Stories of Innovation

Global Innovation Spotlight

Flutterwave’s Olugbenga Agboola

What It Takes To Found a Successful Tech Firm

Take it from someone who knows: Scaling a firm from simple startup to unicorn status isn’t for the faint of heart. For Olugbenga “GB” Agboola, the founder and CEO of the African e-payments platform Flutterwave, earning a valuation of more than $1 billion wasn’t about having the best idea or...

INNOVATE® Detroit

Plug and Play Detroit

Driving the Future of Mobility

A city synonymous with automotive innovation, Plug and Play’s Detroit operation is making waves with its groundbreaking approach to mobility. As a global leader in fostering innovation, Plug and Play has established itself as a critical player in the tech ecosystem. However, in Detroit, the organization is doing more than...

INNOVATE™ Adelaide

FLINDERS UNIVERSITY

GETTING YOUR Z’S FHMRI SLEEP HEALTH is tech-ing up sleep

Tech and sleep aren’t necessarily always good bedfellows but in this case, they can be. Sleep health is undergoing a digital and technological innovation transformation. Developments are set to revolutionise the way sleep disorders are diagnosed, monitored, and treated. From the development of improved treatment identification platforms for doctors, to...

INNOVATION Quebec

CRISES

CENTRE DE RECHERCHE SURLES INNOVATIONS SOCIALES DE L’UNIVERSITÉ DU QUÉBEC À MONTRÉAL (UQAM)

Fondé au Québec en 1986, le Centre de recherche sur les innovations sociales (CRISES) fut un pionnier de la recherche sur les innovations sociales et il est aujourd’hui le principal centre de recherche francophone dans ce domaine à l’échelle internationale. Sa programmation scientifique actuelle étudie la contribution des innovations sociales...

INNOVATE™ Oeiras

The GDI Hub Brand

The GDI Hub Brand - In 2019 GDI Hub Is Born With Its Own Identity

In 2019 GDI Hub Is Born With Its Own Identity, Located In The Building That Was Grundig’s Headquarters In Portugal. A Project Developed “in Loco” With A Technological Startup Concept And Completely Out Of The Box When Talking About “Real Estate”.

The initials GDI comes from the concept “Ground Digital Interface”, not dropping the story, keeping three letters of the company “GrunDIg”.   Founded by three people and with the support of Corex Web, a technology startup, was the embarkment of a project without any investment capital. Something that would certainly...

INNOVATE® Blockchain

PHIGITALS

PHIGITALS

Fashion + Web3: The Road to Sustainability

Phigitals [Physical + Digital] is a web3 enabled B2B Saas solution for sustainable fashion resale, allowing e-commerce retail platforms to recapture margin in the circular economy, boosting profits while reducing their carbon footprint by up to 86% per transaction (source: Financial Times). The company tethers individual fashion items to NFTs...

INNOVATE™ Oeiras

Banco Primus

Is A Portuguese Bank, Based In The Disruptive “Oeiras Valley” Ecosystem.

The Bank was founded in 2005 and is part of Groupe BPCE, the second largest banking group in France. Our statement “O seu Futuro Primeiro” (Your Future First) reflects our mission, the creation of benefits and opportunities for Customers, Partners, Employees and Shareholders. OUR HISTORY Banco Primus started its activity...

INNOVATE™ Curitiba

LINK MONITORAMENTO

DRIVING SUCCESS: CELEBRATING 15 YEARS OF INNOVATION WITH LINK MONITORAMENTO

Founded in Curitiba, a city known for its innovation and entrepreneurship, Link Monitoramento is a pioneer in the Brazilian market for advanced monitoring and telematics, operating as the first franchisor in the sector. In 2024, the company celebrates its 15th anniversary, marking a milestone in its history of innovation and...

INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition

The University of Maryland Institute for Health Computing - MPOWERING THE STATE

Institute for Health Computing Primed to Partner with Life Science Companies.

Institute for Health Computing Primed to Partner with Life Science Companies. The University of Maryland Institute for Health Computing (IHC) is a new academic health research institute in North Bethesda, Maryland, that serves as a hub for health computing innovation and collaboration in Montgomery County. Founded in November 2022, the...

