INNOVATE® New Jersey Vol.2

Greater Newark Enterprises Corporation (GNEC) is a Newark-based non-profit certified community development financial institution (CDFI) with a proven record of delivering capital and microenterprise services to disadvantaged microentrepreneurs in the northern New Jersey areas of Essex, Hudson, Passaic, Bergen, Middlesex, Union and Monmouth counties of New Jersey. GNEC’s primary purpose...

Kiswe is an award-winning technology company that helps partners fully monetize their content. Trusted by the world’s biggest entertainment and sports brands, Kiswe allows customers to seamlessly customize content for specific audiences, distribute content live or on-demand to their fans with branded ticketing and event websites, and create interactive experiences....

Valley Bank is committed to fostering a culture where people can collaborate, create, and conceive ideas that provide our customers with an unmatched banking experience. That’s why we don’t define innovation from strictly a technological perspective, but rather as a way to enhance our customers’ experience through thoughtful, creative solutions...

“We help schools keep their students safe. That’s the best way to describe our mission.” Violence and mental health issues are running out of control in schools across our nation. There’s not a day that passes without news of a major safety incident, and we often don’t hear about the...

Who knew in 2003 that Passwords would become the bane of our existence and a constant drag on productivity? We did. We also knew that there was a technology called Biometrics that enabled computers to recognize humans uniquely. We decided to build a platform that would provide services such as...

FUNDERS & INVESTORSUnderstanding that early-stage companies have particularly unique challenges when it comes to securing capital, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) offers a suite of resources to support them throughout their lifecycle. As the State’s principal agency for driving economic growth, the Authority plays a pivotal role in...

Optical Academy- Has been pioneering the change in the delivery of eye care by making eye care the most convenient, affordable, and accessible it has ever been. The company came to life 14 years ago after CEO, Abby Ayoub, crossed paths with a 15-year-old girl who was desperate for an...

SoundBoard Venture Fund leverages the diverse perspectives of our LPs to make investments through a collaborative and facilitated process. SoundBoard Venture Fund is an early-stage fund focused on scalable, tech-enabled, and capital-efficient businesses. We value collaboration, mobilizing our LP base to join our deal flow, diligence, and decision-making processes, assembling...

EDISON PARTNERS-WE’RE AN INTEGRATED TEAM OF INVESTORS AND OPERATORS THAT LIVE AND BREATHE THE OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES FACED BY COMPANIES AT THE GROWTH STAGE. Edison Partners is a leading growth equity firm that invests in high-growth, capital-efficient companies in the fintech, enterprise software and healthcare IT sectors. Over our 37-year...

The Commission on Science, Innovation, and Technology (CSIT) is responsible for strengthening the innovation economy within New Jersey, encouraging collaboration and connectivity between industry and academia, and the translating of innovations into successful high-growth businesses. CSIT is committed to advancing innovation-based economic development and job growth, and to creating a...

DR. JO ANNE WHITE-INSPIRING AND ELEVATING BUSINESSES, LEADERS AND INDIVIDUALS TO ADVANCE WITH INTENTIONAL ACTION ADDING SIGNIFICANT VALUE TO OTHERS AND OUR WORLD. Innovation involves making changes by introducing new methods, ideas or products that add value. Dr. Jo Anne White Consulting Services LLC created and continues to create innovative...

In a world where the only constant is change, the ability to adapt and innovate is not just an advantage; it’s a necessity. Within the increasingly dynamic collaboration industry, Yorktel stands as a shining example of a company that embodies these qualities. Their journey as a Managed Collaboration Services Provider...

I’ve always had a passion for art and design. In high school, I painted a Shakespeare mural on the hallway wall in lieu of writing my English literature paper. Today, as I walk through the streets of New Jersey and New York City, I see my art, designs and branding...

SOSV’S HAX is the world’s most active early stage investor in hard tech – the difficult to build physical tech at the forefront of science and engineering in disciplines like robotics, material science, and chemistry. Many investors have shied away from hard tech, and the last 30 years of the...

Corcentric Inc., headquartered in Cherry Hill, N.J., is a global provider of best-in-class procurement, payments, and finance solutions coupled with expert guidance to enterprise and mid-market companies. The company reduces stress and increase savings for procurement and finance business leaders by forming a strategic partnership to diagnose pain points and...

In an era where data breaches and identity theft run rampant, Kaizen Secure Voiz emerges as a trailblazer, reshaping the security landscape with cutting-edge voice biometric solutions. As the digital realm expands, so do the challenges, and Kaizen stands as a beacon, providing not just security but a seamless and...

TerraCycle is an international leader in innovative sustainability solutions, creating and operating first-of-their-kind platforms in recycling, recycled materials, and reuse. Through collaboration and innovation, we’ve developed the world’s first solutions in everything from recycling to reuse. Businesses, government entities, and consumers work with us globally to keep trash out of...

Where are today’s opportunities and possibilities for business success? And with all the information available and options to consider, how can you recognize them? Prioritize them? Evaluate them? Align them with your organization’s growth objectives? And a question that we hear with great frequency when making a marketing commitment: “What’s...

JumpStart NJ Angel Network invests in early-stage growth companies with high potential and innovative technology that disrupts traditional businesses. The group of angel investors screens more than 100 companies each year and invests an average $1.5 million annually in leading-edge startups. Based in the Garden State, JumpStart NJ invests in...

OUR STORYBiggins Lacy Shapiro & Company (BLS & Co.) is one of the largest independent firms in the specialty fields of site selection and economic development incentives advisory services. Our principals have been delivering our mix of services for more than twenty-five years and arehighly respected leaders in their field....

With nearly 7,000 students across eight schools and an array of centers and institutes, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences (RBHS) leverages the university’s clinical, behavioral, public health, laboratory, engineering, and social science capabilities to train health professionals and researchers and expand access to quality care. RBHS is among the few...

FACILITIES AND SPACESThe New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA), the state’s principal agency for driving economic growth, offers numerous resources to support emerging companies choosing to grow in the Garden State. As part of Governor Phil Murphy’s economic development strategy to reclaim New Jersey’s role as a leader in innovation,...

Provident Bank, the oldest and second largest financial institution headquartered in NJ, was established in 1839 in a one-room office in Jersey City, New Jersey. Since its inception, it has continually reaffirmed its commitment to the customers and communities it serves, as well as its employees across New Jersey, New...

A LEADER IN BIOFABRICATIONModern Meadow, headquartered in Nutley, NJ, is a sustainable bio-design technology company that uses nature-inspired proteins to develop solutions that reduce our reliance on petrochemical and animal-derived inputs. The company creates solutions that make sustainable high-performance materials possible. Modern Meadow is a protein design and application powerhouse,...