Stories of Innovation

INNOVATION Quebec

RQIS

THE BEATING HEART OF QUEBEC’S SOCIAL INNOVATION SYSTEM

The Réseau québécois en innovation sociale (RQIS) is a space for sharing and mobilizing knowledge and experience, helping to make social innovation an essential lever for sustainable development in Quebec. Created in 2005 as part of the Université du Québec network, RQIS first focused on gaining a better understanding of...

INNOVATION Quebec

CERFO

CCTT IN BOREAL FORESTRY

Sainte-Foy’s Centre d’enseignement et de recherche en foresterie (CERFO) is a college centre for the transfer of technology (CCTT). Our mission is to contribute to the sustainable development of technology and businesses, organizations and colleges in the Quebec forest sector. For nearly 40 years, our experts have been drawing on...

INNOVATE® South Carolina

Lockheed Martin

Local Roots, Global Impact

For more than 40 years, Lockheed Martin has proudly called Greenville, South Carolina home, embedding deep local roots while contributing to global security. Known as the “Global Home of the F-16” and proud winner of “The Coolest Thing Made in South Carolina,” the site produces the F-16 Block 70/72 –...

INNOVATE™ Estonia

SILEN

HOW SILENCE BECAME SILEN’S GLOBAL LANGUAGE

Silen’s journey began with a simple conviction: silence is not a luxury, but a necessity for focus, creativity, and well-being. What started as an idea in Estonia has grown into the world’s leading provider of office pods and privacy solutions, trusted by companies in more than 60 countries — including...

INNOVATE® Kansas City

KU INNOVATION PARK

SUPPORTING THE NEXT GENERATION OF INNOVATIVE BUSINESS GROWTH

Tucked into a hill on the west campus of the University of Kansas, a group of engineers is tackling global climate change with technology to recycle refrigerants. A team of industry professionals and academic researchers is staying ahead of cybersecurity threats using NSA-licensed technology. A married team of PhDs is...

INNOVATE™ Bristol & Bath

Bristol - Designated UNESCO City Of Film

Bristol - Designated UNESCO City Of Film

ELEVATOR PITCH In 2017 Bristol was designated UNESCO City of Film, a permanent global status that recognises the city’s achievements as a world leader in the field of film and the moving image. Bristol now stands alongside Bitola, Bradford, Busan, Galway, Łódź, Qingdao, Rome, Santos, Sofia, Sydney, Terrassa and Yamagata...

INNOVATE® Seattle

CIBC Innovation Banking

LOCAL TECH BANKING VETERANS BRING CANADIAN INFLUENCE TO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST

LOCAL TECH BANKING VETERANS BRING CANADIAN INFLUENCE TO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST Since its founding in early 2018, CIBC Innovation Banking has been rapidly building its presence in key innovation clusters across the U.S. and Europe.In 2022, its Seattle team began serving the vibrant innovation economy of the Pacific Northwest. John...

INNOVATE™ Estonia

C2GRID

TURNING VIDEO INTO REAL-TIME 3D INTELLIGENCE

C2GRID didn’t start life as a company with a polished business plan or venture capital pitch. It began at Estonia’s Darkstar Defence Hackathon – an event uniting innovators, veterans, and investors to build technologies that strengthen NATO and its allies. The founders, originally exploring human–robot integration at Tallinn University of...

INNOVATE™ Adelaide

VALO

VALO, which means great courage, strength and moral worth, is a South Australian business founded in 2012 aiming to reach international markets in premium stadium lighting. With thousands of stadia across the world, the opportunities to place VALO and its South Australian innovations on the map are almost endless. Based...

INNOVATE™ Curitiba

ARLEQUIM

IS A BRAZILIAN COMPANY HEADQUARTERED IN CURITIBA WITH A NATIONWIDE PRESENCE

PITCHArlequim Technologies S.A. – www.arlequim.com – is a Brazilian company headquartered in Curitiba with a nationwide presence. With ambitious international expansion plans, Arlequim aims to revolutionize how people use personal computers for work, business, and pleasure through an innovative Desktop as a Service (DaaS) model. OUR HISTORYFounded by the end...

INNOVATE® South Florida

CODE/ART

INSPIRING GIRLS TO CODE

Code/Art is a Miami-based nonprofit on a mission to increase the number of girls in computer science by delighting and inspiring them with the creative possibilities of computer programming. Art is the secret sauce that enables Code/Art to meet girls where they are at with in-demand tech skills – fueling...