INNOVATE® Nashville

Renewal House

Innovation Rooted in Compassion

Renewal House combines evidence-based treatment with deep compassion, creating innovative paths to recovery that strengthen both mothers and their children. As the only long-term family residential recovery program for women and their children in Middle Tennessee, Renewal House has always been driven by a vision that goes beyond addressing substance...

INNOVATION Quebec

CEIMIA

ÉLABORER ET METTRE EN ŒUVRE DES PROJETS APPLIQUÉS À FORT IMPACT DANS LE DOMAINE DE L’IA RESPONSABLE

Un acteur clé du développementresponsable de l’intelligence artificielle (IA) Le CEIMIA est un acteur clé du développement responsable de l’intelligence artificielle, fondé sur des principes d’éthique, de droits de la personne, d’inclusion, de diversité, d’innovation et de croissance économique. Notre rôle est de développer et de mettre en œuvre des...

INNOVATION Quebec

CHUM

LE CHUM EST UN HÔPITAL INNOVANT AU SERVICE DE LA POPULATION DU QUÉBEC

Près de 18 000 personnes dédiées y travaillent, y pratiquent, y étudient et y œuvrent. Le CHUM offre les meilleurs soins, spécialisés et améliore la santé grâce à des connaissances scientifiques sans cesse mises à jour par une communauté de recherche et d’enseignement. Le Centre de recherche du CHUM est...

INNOVATE™ South Africa

4C GROUP OF COMPANIES

4C GROUP OF COMPANIES-ENABLING MILLIONS OF MOBILE SUBSCRIBERS TO CONNECT

ENABLING MILLIONS OF MOBILE SUBSCRIBERS TO CONNECT, ENGAGE AND TRANSACT EVERY DAY

In 1993, the first GSM Networks were installed in Africa opening the door to exciting new business opportunities in the telecommunications sector. 4C Group’s journey began a decade later when our pioneering founder, Rudolph Du Plessis, combined his extensive on the ground experience in information technology with a desire to...

INNOVATION Quebec

ISEQ

ISEQ-LE PÔLE D’EXCELLENCE DEL’INDUSTRIE DES SYSTÈMES ÉLECTRONIQUES DU QUÉBEC (ISEQ) CONCERTE LES ENTREPRISES ET AUTRES ACTEURS CLÉS DEL’INDUSTRIE ÉLECTRONIQUE DEPUIS 2018

THE PÔLE D’EXCELLENCE DE L’INDUSTRIE DES SYSTÈMES ÉLECTRONIQUES DU QUÉBEC (ISEQ) IS THE QUEBEC ELECTRONICS CLUSTER WHICH HAS BEEN BRINGING TOGETHER COMPANIES AND OTHER KEY PLAYERS IN THE ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY SINCE 2018

ISEQ-THE PÔLE D’EXCELLENCE DEL’INDUSTRIE DES SYSTÈMES ÉLECTRONIQUES DU QUÉBEC(ISEQ It acts as a vehicle for collaboration to foster innovation, industry recognition, expanded opportunities, commercialization, and business competitiveness. Promote the export of electronics goods, services, and innovations to take advantage of the opportunities offered by the North American restructuring of electronic...

INNOVATION Quebec

Aliments Santé

Aliments Santé-Health Foods Niche of Excellence-Le Créneau d’excellence Aliments Santé is a group of food manufacturers and industry stakeholders who work closely together to foster innovation. Their goal is to develop and market healthy, innovative, and value added food products

Aliments Santé is supported by the ACCORD arm of Québec’s Ministère de l’Économie, de l’Innovation et de l’Énergie and by the City of Québec. The organization helps food processors implement collaborative knowledge building projects and facilitates networking activities to create business opportunities and promote industry expertise. In June 2021, through...

INNOVATE® Northern Virginia

OVHcloud

A wholly owned subsidiary of OVH Groupe, a publicly traded company on Euronext Paris and one of the world’s largest independent cloud providers.

