Stories of Innovation

INNOVATE® Miami

PADL

PADL - Makes getting out on the water easy by combining technology and paddleboards into its paddle share system

Makes getting out on the water easy by combining technology and paddleboards into its paddle share system

PADL makes getting out on the water easy by combining technology and paddleboards into its paddle share system. Users can quickly unlock a smart board from one of PADL’s docking stations through the mobile app and enjoy their ride. PADL is on a mission to get more people out on...

INNOVATE® Jacksonville

Wander Media Company - Kate Strickland: Founder

When visitors arrive in destinations like Nashville, Las Vegas, or Boston, they know exactly what to expect. Whether it’s the music, the nightlife, or the culture, these epicenters of travel and tourism always deliver. Wander has effectively become visitors’ go-to resource for where to eat, drink, shop, and play. –...

INNOVATE® South Carolina

SC TECHNICAL COLLEGE SYSTEM

SOUTH CAROLINA’S TECHNICAL COLLEGES ARE SHAPING THE FUTURE

In a state known for its industrious spirit and manufacturing strength, the South Carolina Technical College System has quietly – and powerfully – become the engine driving economic growth, workforce transformation, and social mobility. With 16 colleges strategically located across the state, this system isn’t just preparing students for jobs...

INNOVATE® Jacksonville

Renaissance Jax

North Florida Affiliate Partner For The World’s Biggest Youth Robotics Competition Platform, FIRST Robotics

Renaissance Jax: Building a Future of Innovation in North Florida Renaissance Jax is the North Florida Affiliate Partner for the world’s biggest youth robotics competition platform, FIRST Robotics. Between 2013 and 2018, we’ve grown from 120 to over 4,000 students who design, build, and program robots for competition each year....

INNOVATE™ Antwerp Vol.2

THOMAS MORE ICE CUBE

THOMAS MORE ICE CUBE- INNOVATION

INNOVATION, CREATIVITY AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP MUST HAVES FOR TOMORROW

“If we teach today’s students as we taught yesterday’s, we rob them of tomorrow.” John Dewey’s famous advice for educators, although over a hundred years old, seems more relevant than ever, as we find ourselves faced with a wide range of extremely difficult – even wicked – challenges like climate...

INNOVATE® Chicago Vol.1

A SAFE HAVEN FOUNDATION

A SAFE HAVEN FOUNDATION-OUR MISSION: ASPIRE. TRANSFORM. SUSTAIN.

OUR MISSION: ASPIRE. TRANSFORM. SUSTAIN.

A Safe Haven Foundation is a 501(c)3 not for profit, social enterprise that helps people ASPIRE. TRANSFORM. and SUSTAIN¨ their lives as they transition from homelessness to self-sufficiency with pride and purpose. A Safe Haven provides the tools for each individual to overcome the root causes of homelessness through a...

INNOVATE™ Toronto

MICROSOFT CANADA

MICROSOFT CANADA -GROWING CANADA’S TECH COMMUNITIES

GROWING CANADA’S TECH COMMUNITIES

Tech is about more than just new tools. It is about unlocking opportunities and markets, supporting new approaches, and empowering more high-tech innovations. Microsoft has worked closely with Toronto and Canada’s venture capital community looking to bolster its investments in Canadian startups.   Toronto and Canada’s venture capitalists are innovation...

INNOVATE™ South Africa

ELAN BLYTHEDALE COASTAL ESTATE

ELAN BLYTHEDALE COASTAL ESTATE-THE FUTURE OF ESTATE LIVING ON THE NORTH COAST OF KZN

THE FUTURE OF ESTATE LIVING ON THE NORTH COAST OF KZN

Blythedale Coastal Estate is a catalytic development with a makeup of near 5,000 residential opportunities including 350 retirement opportunities, Mega Retail and Mega Beach Resort Hotel and Entertainment Developments. The Development is on prime real estate on the North Coast of KwaZulu Natal and will boast schools, sports and more...