INNOVATE™ Estonia

GENZ FOUNDERS

CULTIVATING ESTONIA’S NEXT WAVE OF UNICORNS: THE RISE OF GEN Z FOUNDERS

In the heart of Estonia, a nation internationally celebrated for its digital prowess and high concentration of billion-dollar startups, a new force is emerging to ensure the longevity of this entrepreneurial legacy. Gen Z Founders is an active community and mentorship network dedicated to connecting and empowering the country’s most...

INNOVATION Quebec

NERGICA

CCTT EN ÉNERGIES RENOUVELABLES

Nergica est un centre de recherche appliquée qui stimule l’innovation en matière d’énergies renouvelables à travers des activités de recherche, d’aide technique, de transfert technologique et d’accompagnement aux entreprises et aux collectivités. Sa mission : accélérer le développement et l’adoption des énergies renouvelables. Nergica se spécialise dans le développement de...

INNOVATE® Maryland

Upling

Delivering Equity, One Order at a Time.

In a world that often overlooks the most vulnerable, Upling is doing more than just delivering cannabis — it’s delivering purpose, access, and social equity. This Maryland-based, AI-powered cannabis delivery platform is rewriting the rules of healthcare access and digital entrepreneurship, all while confronting long-standing injustices in the cannabis industry....

INNOVATION Quebec

INOVEM

CCTT IN WOODWORKING AND FURNITURE

As a woodworking and furniture innovation centre, Inovem has been supporting Quebec businesses since 1983. A true catalyst for innovation, our CCTT has become the benchmark for sustainable technologies in the woodworking, furniture and appearance wood products industry. Furniture, woodworking and appearance wood products businesses can count on Inovem’s expertise...

INNOVATE® New Jersey Vol.2

VERASONI

CEOs and CMOs are demanding more clarity, efficiency, performance and efficacy from their marketing enterprises. As marketing gets noisier, brands turn to Verasoni as a guiding light of calm and for measured strategies, and they have since 2005. Recognized for innovation and strategic guidance to clients ranging from Fortune 500...

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® Blockchain

THE PARTY SCIENTIST

Upholding a culture of human connection and freedom of expression

“The Promise of Crypto is more freedom of expression and playful connection”, says The Party Scientist. His mission is to uphold the ethos of blockchain: community; which he believes is the elixir of life. If you attend enough crypto conferences, you’ll probably meet the guy wearing a labcoat hauling around...

INNOVATE™ South Africa

MICROSOFT SOUTH AFRICA

MICROSOFT SOUTH AFRICA - Unlocking The Value Of Mixed Reality In Manufacturing

Unlocking The Value Of Mixed Reality In Manufacturing

Mixed reality continues to grow exponentially because of its ability to help businesses and their employees complete crucial tasks faster, safer, and more efficiently. It also creates new ways to connect to customers and partners by blending the physical and digital worlds so that they coexist and interact in real-time....

INNOVATE™ Stockholm

SSE BUSINESS LAB

CREATING THE CONDITIONS FOR UNICORNS

SSE Business Lab is the startup incubator of the Stockholm School of Economics (SSE), one of Europe’s top business schools. Since its founding in 2001, the incubator has supported more than 300 startups, including some of Sweden’s most recognized success stories such as Klarna, Voi, Instabee (formerly Budbee), and Legora....

INNOVATE™ Atlantic Canada

Nova Scotia Health

Innovation Hub

Making Healthcare in Nova Scotia Better There is a smarter way to deliver quality healthcare, but achieving it requires fresh thinking, a forward-focused approach, and the courage to move beyond traditional methods. That is exactly what the Nova Scotia Health Innovation Hub is designed to do. Established in 2023, the...

Global Innovation Spotlight

How Soft2Bet Built a Culture of Innovation from the Inside Out

Innovation as a Culture, Not a Department

In the hyper-paced iGaming industry, where change is constant and customer attention fleeting, some companies simply try to keep up. But others reimagine the race altogether. Soft2Bet belongs firmly in the latter camp. Rather than chasing trends, the company has consistently invested in its internal innovation engine — a culture-first,...

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...

INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports

DYNAMIK FOCUS

DYNAMIK FOCUS-Creating local and digital activations at events or on streaming platforms to help promote your product or service

Creating local and digital activations at events or on streaming platforms to help promote your product or service

Dynamik Focus was Founded in October 2016 By Aziza Brown. After varying experiences with previous esports teams, and seeing a need for representation and structure in the growing esports space, she partnered with former teammate Devin Harris, and Dynamik Focus was born. Soon after the organization was founded, Dynamik Focus...

