Five area tech firms to get Pa. funding

Five early-stage Philadelphia-area technology companies will receive more than $1.4 million in state funding from Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern Pennsylvania.

Immunotope Inc., of Doylestown, and Life-Pack Technologies Inc., of Ambler, each will receive $350,000. Small Bite Inc., of Haverford, will receive $300,000. CoreDial L.L.C., of Plymouth Meeting, will get $250,000, and Verilogue L.C.C., of North Wales, will receive $236,500.

Ben Franklin Technology Partners is funded by Pennsylvania's Department of Community and Economic Development.

Immunotope is working on treatments that destroy cancer tumors, including a vaccine for ovarian and breast cancer now in an early-stage Phase 1 clinical trial.

Life-Pack is developing a lightweight wearable device with a cable to enable firefighters to bail out of a burning building from an upper window.

Small Bite is developing an oral device that restricts jaw movement and limits food intake for the treatment of obesity.

Verilogue is a medical-informatics company with technology to aid physician-patient interactions. CoreDial is developing phone-system technology for midsize businesses.

"Through the Ben Franklin Technology Partners, we are making targeted investments in a wide range of emerging high-tech companies that will bring new products to the competitive global marketplace," said Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development Secretary Dennis Yablonsky.

"These investments include two innovative-product companies focused on weight loss and emergency rescue, two communications companies, and a biotechnology company operating out of a state-funded Keystone Innovation Zone," said RoseAnn B. Rosenthal, Ben Franklin Technology's president and chief executive officer.