Global Innovation Spotlight

Soft2Bet Combines iGaming Growth with Purpose-Driven Giving

Growth, but with Grounding

Did You Know That Soft2Bet’s Business Model Has a Generous Side? Fast growth and big numbers tend to steal the spotlight in iGaming. But there’s another side to success that doesn’t always make the headlines — the part that gives back. Soft2Bet knows the business of scaling platforms and entering...

INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2

FARPOINT

ENGINEERING AI SOLUTIONS FOR A BRIGHTER TOMORROW

In the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence (AI), Farpoint has established itself as an influential entity. Led by founder and CEO, Nicholas Ning, Farpoint is an AI consulting firm that thrives at the crossroads of technological innovation and practical application. Farpoint’s unique selling proposition lies in its ability to...

INNOVATE® Jacksonville

Eagle Wings Enterprises - Using Technology To Improve All Facets Of A Business

Eagle Wings Enterprises - Using Technology To Improve All Facets Of A Business

ELEVATOR PITCH We document a plan for efficiency and success. That plan could include hardware, software, app development, or just the use of apps that offer better efficiency. We measure our progress, document the improvement, profitability, and savings that are produced by our efforts. Then we help our customers identify...

INNOVATE™ Kitchener Waterloo

THE UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO

INNOVATION ARENA TRANSFORMS RESEARCH INTO IMPACTFUL SOLUTIONS

NEW FACILITY ACCELERATES COMMERCIALIZATION BY EMPOWERING UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO RESEARCHERS AND STARTUPS THROUGH COLLABORATION AND RESOURCES The University of Waterloo is transforming research into tangible impact through the Innovation Arena, a new space situated within the Health Sciences Campus in downtown Kitchener designed to accelerate the commercialization of research. Waterloo’s...

INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports

ULTRA

ULTRA-GAMERS HAVE WANTED TO DO MORE WHILE GAMING. NOW THEY CAN.

GAMERS HAVE WANTED TO DO MORE WHILE GAMING. NOW THEY CAN.

READY PLAYER ONE“What if I actually owned my digital games and in-game items?” That’s been the question on most gamers’ minds.   With limited solutions and some gamers resorting to the shady secondhand grey market to make use of their content outside of the game, David Hanson and Nicolas Gilot,...

Global Innovation Spotlight

Sticker Builder

Unlocking the Next Frontier

“Mass customization made simple. Creative chaos made scalable.” In today’s experience-driven economy, personalization isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s the foundation of competitive advantage. Customers expect more than just products; they want creative control, self-expression, and seamless experiences. That’s where Sticker Builder by Antigro Designer, based in Kraków, Poland, comes in. This...

INNOVATE™ South Africa

HYBR

HYBR-INNOVATIONS FOR AFRICA

INNOVATIONS FOR AFRICA

Africa needs African solutions. Adversities unquestionably limit the potential of people, communities, and economies in Africa. However, where there are challenges, there are opportunities. HYBR proves scalable entrepreneurship is the answer for social change and impact in Africa.   HYBR is a unique social enterprise founded in Africa with the...

INNOVATE™ Curitiba

HONEY ISLAND CAPITAL

IN THE VIBRANT CITY OF CURITIBA, HONEY ISLAND CAPITAL EMERGES AS A PIVOTAL FORCE

HONEY ISLAND CAPITAL -IN THE VIBRANT CITY OF CURITIBA, HONEY ISLAND CAPITAL EMERGES AS A PIVOTAL FORCE IN SHAPING THE REGION’S STARTUP ECOSYSTEM. Established in 2015 by the co-founders of EBANX, a cross-border payments startup that achieved unicorn status with presence in more than 20 countries in less than a...

