On Tuesday, June 9, 2026, Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Central and Northern Pennsylvania, in partnership with the Erie County Gaming Revenue Authority, hosted the 2026 Erie TechCelerator Live Pitch Event. Eight early-stage companies presented their technologies and solutions to a panel of judges, investors, and community members for a chance to win funding to launch and grow their businesses.
“The caliber of companies we saw come through this cohort is a testament to the depth of entrepreneurial talent in Northwest Pennsylvania,” said Brian Slawin, Northwest Region Director and Portfolio Manager at Ben Franklin CNP. “Each of these founders brought something genuinely compelling to the table, and we’re proud to support them as they take their next steps.”
Out of the eight competing companies, Two received award funding.
First place of $10,000 went to StayX founded by Yashwanth Kasini,Yashash Kasini, and Manohar Kakumani
StayX developed Mano an AI-native case preparation and practice management built for small law firms. It brings the daily workflow into one place: AI case prep, drafting and review, matter memory, practice operations, and deadlines.
“Our go-to-market starts with immigration. Immigration is document-heavy, deadline-driven, and repeatable. It gives us a clear workflow to prove value quickly. The Mano MVP is live. We have one design partner, an immigration attorney in Buffalo, and three firms in the pipeline over the next 90 days. The design partner feedback is already pointing in the right direction: Mano saves hours on case prep by keeping notes, forms, research, and next steps in one workflow. The plan is simple: win immigration first, prove measurable value, then expand across small law.” — Yashwanth Kasini, Co-Founder & CEO
Second place of $5,000 went to DiveTrack, founded by James Lundin
DiveTrack is a web and mobile app (iOS and Android) that combines dive logging, trip planning, certification management, gear tracking, and AI-powered automation into one platform. It is designed to replace the five to seven disconnected tools that divers currently juggle to manage their underwater pursuits.
“Most people underestimate the business behind scuba diving. It’s a global ecosystem of training, certification, travel, equipment, and local dive shops that still operates in disconnected ways. DiveTrack brings those pieces together, helping divers plan smarter, explore more confidently, and connect with the right services at the right time.” — James Lundin, Founder, DiveTrack
Congratulations to the remaining entrepreneurial teams who participated in the 2026 Erie TechCelerator. The other participating companies include:
CiS (Kevin Marz)
CiS is a cloud-based demand orchestration platform designed to improve alignment between enterprise training demand and available supply across learning partners. The platform functions as an intelligent routing layer that provides visibility into training needs and available capacity, helping organizations identify options, coordinate schedules, and streamline booking workflows.
Hard6 Solutions (Ivan Watts and Jessica Watts)
Hard6 Solutions produces Company Health Assessments: independent reports that test whether a company’s public claims are structurally verifiable. The same methodology can be applied in multiple directions depending on client needs, offering a flexible framework for organizational transparency and due diligence.
RetroRad (Sean Friedrich)
RetroRad turns a cancer program’s own clinical history into outcomes intelligence. The platform allows oncology clinics to analyze their own data, compare it to published literature and clinical trials, and gain new insights through AI. RetroRad enables oncology departments to move from anecdotally driven treatment decisions to clinically rooted decisions based on locally held data, with the goal of improving patient outcomes.
KnightCode LLC (Dylan Knight)
KnightCode’s OrderFlow is a fully integrated, multi-sided ordering platform built exclusively for independent cafes and restaurants. It replaces the fragmented stack of POS software, third-party delivery marketplaces, kitchen display hardware, and courier logistics with a single, unified system at a fraction of the total cost.
DraftLine (Josh Burgess and Brenner Ferringer)
DraftLine is an AI platform for telecommunication engineering. DraftLine uses custom machine vision neural networks to assist in the monotonous tasks of contractors and infrastructure surveying. We are building an efficient and cost-effective way to meet the rapidly growing demand for next generation broadband.
Lake Erie Trophy Fishing (Destin Demarion)
Lake Erie Trophy Fishing is a comprehensive app for fishing enthusiasts that offers resources for those focused on fishing while also providing functions to quickly vet conditions, find key points of interest, and connect users and their families to the things they will be most interested in, all within one platform.
About the TechCelerator: Ben Franklin’s TechCelerator offers a dynamic 10-week business boot camp, providing local entrepreneurs with a transformative platform to kickstart their startups. Through expert-led weekly group sessions and personalized mentorship, participants refine their business models, financial strategies, and presentation skills, culminating in a compelling pitch presentation. This program equips participants with the insights to gauge optimal startup timing and grants the chance to secure up to $15,000 in funding through a pitch before judges. Learn more
About the Erie County Gaming Revenue Authority (ECGRA): An impact investing organization, ECGRA’s mission is to empower the nonprofit sector, municipal governments, and economic development agencies to revitalize Erie County. ECGRA is endowed with local share gaming revenue from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania via the Horse Race Gaming Act. Local share gaming revenue is an assessment of the licensed gambling industry in Pennsylvania. ECGRA administers local share gaming revenue on behalf of the Erie County government. Learn more