These are the 2024 Fire Awards honorees in the Igniters category. Igniters are stoking the flames of Philadelphia’s innovation ecosystem through investments, advocacy and startup incubation. Read about all of this year's honorees here.
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Industry: Health care
Headquarters: Philadelphia
Next year will mark the 170th anniversary of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s founding. As it pushes closer to the two-century mark, the pediatric health system remains nimble. Currently in the midst of a $3.4 billion building boom, CHOP continues to invest in innovations that are reshaping health care in Greater Philadelphia and globally. Local gene therapy pioneer Spark Therapeutics was spun out of the hospital system in 2013. Spark developed Luxturna, becoming the first company to receive Food and Drug Administration approval for a gene therapy designed to treat an inherited disease – in this case a retinal disorder that causes congenital blindness. CHOP has since spun-out Latus Bio, which emerged from stealth mode this year with $54 million in funding. The Philadelphia company is working on gene therapy candidates for central nervous system disorders. And earlier this year, CHOP reported positive initial results from an early stage experimental gene therapy treatment of a patient with hereditary hearing loss. Beyond developing therapies, CHOP is working with policymakers and others in the field to make cell and gene therapies more widely accessible.
Comcast NBCUniversal LIFT Labs
Industry: Accelerator
Headquarters: Philadelphia
Launched in 2018 by Comcast NBCUniversal, LIFT Labs has worked with companies that have gone on to raise a combined $424 million. It offers a four-week accelerator where startups can learn from and collaborate with executives at the Philadelphia telecommunications and media giant. Each cohort has a small number of companies and consists of two virtual weeks and two weeks in Philadelphia where founders collaborate at the Comcast campus. The goal of the accelerator is to help founders develop and test products and solutions and ultimately launch partnerships with Comcast-affiliated companies. Through LIFT Labs – led by executive directors Luke Butler and Laura Plunkett – startups can connect their companies to Comcast, NBCUniversal and its other entities such as European media and entertainment company Sky. Thus far, the accelerator has amassed dozens of portfolio companies, including local startups like Lluna and Employee Cycle. Of its participating companies, over 90% have gone on to work with Comcast NBCUniversal or Sky on concepts, pilots or commercial deals.
Philly Startup Leaders
Industry: Networking
Headquarters: Philadelphia
Launching a startup is a big undertaking – and one that can leave many founders with more questions than answers. To help alleviate some of the burden, Philly Startup Leaders was officially formed in 2008, giving founders a place to connect. In the 16 years since, it has grown dramatically and today counts over 13,000 members throughout the region. Its larger size means a greater network for founders to tap into, whether that’s for funding advice, mentorship, talent needs or other resources. Underpinning the mission of Philly Startup Leaders, led by CEO Isabelle Kent, is a goal of growing Philadelphia’s economy. The nonprofit hosts monthly events for startup founders to gather, in addition to specialized workshops and meetups that have included topics like benefits, networking and fundraising. Its recurring events include its monthly Welcome Wagon; Ceiling Smashers in partnership with the Women in Tech Summit; the Entrepreneur Expo, which showcases early stage startups and technology firms; and Founder Factory. The latter returns this November and will bring together founders, mentors and service providers for roundtables, panels and fireside chats.