OVH Groupe operates data centers across the United States, United Kingdom, Europe, India, Singapore, and Australia — a global infrastructure network built and managed end-to-end by OVHcloud. OVHcloud US is the US-focused entity within that global organization. It serves US-based customers and any customer that needs services delivered from US...

INNOVATE™ South Africa

WESGRO

WESGRO-THE CAPE TRADE PORTAL

THE CAPE TRADE PORTAL

Building Resilience Builds CompetitivenessWesgro is the official tourism, trade, investment and film promotion agency for Cape Town and the Western Cape. It serves as the first point of contact for foreign investors and local companies. In addition, this agency attracts and facilitates national and international investment, works to grow the...

INNOVATE™ Adelaide

BADER AERO

PAVING THE WAY TO FLY GREEN

Bader Aero is revolutionising the way pilots learn and continue to fly by producing advanced zero emissions aircraft. As a proud South Australian based company, Bader Aero is building safe, sustainable and environmentally friendly light aircraft. They are a leader in the fastpaced aviation industry with their light aircraft platforms,...

INNOVATE™ Toronto

PORTAGE VENTURES

PORTAGE VENTURES-A GLOBAL FINTECH VENTURE CAPITAL INVESTOR

A GLOBAL FINTECH VENTURE CAPITAL INVESTOR

Portage Ventures (“Portage”) is a venture investor that partners with some of the world’s most innovative financial technology companies. Portage is the venture capital arm of multi-asset class alternative investment firm Sagard. It was cofounded in 2016 by Paul Desmarais III (Executive Chairman and CEO of Sagard) and Adam Felesky...

INNOVATION Quebec

ISEQ

THE PÔLE D’EXCELLENCE DE L’INDUSTRIE DES SYSTÈMES ÉLECTRONIQUES DU QUÉBEC (ISEQ)

It acts as a vehicle for collaboration to foster innovation, industry recognition, expanded opportunities, commercialization, and business competitiveness. Promote the export of electronics goods, services, and innovations to take advantage of the opportunities offered by the North American restructuring of electronic systems supply chains. ISEQ was created by the Ministère...

INNOVATION Quebec

HACKING HEALTH

LOCAL HEALTH INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM FACILITATORS LINKED TO 40 HH CHAPTERS IN CANADA AND WORLDWIDE

Hacking Health is a non-profit, volunteer-based movement born in Montreal in 2012. Today, the organization counts 40 chapters over the five continents and builds an international community of health innovation facilitators. Our mission is to foster inclusive innovation by connecting people to solve real-world health problems. In Montreal, Quebec City,...

INNOVATE™ Stockholm

STARTUP PEOPLE

WIDENING THE GATE FOR THE NEXT GENERATION OF FOUNDERS

When Stockholm’s startup scene began to thrive in the early 2010s, it was known for producing unicorns – but also for its fragmentation. Founders often worked in isolation, disconnected from the support, partners, and investors that could help them endure the long, difficult middle miles between idea and success. SUP...

INNOVATION Quebec

BAS-SAINT-LAURENT

L’ESPACE D’ACCÉLÉRATION ET DE CROISSANCE DU BAS-SAINT-LAURENT (EAC BSL) FACILITE LES PROJETS

L’ESPACE D’ACCÉLÉRATION ET DE CROISSANCE DU BAS-SAINT-LAURENT (EAC BSL) FACILITE LES PROJETS D’INNOVATION ET FAIT CROITRE LA CRÉATION DE VALEUR AU BAS-SAINT-LAURENT. Nos interventions comprennent le réseautage, la collaboration et le référencement des experts·es qui offrent aux entrepreneurs·es des services d’accompagnement technique et d’affaires. Une concertation régionale exemplaireL’EAC BSL est...

Global Innovation Spotlight

Technology and Family Leisure:

New Ways to Have Fun

Family time has never looked quite like this before. Screens, apps, and gadgets have moved far beyond solo entertainment — they’re now tools for connection, creativity, and shared adventure. Whether your household is full of toddlers or teenagers, there’s a digital experience waiting to bring everyone to the same table....

