More than 450 people are expected to attend the iXchange event at Lehigh University’s Zoellner Arts Center in Bethlehem.

Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania (BFTP/NEP) has announced the award winners that will be honored at the annual Ben Franklin iXchange event later this year.

These awards will be presented to six recipients, companies, or organizations that have achieved business success through Ben Franklin funding and assistance, have helped others to achieve success, or have improved their organizations through innovation.

This year’s iXchange event will be held on May 21 at the Zoellner Arts Center of Lehigh University in Bethlehem. More than 450 business representatives and community leaders attended last year. Visit here for early registration information.

Although BFTP/NEP serves 21 counties in the northeastern portion of Pennsylvania, three of the six award winners come from the Lehigh Valley, including the Bethlehem-based TRuCapSol, Whitehall Township-based Dynalene Inc., and Bethlehem-based Forge3, Ltd.

“The purposes of the Innovation Awards are to congratulate winners on their success and achievement, to highlight the effectiveness of the Ben Franklin program, and to inform entrepreneurs and established manufacturers about the resources that are available to them in northeastern Pennsylvania,” according to a statement by BFTP/NEP.

TRuCapSol won the Innovative Application of Technology Award, which is bestowed upon a company that strongly demonstrates a “break-the-mold” approach to integrating new or existing technology into its business, according to BFTP/NEP.

The company applies a patented materials process to high-value active ingredients to encapsulate them to form micron-sized capsules. These capsules retain the vital properties of the ingredient as the product is used, and release it over a duration of time.

Unlike conventional capsules, which utilize chemistry that is not environmentally biodegradable, TRuCapSol uses natural materials, making its capsules more environmentally friendly, according to the company.

Dynalene Inc. will receive the Entrepreneurial Achievement Award, which goes to a company that exemplifies a combination of ingenuity, hard work, and innovation that has resulted in the creation of a successful and growing business venture, according to BFTP/NEP.

Dynalene is an established international leader in the development and manufacturing of heat transfer fluids for industries including fuel cells, solar and geothermal energy, HVAC, plastics and chemical manufacturing, electronics, pharmaceuticals, and food.

The company was conceived as a result of an R&D collaboration between Loikits Technologies and Lehigh University, when founder Dan Loikits saw an opportunity in the low-temperature heat transfer fluid market. Loikits, along with Dr. Satish Mohapatra, launched the Dynalene series of fluids and identified additional applications to capture other markets.

Forge3, Ltd. won the Incubator Graduate Award, which recognizes a company that best demonstrates successful Ben Franklin business incubation, from the development of the product concept to graduation from the incubator.

The company offers the insurance industry’s leading website and digital marketing platform, powered by ActiveAgency. This cost-effective platform enables independent insurance agencies around the world to educate, sell, and service clients in an always-connected world.

Graduating from the Ben Franklin TechVentures incubator in late 2016, Forge3 Founder & CEO Jeff Teschke is now a TechVentures affiliate client, paying it forward by coaching new incubator clients, according to BFTP/NEP.

Other award winners who will be recognized at iXchange include Gilson Snow, Inc. of Winfield (Product Innovation Award); Galaxy Mfg. Company of Moosic (Manufacturing Achievement Award), and Penn State Berks of Reading (Frederick J. Beste III Partnership Award).