INNOVATE™ Estonia

MIFUNDO

THE VERIFIED AND PASSPORTABLE FINANCIAL IDENTITY CONNECTING EUROPE’S CREDIT MARKETS

EUROPE’S FIRST INTEGRATED CREDIT INFRASTRUCTURE Mifundo provides European banks with cross-border credit data that allows consumer credit histories to move between countries. This technology removes one of the last remaining barriers to financial mobility in the European Union: fragmented data locked within national borders. For millions of people who live,...

INNOVATE™ South Africa

SKYFIELD MARKETING

SKYFIELD MARKETING-WAS ESTABLISHED TO MEET THE GROWING DEMAND FOR EVENT TECHNOLOGIES AND DIGITAL EVENT BRANDING. THE COMPANY SERVICES MOSTLY ADVERTISING AGENCIES

WAS ESTABLISHED TO MEET THE GROWING DEMAND FOR EVENT TECHNOLOGIES AND DIGITAL EVENT BRANDING. THE COMPANY SERVICES MOSTLY ADVERTISING AGENCIES, EVENTS COMPANIES AS WELL AS LARGE CORPORATES

Event WiFi RentalsEvent venues often do not have adequate WiFi to service their visitors and this is where SKYFIELD will assist. At indoor events, the venue may have a fiber line but it is overloaded and slow, exhibitors often need to have fast WiFi to demonstrate their products or do...

INNOVATE® South Florida

Alan B. Levan | NSU Broward Center of Innovation

POWERING THE INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM

POWERING THE INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM The Alan B. Levan | NSU Broward Center of Innovation (Levan Center of Innovation) is revolutionizing South Florida’s innovation landscape as a dynamic public-private partnership between Nova Southeastern University (NSU) and Broward County. Fostering entrepreneurship, technology, and economic growth, it bridges the gap between ideation and...

INNOVATE® Nashville

Compassus

Where Compassion Meets Innovation in Home-Based Health Care

As more patients and families choose care at home, Compassus is redefining what compassionate, high-quality home-based care looks like. Since its founding in 2006, Compassus has grown from a hospice provider into one of the nation’s largest and most trusted home-based health care organizations. Today, Compassus operates in more than...

INNOVATE™ Estonia

Saunum

Revolution in Sauna Technology

SAUNUM’S UNIQUE BENEFITS SAUNUM’S UNIQUE VALUE PROPOSITION: HEALTH, INNOVATION, AND MARKET DIFFERENTIATION The Story of Saunum Andrus Vare, Thermal Engineer and The Creator of Saunum: “Inspired by the experience of my grandparents’ 100-year-old smoke sauna, I set out to create an innovative solution that combines the best features of a...

INNOVATE™ Adelaide

SMR AUSTRALIA

LOCAL INNOVATIONS CREATING GLOBAL AUTOMOTIVE VALUE-ADD

SMR Australia, a Motherson Group Company, has been a prominent manufacturer in South Australia for over 70 years. Driven by a culture of innovation, SMR Australia has evolved from its origins as Rainsford Metal products producing metal stampings, to Britax producing baby capsules and other automotive safety products, to Schefenacker...

INNOVATE™ Stockholm

NORDIC ANGELS

THE NORDIC REGION HAS LONG BEEN CELEBRATED FOR ITS STABILITY, RESILIENCE, INNOVATION, AND ABILITY TO TURN INNOVATIVE IDEAS INTO GLOBAL COMPANIES.

Yet behind every breakthrough founder, there is a backbone of early believers – angels who provide not only capital, but experience, networks, and confidence at the most fragile stage of company building. For too long, this backbone has been fragmented. Individual angels operate in isolation, limiting their influence. Nordic Angels...

INNOVATE® Maryland

TEDCO

LEADING INNOVATION TO MARKET – A MISSION IN ACTION

As a state filled with brilliant minds, access to world-class laboratories and researchers, and high-ranking universities, it only makes sense for Maryland to lead efforts to support the innovation derived from these assets to the commercial market. At the center of this vision stands TEDCO (Maryland Technology Development Corporation); founded...