Global Innovation Spotlight

Flutterwave’s Olugbenga Agboola

What It Takes To Found a Successful Tech Firm

Take it from someone who knows: Scaling a firm from simple startup to unicorn status isn’t for the faint of heart. For Olugbenga “GB” Agboola, the founder and CEO of the African e-payments platform Flutterwave, earning a valuation of more than $1 billion wasn’t about having the best idea or...

INNOVATE® Detroit

Plug and Play Detroit

Driving the Future of Mobility

A city synonymous with automotive innovation, Plug and Play’s Detroit operation is making waves with its groundbreaking approach to mobility. As a global leader in fostering innovation, Plug and Play has established itself as a critical player in the tech ecosystem. However, in Detroit, the organization is doing more than...

INNOVATE™ Adelaide

FLINDERS UNIVERSITY

GETTING YOUR Z’S FHMRI SLEEP HEALTH is tech-ing up sleep

Tech and sleep aren’t necessarily always good bedfellows but in this case, they can be. Sleep health is undergoing a digital and technological innovation transformation. Developments are set to revolutionise the way sleep disorders are diagnosed, monitored, and treated. From the development of improved treatment identification platforms for doctors, to...

INNOVATION Quebec

CRISES

CENTRE DE RECHERCHE SURLES INNOVATIONS SOCIALES DE L’UNIVERSITÉ DU QUÉBEC À MONTRÉAL (UQAM)

Fondé au Québec en 1986, le Centre de recherche sur les innovations sociales (CRISES) fut un pionnier de la recherche sur les innovations sociales et il est aujourd’hui le principal centre de recherche francophone dans ce domaine à l’échelle internationale. Sa programmation scientifique actuelle étudie la contribution des innovations sociales...

INNOVATE™ Oeiras

The GDI Hub Brand

The GDI Hub Brand - In 2019 GDI Hub Is Born With Its Own Identity

In 2019 GDI Hub Is Born With Its Own Identity, Located In The Building That Was Grundig’s Headquarters In Portugal. A Project Developed “in Loco” With A Technological Startup Concept And Completely Out Of The Box When Talking About “Real Estate”.

The initials GDI comes from the concept “Ground Digital Interface”, not dropping the story, keeping three letters of the company “GrunDIg”.   Founded by three people and with the support of Corex Web, a technology startup, was the embarkment of a project without any investment capital. Something that would certainly...

INNOVATE® Blockchain

PHIGITALS

PHIGITALS

Fashion + Web3: The Road to Sustainability

Phigitals [Physical + Digital] is a web3 enabled B2B Saas solution for sustainable fashion resale, allowing e-commerce retail platforms to recapture margin in the circular economy, boosting profits while reducing their carbon footprint by up to 86% per transaction (source: Financial Times). The company tethers individual fashion items to NFTs...

INNOVATE™ Oeiras

Banco Primus

Is A Portuguese Bank, Based In The Disruptive “Oeiras Valley” Ecosystem.

The Bank was founded in 2005 and is part of Groupe BPCE, the second largest banking group in France. Our statement “O seu Futuro Primeiro” (Your Future First) reflects our mission, the creation of benefits and opportunities for Customers, Partners, Employees and Shareholders. OUR HISTORY Banco Primus started its activity...

INNOVATE™ Curitiba

LINK MONITORAMENTO

DRIVING SUCCESS: CELEBRATING 15 YEARS OF INNOVATION WITH LINK MONITORAMENTO

Founded in Curitiba, a city known for its innovation and entrepreneurship, Link Monitoramento is a pioneer in the Brazilian market for advanced monitoring and telematics, operating as the first franchisor in the sector. In 2024, the company celebrates its 15th anniversary, marking a milestone in its history of innovation and...

INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition

The University of Maryland Institute for Health Computing - MPOWERING THE STATE

Institute for Health Computing Primed to Partner with Life Science Companies.

Institute for Health Computing Primed to Partner with Life Science Companies. The University of Maryland Institute for Health Computing (IHC) is a new academic health research institute in North Bethesda, Maryland, that serves as a hub for health computing innovation and collaboration in Montgomery County. Founded in November 2022, the...

