Each year, PHL Inno — the Philadelphia Business Journal’s innovation vertical — hands out its Fire Awards to recognize the startups, companies, and individuals shaping Greater Philadelphia’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Now in its fourth year, the program draws nominations from the public alongside candidates identified by the newsroom, with the Business Journal’s editorial board making the final call on winners.
This year’s nine honorees are split into four tiers — Igniters (incubators, accelerators, and VC firms building the ecosystem from the ground up), Igniting (startups on the cusp of their next stage of growth), Ablaze (established companies pulling in big funding and eyeing wider adoption), and Blazers (individuals driving lasting impact through convening and support).
Life Sciences Leads the Pack
What stands out this year is how much of that impact is coming from life sciences — gene therapy, translational medicine, and biotech incubation make up more than half the list — sitting alongside robotics, fintech, and telecom leadership. Together, the mix of companies, founders, and institutional leaders is a snapshot of what actually makes Greater Philadelphia’s innovation economy tick.
IGNITING
Startups readying for their next stage of growth and moving toward scale-up.
Franklin Biolabs (King of Prussia, PA)
A gene therapy CRO founded by Penn’s James Wilson, up 99% in revenue in six months and backed by $60M in VC funding. Led by CEO Vatsala Naageshwaran.
Linnaeus Therapeutics (Haddonfield, NJ)
A Penn spinout developing small-molecule therapies for cancer, cardiometabolic disease, and aging; landed a $22M ARPA-H grant. Led by CEO Patrick Mooney.
ABLAZE
Companies that have established themselves as major players and are pulling in big funding, making acquisitions and eyeing widespread adoption of their products.
Latus Bio (Philadelphia, PA)
A CHOP spinout developing gene therapy for Huntington’s disease, closed a $97M round in May. Led by CEO P. Peter Ghoroghchian.
IGNITERS
Stoking the flames of the region’s innovation ecosystem through investments, advocacy and startup incubation.
B+ Labs (Philadelphia, PA)
A 50,000-square-foot life sciences incubator at Cira Centre, home to ~25 companies including BriaCell Therapeutics, Carl June’s BlueWhale Bio, and fellow honoree Latus Bio.
BLAZERS
Individuals at the forefront of Greater Philadelphia’s innovation landscape.
Madeline Bell, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (Philadelphia, PA)
Retiring in October after 11 years as CEO, leaves CHOP as an international leader in cell and gene therapy with 65+ active clinical trials and revenue doubled to $5B+.