INNOVATE® Miami

PADL

PADL - Makes getting out on the water easy by combining technology and paddleboards into its paddle share system

Makes getting out on the water easy by combining technology and paddleboards into its paddle share system

PADL makes getting out on the water easy by combining technology and paddleboards into its paddle share system. Users can quickly unlock a smart board from one of PADL’s docking stations through the mobile app and enjoy their ride. PADL is on a mission to get more people out on...

INNOVATE® Jacksonville

Wander Media Company - Kate Strickland: Founder

When visitors arrive in destinations like Nashville, Las Vegas, or Boston, they know exactly what to expect. Whether it’s the music, the nightlife, or the culture, these epicenters of travel and tourism always deliver. Wander has effectively become visitors’ go-to resource for where to eat, drink, shop, and play. –...

INNOVATE® South Carolina

SC TECHNICAL COLLEGE SYSTEM

SOUTH CAROLINA’S TECHNICAL COLLEGES ARE SHAPING THE FUTURE

In a state known for its industrious spirit and manufacturing strength, the South Carolina Technical College System has quietly – and powerfully – become the engine driving economic growth, workforce transformation, and social mobility. With 16 colleges strategically located across the state, this system isn’t just preparing students for jobs...

INNOVATE® Jacksonville

Renaissance Jax

North Florida Affiliate Partner For The World’s Biggest Youth Robotics Competition Platform, FIRST Robotics

Renaissance Jax: Building a Future of Innovation in North Florida Renaissance Jax is the North Florida Affiliate Partner for the world’s biggest youth robotics competition platform, FIRST Robotics. Between 2013 and 2018, we’ve grown from 120 to over 4,000 students who design, build, and program robots for competition each year....

INNOVATE™ Antwerp Vol.2

THOMAS MORE ICE CUBE

THOMAS MORE ICE CUBE- INNOVATION

INNOVATION, CREATIVITY AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP MUST HAVES FOR TOMORROW

“If we teach today’s students as we taught yesterday’s, we rob them of tomorrow.” John Dewey’s famous advice for educators, although over a hundred years old, seems more relevant than ever, as we find ourselves faced with a wide range of extremely difficult – even wicked – challenges like climate...

INNOVATE® Chicago Vol.1

A SAFE HAVEN FOUNDATION

A SAFE HAVEN FOUNDATION-OUR MISSION: ASPIRE. TRANSFORM. SUSTAIN.

OUR MISSION: ASPIRE. TRANSFORM. SUSTAIN.

A Safe Haven Foundation is a 501(c)3 not for profit, social enterprise that helps people ASPIRE. TRANSFORM. and SUSTAIN¨ their lives as they transition from homelessness to self-sufficiency with pride and purpose. A Safe Haven provides the tools for each individual to overcome the root causes of homelessness through a...

INNOVATE™ Toronto

MICROSOFT CANADA

MICROSOFT CANADA -GROWING CANADA’S TECH COMMUNITIES

GROWING CANADA’S TECH COMMUNITIES

Tech is about more than just new tools. It is about unlocking opportunities and markets, supporting new approaches, and empowering more high-tech innovations. Microsoft has worked closely with Toronto and Canada’s venture capital community looking to bolster its investments in Canadian startups.   Toronto and Canada’s venture capitalists are innovation...

INNOVATE™ South Africa

ELAN BLYTHEDALE COASTAL ESTATE

ELAN BLYTHEDALE COASTAL ESTATE-THE FUTURE OF ESTATE LIVING ON THE NORTH COAST OF KZN

THE FUTURE OF ESTATE LIVING ON THE NORTH COAST OF KZN

Blythedale Coastal Estate is a catalytic development with a makeup of near 5,000 residential opportunities including 350 retirement opportunities, Mega Retail and Mega Beach Resort Hotel and Entertainment Developments. The Development is on prime real estate on the North Coast of KwaZulu Natal and will boast schools, sports and more...