INNOVATION Quebec

RQIS

THE BEATING HEART OF QUEBEC’S SOCIAL INNOVATION SYSTEM

The Réseau québécois en innovation sociale (RQIS) is a space for sharing and mobilizing knowledge and experience, helping to make social innovation an essential lever for sustainable development in Quebec. Created in 2005 as part of the Université du Québec network, RQIS first focused on gaining a better understanding of...

INNOVATION Quebec

CERFO

CCTT IN BOREAL FORESTRY

Sainte-Foy’s Centre d’enseignement et de recherche en foresterie (CERFO) is a college centre for the transfer of technology (CCTT). Our mission is to contribute to the sustainable development of technology and businesses, organizations and colleges in the Quebec forest sector. For nearly 40 years, our experts have been drawing on...

INNOVATE® South Carolina

Lockheed Martin

Local Roots, Global Impact

For more than 40 years, Lockheed Martin has proudly called Greenville, South Carolina home, embedding deep local roots while contributing to global security. Known as the “Global Home of the F-16” and proud winner of “The Coolest Thing Made in South Carolina,” the site produces the F-16 Block 70/72 –...

INNOVATE™ Estonia

SILEN

HOW SILENCE BECAME SILEN’S GLOBAL LANGUAGE

Silen’s journey began with a simple conviction: silence is not a luxury, but a necessity for focus, creativity, and well-being. What started as an idea in Estonia has grown into the world’s leading provider of office pods and privacy solutions, trusted by companies in more than 60 countries — including...

INNOVATE® Kansas City

KU INNOVATION PARK

SUPPORTING THE NEXT GENERATION OF INNOVATIVE BUSINESS GROWTH

Tucked into a hill on the west campus of the University of Kansas, a group of engineers is tackling global climate change with technology to recycle refrigerants. A team of industry professionals and academic researchers is staying ahead of cybersecurity threats using NSA-licensed technology. A married team of PhDs is...

INNOVATE™ Bristol & Bath

Bristol - Designated UNESCO City Of Film

Bristol - Designated UNESCO City Of Film

ELEVATOR PITCH In 2017 Bristol was designated UNESCO City of Film, a permanent global status that recognises the city’s achievements as a world leader in the field of film and the moving image. Bristol now stands alongside Bitola, Bradford, Busan, Galway, Łódź, Qingdao, Rome, Santos, Sofia, Sydney, Terrassa and Yamagata...

INNOVATE® Seattle

CIBC Innovation Banking

LOCAL TECH BANKING VETERANS BRING CANADIAN INFLUENCE TO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST

LOCAL TECH BANKING VETERANS BRING CANADIAN INFLUENCE TO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST Since its founding in early 2018, CIBC Innovation Banking has been rapidly building its presence in key innovation clusters across the U.S. and Europe.In 2022, its Seattle team began serving the vibrant innovation economy of the Pacific Northwest. John...

INNOVATE™ Estonia

C2GRID

TURNING VIDEO INTO REAL-TIME 3D INTELLIGENCE

C2GRID didn’t start life as a company with a polished business plan or venture capital pitch. It began at Estonia’s Darkstar Defence Hackathon – an event uniting innovators, veterans, and investors to build technologies that strengthen NATO and its allies. The founders, originally exploring human–robot integration at Tallinn University of...

INNOVATE™ Adelaide

VALO

VALO, which means great courage, strength and moral worth, is a South Australian business founded in 2012 aiming to reach international markets in premium stadium lighting. With thousands of stadia across the world, the opportunities to place VALO and its South Australian innovations on the map are almost endless. Based...

INNOVATE™ Curitiba

ARLEQUIM

IS A BRAZILIAN COMPANY HEADQUARTERED IN CURITIBA WITH A NATIONWIDE PRESENCE

PITCHArlequim Technologies S.A. – www.arlequim.com – is a Brazilian company headquartered in Curitiba with a nationwide presence. With ambitious international expansion plans, Arlequim aims to revolutionize how people use personal computers for work, business, and pleasure through an innovative Desktop as a Service (DaaS) model. OUR HISTORYFounded by the end...

INNOVATE® South Florida

CODE/ART

INSPIRING GIRLS TO CODE

Code/Art is a Miami-based nonprofit on a mission to increase the number of girls in computer science by delighting and inspiring them with the creative possibilities of computer programming. Art is the secret sauce that enables Code/Art to meet girls where they are at with in-demand tech skills – fueling...