INNOVATE® Nashville

Renewal House

Innovation Rooted in Compassion

Renewal House combines evidence-based treatment with deep compassion, creating innovative paths to recovery that strengthen both mothers and their children. As the only long-term family residential recovery program for women and their children in Middle Tennessee, Renewal House has always been driven by a vision that goes beyond addressing substance...

INNOVATION Quebec

CEIMIA

ÉLABORER ET METTRE EN ŒUVRE DES PROJETS APPLIQUÉS À FORT IMPACT DANS LE DOMAINE DE L’IA RESPONSABLE

Un acteur clé du développementresponsable de l’intelligence artificielle (IA) Le CEIMIA est un acteur clé du développement responsable de l’intelligence artificielle, fondé sur des principes d’éthique, de droits de la personne, d’inclusion, de diversité, d’innovation et de croissance économique. Notre rôle est de développer et de mettre en œuvre des...

INNOVATION Quebec

CHUM

LE CHUM EST UN HÔPITAL INNOVANT AU SERVICE DE LA POPULATION DU QUÉBEC

Près de 18 000 personnes dédiées y travaillent, y pratiquent, y étudient et y œuvrent. Le CHUM offre les meilleurs soins, spécialisés et améliore la santé grâce à des connaissances scientifiques sans cesse mises à jour par une communauté de recherche et d’enseignement. Le Centre de recherche du CHUM est...

INNOVATE™ South Africa

4C GROUP OF COMPANIES

4C GROUP OF COMPANIES-ENABLING MILLIONS OF MOBILE SUBSCRIBERS TO CONNECT

ENABLING MILLIONS OF MOBILE SUBSCRIBERS TO CONNECT, ENGAGE AND TRANSACT EVERY DAY

In 1993, the first GSM Networks were installed in Africa opening the door to exciting new business opportunities in the telecommunications sector. 4C Group’s journey began a decade later when our pioneering founder, Rudolph Du Plessis, combined his extensive on the ground experience in information technology with a desire to...

INNOVATION Quebec

ISEQ

ISEQ-LE PÔLE D’EXCELLENCE DEL’INDUSTRIE DES SYSTÈMES ÉLECTRONIQUES DU QUÉBEC (ISEQ) CONCERTE LES ENTREPRISES ET AUTRES ACTEURS CLÉS DEL’INDUSTRIE ÉLECTRONIQUE DEPUIS 2018

THE PÔLE D’EXCELLENCE DE L’INDUSTRIE DES SYSTÈMES ÉLECTRONIQUES DU QUÉBEC (ISEQ) IS THE QUEBEC ELECTRONICS CLUSTER WHICH HAS BEEN BRINGING TOGETHER COMPANIES AND OTHER KEY PLAYERS IN THE ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY SINCE 2018

ISEQ-THE PÔLE D’EXCELLENCE DEL’INDUSTRIE DES SYSTÈMES ÉLECTRONIQUES DU QUÉBEC(ISEQ It acts as a vehicle for collaboration to foster innovation, industry recognition, expanded opportunities, commercialization, and business competitiveness. Promote the export of electronics goods, services, and innovations to take advantage of the opportunities offered by the North American restructuring of electronic...

INNOVATION Quebec

Aliments Santé

Aliments Santé-Health Foods Niche of Excellence-Le Créneau d’excellence Aliments Santé is a group of food manufacturers and industry stakeholders who work closely together to foster innovation. Their goal is to develop and market healthy, innovative, and value added food products

Aliments Santé is supported by the ACCORD arm of Québec’s Ministère de l’Économie, de l’Innovation et de l’Énergie and by the City of Québec. The organization helps food processors implement collaborative knowledge building projects and facilitates networking activities to create business opportunities and promote industry expertise. In June 2021, through...

INNOVATE® Northern Virginia

OVHcloud

A wholly owned subsidiary of OVH Groupe, a publicly traded company on Euronext Paris and one of the world’s largest independent cloud providers.