Global Innovation Spotlight

Soft2Bet Combines iGaming Growth with Purpose-Driven Giving

Growth, but with Grounding

Did You Know That Soft2Bet’s Business Model Has a Generous Side? Fast growth and big numbers tend to steal the spotlight in iGaming. But there’s another side to success that doesn’t always make the headlines — the part that gives back. Soft2Bet knows the business of scaling platforms and entering...

INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2

FARPOINT

ENGINEERING AI SOLUTIONS FOR A BRIGHTER TOMORROW

In the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence (AI), Farpoint has established itself as an influential entity. Led by founder and CEO, Nicholas Ning, Farpoint is an AI consulting firm that thrives at the crossroads of technological innovation and practical application. Farpoint’s unique selling proposition lies in its ability to...

INNOVATE® Jacksonville

Eagle Wings Enterprises - Using Technology To Improve All Facets Of A Business

Eagle Wings Enterprises - Using Technology To Improve All Facets Of A Business

ELEVATOR PITCH We document a plan for efficiency and success. That plan could include hardware, software, app development, or just the use of apps that offer better efficiency. We measure our progress, document the improvement, profitability, and savings that are produced by our efforts. Then we help our customers identify...

INNOVATE™ Kitchener Waterloo

THE UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO

INNOVATION ARENA TRANSFORMS RESEARCH INTO IMPACTFUL SOLUTIONS

NEW FACILITY ACCELERATES COMMERCIALIZATION BY EMPOWERING UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO RESEARCHERS AND STARTUPS THROUGH COLLABORATION AND RESOURCES The University of Waterloo is transforming research into tangible impact through the Innovation Arena, a new space situated within the Health Sciences Campus in downtown Kitchener designed to accelerate the commercialization of research. Waterloo’s...

INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports

ULTRA

ULTRA-GAMERS HAVE WANTED TO DO MORE WHILE GAMING. NOW THEY CAN.

GAMERS HAVE WANTED TO DO MORE WHILE GAMING. NOW THEY CAN.

READY PLAYER ONE“What if I actually owned my digital games and in-game items?” That’s been the question on most gamers’ minds.   With limited solutions and some gamers resorting to the shady secondhand grey market to make use of their content outside of the game, David Hanson and Nicolas Gilot,...

Global Innovation Spotlight

Sticker Builder

Unlocking the Next Frontier

“Mass customization made simple. Creative chaos made scalable.” In today’s experience-driven economy, personalization isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s the foundation of competitive advantage. Customers expect more than just products; they want creative control, self-expression, and seamless experiences. That’s where Sticker Builder by Antigro Designer, based in Kraków, Poland, comes in. This...

INNOVATE™ South Africa

HYBR

HYBR-INNOVATIONS FOR AFRICA

INNOVATIONS FOR AFRICA

Africa needs African solutions. Adversities unquestionably limit the potential of people, communities, and economies in Africa. However, where there are challenges, there are opportunities. HYBR proves scalable entrepreneurship is the answer for social change and impact in Africa.   HYBR is a unique social enterprise founded in Africa with the...

INNOVATE™ Curitiba

HONEY ISLAND CAPITAL

IN THE VIBRANT CITY OF CURITIBA, HONEY ISLAND CAPITAL EMERGES AS A PIVOTAL FORCE

HONEY ISLAND CAPITAL -IN THE VIBRANT CITY OF CURITIBA, HONEY ISLAND CAPITAL EMERGES AS A PIVOTAL FORCE IN SHAPING THE REGION’S STARTUP ECOSYSTEM. Established in 2015 by the co-founders of EBANX, a cross-border payments startup that achieved unicorn status with presence in more than 20 countries in less than a...