INNOVATE™ Estonia

GENZ FOUNDERS

CULTIVATING ESTONIA’S NEXT WAVE OF UNICORNS: THE RISE OF GEN Z FOUNDERS

In the heart of Estonia, a nation internationally celebrated for its digital prowess and high concentration of billion-dollar startups, a new force is emerging to ensure the longevity of this entrepreneurial legacy. Gen Z Founders is an active community and mentorship network dedicated to connecting and empowering the country’s most...

INNOVATION Quebec

NERGICA

CCTT EN ÉNERGIES RENOUVELABLES

Nergica est un centre de recherche appliquée qui stimule l’innovation en matière d’énergies renouvelables à travers des activités de recherche, d’aide technique, de transfert technologique et d’accompagnement aux entreprises et aux collectivités. Sa mission : accélérer le développement et l’adoption des énergies renouvelables. Nergica se spécialise dans le développement de...

INNOVATE® Maryland

Upling

Delivering Equity, One Order at a Time.

In a world that often overlooks the most vulnerable, Upling is doing more than just delivering cannabis — it’s delivering purpose, access, and social equity. This Maryland-based, AI-powered cannabis delivery platform is rewriting the rules of healthcare access and digital entrepreneurship, all while confronting long-standing injustices in the cannabis industry....

INNOVATION Quebec

INOVEM

CCTT IN WOODWORKING AND FURNITURE

As a woodworking and furniture innovation centre, Inovem has been supporting Quebec businesses since 1983. A true catalyst for innovation, our CCTT has become the benchmark for sustainable technologies in the woodworking, furniture and appearance wood products industry. Furniture, woodworking and appearance wood products businesses can count on Inovem’s expertise...

INNOVATE® New Jersey Vol.2

VERASONI

CEOs and CMOs are demanding more clarity, efficiency, performance and efficacy from their marketing enterprises. As marketing gets noisier, brands turn to Verasoni as a guiding light of calm and for measured strategies, and they have since 2005. Recognized for innovation and strategic guidance to clients ranging from Fortune 500...

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® Blockchain

THE PARTY SCIENTIST

Upholding a culture of human connection and freedom of expression

“The Promise of Crypto is more freedom of expression and playful connection”, says The Party Scientist. His mission is to uphold the ethos of blockchain: community; which he believes is the elixir of life. If you attend enough crypto conferences, you’ll probably meet the guy wearing a labcoat hauling around...

INNOVATE™ South Africa

MICROSOFT SOUTH AFRICA

MICROSOFT SOUTH AFRICA - Unlocking The Value Of Mixed Reality In Manufacturing

Unlocking The Value Of Mixed Reality In Manufacturing

Mixed reality continues to grow exponentially because of its ability to help businesses and their employees complete crucial tasks faster, safer, and more efficiently. It also creates new ways to connect to customers and partners by blending the physical and digital worlds so that they coexist and interact in real-time....

INNOVATE™ Stockholm

SSE BUSINESS LAB

CREATING THE CONDITIONS FOR UNICORNS

SSE Business Lab is the startup incubator of the Stockholm School of Economics (SSE), one of Europe’s top business schools. Since its founding in 2001, the incubator has supported more than 300 startups, including some of Sweden’s most recognized success stories such as Klarna, Voi, Instabee (formerly Budbee), and Legora....

INNOVATE™ Atlantic Canada

Nova Scotia Health

Innovation Hub

Making Healthcare in Nova Scotia Better There is a smarter way to deliver quality healthcare, but achieving it requires fresh thinking, a forward-focused approach, and the courage to move beyond traditional methods. That is exactly what the Nova Scotia Health Innovation Hub is designed to do. Established in 2023, the...

Global Innovation Spotlight

How Soft2Bet Built a Culture of Innovation from the Inside Out

Innovation as a Culture, Not a Department

In the hyper-paced iGaming industry, where change is constant and customer attention fleeting, some companies simply try to keep up. But others reimagine the race altogether. Soft2Bet belongs firmly in the latter camp. Rather than chasing trends, the company has consistently invested in its internal innovation engine — a culture-first,...

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...

INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports

DYNAMIK FOCUS

DYNAMIK FOCUS-Creating local and digital activations at events or on streaming platforms to help promote your product or service

Creating local and digital activations at events or on streaming platforms to help promote your product or service

Dynamik Focus was Founded in October 2016 By Aziza Brown. After varying experiences with previous esports teams, and seeing a need for representation and structure in the growing esports space, she partnered with former teammate Devin Harris, and Dynamik Focus was born. Soon after the organization was founded, Dynamik Focus...

Ecosystems