OVH Groupe operates data centers across the United States, United Kingdom, Europe, India, Singapore, and Australia — a global infrastructure network built and managed end-to-end by OVHcloud. OVHcloud US is the US-focused entity within that global organization. It serves US-based customers and any customer that needs services delivered from US...

INNOVATE™ South Africa

WESGRO

WESGRO-THE CAPE TRADE PORTAL

THE CAPE TRADE PORTAL

Building Resilience Builds CompetitivenessWesgro is the official tourism, trade, investment and film promotion agency for Cape Town and the Western Cape. It serves as the first point of contact for foreign investors and local companies. In addition, this agency attracts and facilitates national and international investment, works to grow the...

INNOVATE™ Adelaide

BADER AERO

PAVING THE WAY TO FLY GREEN

Bader Aero is revolutionising the way pilots learn and continue to fly by producing advanced zero emissions aircraft. As a proud South Australian based company, Bader Aero is building safe, sustainable and environmentally friendly light aircraft. They are a leader in the fastpaced aviation industry with their light aircraft platforms,...

INNOVATE™ Toronto

PORTAGE VENTURES

PORTAGE VENTURES-A GLOBAL FINTECH VENTURE CAPITAL INVESTOR

A GLOBAL FINTECH VENTURE CAPITAL INVESTOR

Portage Ventures (“Portage”) is a venture investor that partners with some of the world’s most innovative financial technology companies. Portage is the venture capital arm of multi-asset class alternative investment firm Sagard. It was cofounded in 2016 by Paul Desmarais III (Executive Chairman and CEO of Sagard) and Adam Felesky...

INNOVATION Quebec

ISEQ

THE PÔLE D’EXCELLENCE DE L’INDUSTRIE DES SYSTÈMES ÉLECTRONIQUES DU QUÉBEC (ISEQ)

It acts as a vehicle for collaboration to foster innovation, industry recognition, expanded opportunities, commercialization, and business competitiveness. Promote the export of electronics goods, services, and innovations to take advantage of the opportunities offered by the North American restructuring of electronic systems supply chains. ISEQ was created by the Ministère...

INNOVATION Quebec

HACKING HEALTH

LOCAL HEALTH INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM FACILITATORS LINKED TO 40 HH CHAPTERS IN CANADA AND WORLDWIDE

Hacking Health is a non-profit, volunteer-based movement born in Montreal in 2012. Today, the organization counts 40 chapters over the five continents and builds an international community of health innovation facilitators. Our mission is to foster inclusive innovation by connecting people to solve real-world health problems. In Montreal, Quebec City,...

INNOVATE™ Stockholm

STARTUP PEOPLE

WIDENING THE GATE FOR THE NEXT GENERATION OF FOUNDERS

When Stockholm’s startup scene began to thrive in the early 2010s, it was known for producing unicorns – but also for its fragmentation. Founders often worked in isolation, disconnected from the support, partners, and investors that could help them endure the long, difficult middle miles between idea and success. SUP...

INNOVATION Quebec

BAS-SAINT-LAURENT

L’ESPACE D’ACCÉLÉRATION ET DE CROISSANCE DU BAS-SAINT-LAURENT (EAC BSL) FACILITE LES PROJETS

L’ESPACE D’ACCÉLÉRATION ET DE CROISSANCE DU BAS-SAINT-LAURENT (EAC BSL) FACILITE LES PROJETS D’INNOVATION ET FAIT CROITRE LA CRÉATION DE VALEUR AU BAS-SAINT-LAURENT. Nos interventions comprennent le réseautage, la collaboration et le référencement des experts·es qui offrent aux entrepreneurs·es des services d’accompagnement technique et d’affaires. Une concertation régionale exemplaireL’EAC BSL est...

Global Innovation Spotlight

Technology and Family Leisure:

New Ways to Have Fun

Family time has never looked quite like this before. Screens, apps, and gadgets have moved far beyond solo entertainment — they’re now tools for connection, creativity, and shared adventure. Whether your household is full of toddlers or teenagers, there’s a digital experience waiting to bring everyone to the same table....

Ecosystems