INNOVATE™ Estonia

MIFUNDO

THE VERIFIED AND PASSPORTABLE FINANCIAL IDENTITY CONNECTING EUROPE’S CREDIT MARKETS

EUROPE’S FIRST INTEGRATED CREDIT INFRASTRUCTURE Mifundo provides European banks with cross-border credit data that allows consumer credit histories to move between countries. This technology removes one of the last remaining barriers to financial mobility in the European Union: fragmented data locked within national borders. For millions of people who live,...

INNOVATE™ South Africa

SKYFIELD MARKETING

SKYFIELD MARKETING-WAS ESTABLISHED TO MEET THE GROWING DEMAND FOR EVENT TECHNOLOGIES AND DIGITAL EVENT BRANDING. THE COMPANY SERVICES MOSTLY ADVERTISING AGENCIES

WAS ESTABLISHED TO MEET THE GROWING DEMAND FOR EVENT TECHNOLOGIES AND DIGITAL EVENT BRANDING. THE COMPANY SERVICES MOSTLY ADVERTISING AGENCIES, EVENTS COMPANIES AS WELL AS LARGE CORPORATES

Event WiFi RentalsEvent venues often do not have adequate WiFi to service their visitors and this is where SKYFIELD will assist. At indoor events, the venue may have a fiber line but it is overloaded and slow, exhibitors often need to have fast WiFi to demonstrate their products or do...

INNOVATE® South Florida

Alan B. Levan | NSU Broward Center of Innovation

POWERING THE INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM

POWERING THE INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM The Alan B. Levan | NSU Broward Center of Innovation (Levan Center of Innovation) is revolutionizing South Florida’s innovation landscape as a dynamic public-private partnership between Nova Southeastern University (NSU) and Broward County. Fostering entrepreneurship, technology, and economic growth, it bridges the gap between ideation and...

INNOVATE® Nashville

Compassus

Where Compassion Meets Innovation in Home-Based Health Care

As more patients and families choose care at home, Compassus is redefining what compassionate, high-quality home-based care looks like. Since its founding in 2006, Compassus has grown from a hospice provider into one of the nation’s largest and most trusted home-based health care organizations. Today, Compassus operates in more than...

INNOVATE™ Estonia

Saunum

Revolution in Sauna Technology

SAUNUM’S UNIQUE BENEFITS SAUNUM’S UNIQUE VALUE PROPOSITION: HEALTH, INNOVATION, AND MARKET DIFFERENTIATION The Story of Saunum Andrus Vare, Thermal Engineer and The Creator of Saunum: “Inspired by the experience of my grandparents’ 100-year-old smoke sauna, I set out to create an innovative solution that combines the best features of a...

INNOVATE™ Adelaide

SMR AUSTRALIA

LOCAL INNOVATIONS CREATING GLOBAL AUTOMOTIVE VALUE-ADD

SMR Australia, a Motherson Group Company, has been a prominent manufacturer in South Australia for over 70 years. Driven by a culture of innovation, SMR Australia has evolved from its origins as Rainsford Metal products producing metal stampings, to Britax producing baby capsules and other automotive safety products, to Schefenacker...

INNOVATE™ Stockholm

NORDIC ANGELS

THE NORDIC REGION HAS LONG BEEN CELEBRATED FOR ITS STABILITY, RESILIENCE, INNOVATION, AND ABILITY TO TURN INNOVATIVE IDEAS INTO GLOBAL COMPANIES.

Yet behind every breakthrough founder, there is a backbone of early believers – angels who provide not only capital, but experience, networks, and confidence at the most fragile stage of company building. For too long, this backbone has been fragmented. Individual angels operate in isolation, limiting their influence. Nordic Angels...

INNOVATE® Maryland

TEDCO

LEADING INNOVATION TO MARKET – A MISSION IN ACTION

As a state filled with brilliant minds, access to world-class laboratories and researchers, and high-ranking universities, it only makes sense for Maryland to lead efforts to support the innovation derived from these assets to the commercial market. At the center of this vision stands TEDCO (Maryland Technology Development Corporation); founded...

Ecosystems