to go outside so that I could literally touch grass. The development of new technology is exciting, but when it can feel a bit overwhelming, there’s nothing better than being surrounded by some green stuff.
FLX Solutions Named A Winner In The U.S. Department Of Energy E*Robot Prize
October 1, 2021
On August 19th, 2021 The U.S. Department of Energy named Team F.G.S a winner of phase 1 in the The American-Made Buildings Prize (E*ROBOT). The award recognizes their improved modeling and planning software coupled with an innovative robotic platform allowing for minimally invasive and cost effective retrofits across all types of existing buildings...
Local Entrepreneurs Take Center Stage In Upcoming Competition (with Video)
September 30, 2021
An upcoming competition is shining the spotlight on local entrepreneurs.
It's called StartUp Lehigh Valley, and it'll be broadcast live right here on WFMZ-TV on October 27th. WFMZ's Eve Russo chatted with Richard Thompson, managing partner of Factory LLC and co-host of StartUp Lehigh Valley...
UBMe Launches www.ubmefood.com
September 29, 2021
Dating back to the beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic, UBMe has been working alongside restaurant owners to eliminate extra costs and fees associated with online ordering systems. With major companies like DoorDash and Grubhub taking over 30% of online ordering revenue from restaurants, UBMe founder Val Arzunian decided it was time to put an end to that...
3 Friends Run Grow Light Company in Bethlehem (Video)
August 25, 2021
BETHLEHEM, Pa. - You're probably not expecting to find a grow light company tucked away on a side street in South Side Bethlehem. "It was through a CNN List of top 100 places to start a business – we were going through it and all the sudden we landed on Bethlehem, Pa.," said Soltech Solutions CEO Paul Hodges. The company makes grow lights that are designed, manufactured, and shipped right out of Bethlehem...
Southside Bethlehem KIZ Continues to Invest in Bethlehem Entrepreneurs
August 20, 2021
The Southside Bethlehem Keystone Innovation Zone (KIZ) has been continuing its tradition of supporting innovation and entrepreneurship in the Lehigh Valley, while also stepping up to help Bethlehem companies seeking relief funds during the COVID-19 crisis...
PRESS RELEASE: The Southside Bethlehem KIZ Invests in Entrepreneurs to Start 2021
August 16, 2021
Two $15,000 Technology Transfer Grants have been awarded to companies by the KIZ Board. Almas Foods International was awarded $15,000 for marketing. This is their second such award through the KIZ and they have recently expanded their facility in Pi: Partnership for Innovation from 232 sq. ft. to 777 sq. ft. Almas is better recognized through their product name, Zaffrus, that covers a variety of saffron-based products...
South Bethlehem cidery opening just in time for Musikfest mug refills
August 2, 2021
A south Bethlehem cidery is putting down roots just in time for Musikfest fun.
Five Maidens Cider Company, crafting alcoholic ciders from locally sourced apples, plans to open a production facility and tasting room at 4 p.m. Friday at 327 Polk St. on the city’s south side...
Meet the Manufacturer: EcoTech Marine (Video)
July 31, 2021
The National Museum of Industrial History continues its 2021 Meet the Manufacturer Virtual Lecture Series with Patrick Clasen, co-founder and Director of Finance of EcoTech Marine. Now in its second decade, EcoTech Marine continues to revolutionize the way people think about aquarium technology. Each of their products is meticulously engineered to improve the health of aquarium ecosystems —and to enhance the natural beauty of aquascapes...
Ben Franklin to Invest $275,000 in the Regional Economy
July 6, 2021
The Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania’s (BFTP/NEP) Board of Directors has approved the investment of $275,000 in support of regional economic development. Five companies from BFTP/NEP’s 21-county service area received funding.
BFTP/NEP announces the following early-stage company investments, which are provided in the form of loans with warrants...
BETHLEHEM MAYOR'S STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESS
April 16, 2021
Good morning and welcome to the Annual State of the City Address. Thank you for joining me this morning. Let me begin by thanking ArtsQuest, the Chamber, all the sponsors, my department heads, City Council, all of you - attending in person and virtually, and most importantly – the residents of the City of Bethlehem...
Aquatic Lighting Sales Are Aglow With These Trends
April 12, 2021
Keeping dry goods in stock continued to present a problem for pet specialty retailers through the end of 2020, but both livestock and equipment sales showed strength leading into 2021. Now, in the first quarter of the new year, retailers report that they expect sales to grow as business conditions slowly return to normal...
FedEx Small Business Grant (Video)
April 6, 2021
Soltech Solutions is a small company out of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. We design and manufacture LED plant lights that uniquely integrate museum-quality décor lighting with a photosynthetic spectrum. We are entering into the FedEx Small Business Grant with the goal of using the money speed up the release of our new product. The new product will create jobs and opportunity here at Soltech...
Lehigh Valley Had Two Economies in Pandemic Year (with Video)
March 16, 2021
The Lehigh Valley went through a simultaneous boom and bust in 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic struck hard at service businesses while other industries thrived. Don Cunningham, chief executive of the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corp., went over the highlights and lowlights of the split economy during his organization's annual report...
Coloradans Help Adaptive Skiers Get Back on the Slopes (with Video)
February 12, 2021
DynAccess, an adaptive ski company out of Pennsylvania, worked with Denver7 to quickly replace the stolen skis. Enabling Technology out of Denver then outfitted the skis with outriggers and customized technology. Other companies also helped out, including Colorado companies BW Welding and Aspen Seating...
PRESS RELEASE: Bethlehem Start-ups Awarded $601,684 in KIZ Tax Credits
January 26, 2021
A total of $15 Million in KIZ Tax Credits have been awarded to KIZ Companies across the Commonwealth. The comprehensive list of awardees can be found here. 10 Bethlehem start-up companies have managed to secure $601,684 in tax credits according to the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development...
This Easy-To-Use Plant Grow Light Will Make Your Plants Extremely Happy
January 22, 2021
I love nearly everything about my new studio apartment—the location, the privacy, the fact that I can cook in my “kitchen” while watching TV in my “living room.” My beloved collection of plants, however, hate my studio apartment and its single north-facing window. After years of believing I had a green thumb, I'm now living in a flora abbatoir. RIP, Calathea Rattlesnake...
Mayor Donchez Announces a Partnership
January 11, 2021
Bethlehem Mayor Bob Donchez announced today that the City of Bethlehem, the Bethlehem Health Bureau and UBMe have formed a partnership in an effort to better the vaccination process for PA civilians who are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. “With the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine, it is imperative now, more than ever, that safety is a top priority throughout the vaccination process, from start to finish,” Donchez stated...
StartUp Lehigh Valley Virtual 2020
November 18, 2020
StartUp Lehigh Valley Virtual 2020 is a virtual event that positions the Lehigh Valley as the innovation hub of the East Coast by bringing together local entrepreneurs, business leaders, angel investors, industry experts, merchants, higher education representatives, students and community members...
UBMe Launches Revolutionary Online Ordering and Curbside Communication
November 13, 2020
With the holidays rapidly approaching amidst a global pandemic, local restaurants are looking at creative ways to increase their revenue while promoting safety and convenience for their customers and staff. With support from the Ben Franklin Technology Partners and the Southside Bethlehem KIZ, UBMe’s patented technology now includes a product specifically for restaurants that provides an online ordering platform and implements curbside safety and connectivity...