Stories of Innovation

INNOVATE® Seattle

MAVERON

BACKING TRANSFORMATIVE CONSUMERBUSINESSES FOR OVER 25 YEARS.

In the 1990s, Howard Schultz built Starbucks into one of the world’s most iconic consumer businesses. In 1998, after taking Starbucks public, Dan Levitan and Howard founded Maveron. They recognized that digital technologies would integrate into people’s lives in unprecedented ways and that great teams attacking consumer-focused problems would require...

INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2

Avricore

Brings pharmacy into the future with HealthTab™

Chronic illness causes 71% of deaths worldwide and is responsible for the majority of the global burden of disease. Yet these conditions are preventable and can be managed proactively with medication and lifestyle modification. Pharmacies are looking at ways to meet this challenge and increase access to care by investing...

INNOVATE® Kansas City

EMPIRE DREAMS

GRASSROOTS VISIONARIES: HOW EMPIRE DREAMS IS REBUILDING EAST-SIDE KC... ONE FAMILY, ONE NEIGHBORHOOD, ONE BUSINESS AT A TIME

Empire Dreams is birthing a new blueprint for urban transformation in East-Side Kansas City neighborhoods long neglected and marginalized by institutions and systems that fueled their disinvestment. Every facet of their work is designed to dismantle systemic racism, generational poverty, and the lingering effects of childhood trauma. Believing that true...

INNOVATE® Georgia

SKILLSHOT

SKILLSHOT PARTNERS WITH BRANDS TO DELIVER GAMING FOR GOOD

SKILLSHOT CONNECTS LEADING BRANDS, ENGAGED GAMING FANS, AND POSITIVE SOCIAL IMPACT. Now why exactly would major brands — as diverse as Coca-Cola, US Army, Microsoft, Google, Facebook, Amazon, Piedmont, Georgia State University, Spelman College, DoorDash, Chelsea FC, Comcast, Cox, Turner, Intel, HP, Lenovo, Boys and Girls Club, Make-A-Wish Georgia, YMCA,...

INNOVATE™ Stockholm

I AM YOUR SISTER

A SCANDINAVIAN BRAND TURNING SISTERHOOD INTO GLOBAL DEMAND

Founded in Stockholm, IAYS (I AM YOUR SISTER) is a Scandinavian knitwear brand built on premium design, craftsmanship and cultural relevance. With high-end knitwear at its core, the company represents a modern approach to luxury, one that combines quality and minimalist aesthetics with a purposeful message of connection and sisterhood....

INNOVATION Quebec

VESTECHPRO

Vestechpro est un Centre Collégial de Transfert de Technologie (CCTT) spécialisé circular economy. en habillement, affilié au Cégep Marie-Victorin, membre du Réseau des CCTT – Synchronex, et l’un des 64 centres d’accès à la technologie du réseau pancanadien Tech-Accès Canada. Le Centre figure aussi parmi les experts en pratiques d’affaires...

INNOVATE™ South Africa

ICONIX ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS (PTY) LTD T/A SMARTEE

ICONIX ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS (PTY) LTD T/A SMARTEE- COMPANIES ARE FACING UNPRECEDENTED CHALLENGES AND LOSSES DUE TO INFORMATION MISMANAGEMENT.

COMPANIES ARE FACING UNPRECEDENTED CHALLENGES AND LOSSES DUE TO INFORMATION MISMANAGEMENT.

The concept of the Internet of Things and Big Data has always intrigued Ashveer and Nivashnee Ramparsad, a husband and wife team that are so passionate about the world of technology and data-driven business. As founders of Smartee, they saw the need to invest themselves into this vision. During his...

INNOVATION Quebec

CPA

CCTT IN AUTOMATED PRODUCTION

Since 1984, Cégep de Jonquière’s Centre de production automatisée (CPA) has been working closely with approximately 200 organizations each year, both locally and internationally. Our mission has expanded with the creation of our Centre en technologies des énergies renouvelables et du rendement énergétique (Centre TERRE) through the NSERC. Working together...

INNOVATION Quebec

CINDERELLA'S

ELEVATING CLEANING STANDARDS FOR A PRISTINE SOUTH AUSTRALIA

The dynamic husband and wife team of Mark and Tracey Ferdinands, set out to disrupt the cleaning industry with their innovative Territory Management System. Armed with a strong hospitality background and a team of highly trained and caring professionals, the Cinderella’s team consistently delivers exceptional results. Larger organisations are flocking...

INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports

OAKWOOD UNIVERSITY

OAKWOOD UNIVERSITY-IF YOU BUILD IT

IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME...” THIS MISQUOTED LINE DERIVED FROM THE MOVIE, FIELD OF DREAMS, IS OFTEN ASSOCIATED WITH STARTUP DEVELOPMENT. IT SOUNDS GOOD BUT UNFORTUNATELY IT IS NOT REALISTIC

What does work is the act of providing a reason for why they should come. That is the central theme of Oakwood University’s Entrepreneurship Center, OU Launchpad, and it is why gaming is at the heart of the center’s success. OU Launchpad is structured around ideation and microentrepreneurship. These two...

INNOVATE™ Oeiras

WE ARE CISCO

WE ARE CISCO- Cisco Helps Seize The Opportunities Of Tomorrow By Proving That Amazing Things Can Happen When You Connect The Unconnected

Cisco Helps Seize The Opportunities Of Tomorrow By Proving That Amazing Things Can Happen When You Connect The Unconnected

An integral part of our DNA is creating long-lasting customer partnerships, working together to identify our customers’ needs and provide solutions that fuel their success. We have preserved this keen focus on solving business challenges since our founding in 1984. Len Bosack and wife Sandy Lerner, both working for Stanford...

INNOVATION Quebec

Le CQDM

Le CQDM- Accélérer la découverte de médicaments

Accélérer la découverte de médicaments

Ce consortium de recherche biopharmaceutique à but non lucratif soutient et facilite l’innovation multipartite afin d’accélérer la transformation de découvertes de pointe en vaccins, en produits thérapeutiques et en diagnostics répondant à des besoins médicaux non satisfaits, tout en générant des retombées importantes pour l’économie canadienne.   Un modèle de...

INNOVATE® Chicago Vol.1

WILLIAM BLAIR

WILLIAM BLAIR-INVESTING AT THE NEXUS OF THE INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM

INVESTING AT THE NEXUS OF THE INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM

Committed to Growth and Innovation Since 1935At William Blair, growth and innovation are in our DNA. As an independent, private partnership, we are committed to providing the world’s leading venture firms with the expert guidance and creative solutions required to unlock value for investors and their portfolio companies. We are...

INNOVATE® Tampa Bay Vol.3

RELIEVEIT

RELIEVEIT-The First Plant-Derived Anti-Inflammatory Drug Discovery Credited To A Black-Owned Company In U.S. History

The First Plant-Derived Anti-Inflammatory Drug Discovery Credited To A Black-Owned Company In U.S. History

What began hundreds of years ago as a pain remedy on the island of diseases reached a staggering 43.5 million. Trinidad has evolved into the United States’ first plant-derived, anti-inflammatory drug discovery credited to a Black-owned company.   RelieveIt is a pain relief medicine and the brainchild of W. Caleb...

INNOVATION Quebec

LE CENTRE D’OPTIQUE, PHOTONIQUE ET LASERS (COPL)

LE COPL EST UN ENVIRONNEMENT INTÉGRÉ DE RECHERCHE COLLABORATIVE ET DE FORMATION INCLUSIVE RASSEMBLANT DES EXPERTISES MULTIDISCIPLINAIRES

Son leadership au niveau national contribue grandement à l’essor scientifique et économique des technologies de l’optique et de la photonique au Québec. Depuis 1989, le COPL facilite les collaborations entre des équipes de recherche multidisciplinaires et favorise la mise en commun d’infrastructures et d’expertises de recherche. Sa contribution a permis...

INNOVATION Quebec

NOKIA BELL LABS

NOKIA BELL LABS-A CENTURY OF INNOVATION AT THE FLAGSHIP TELECOM RESEARCH INSTITUTE

A CENTURY OF INNOVATION AT THE FLAGSHIP TELECOM RESEARCH INSTITUTE

For nearly a century, Bell Labs has been revolutionizing the telecommunications industry from its headquarters in Murray Hill, New Jersey. The facility has been a hotbed of innovation for the renowned industrial research institute. Perhaps Bell Labs’ greatest brainchild, the transistor, was first demonstrated there in 1947. Groundbreaking inventions in...

INNOVATION Quebec

GOSEC

20 YEARS OF INNOVATION EXCELLENCE, GOSEC SETS THE STANDARD FOR THE SHAPING OF THE FUTURE OF CYBERSEC

Back for its 20th year, GoSec is an annual conference where the best and brightest experts in IT security from across various sectors facilitate the exchange of ideas, open discussion, disseminate insights and develop lasting relationships that strengthen the cybersecurity community. Set in the world class city of Montréal in...

INNOVATION Quebec

BIOQuébec

BIOQuébec-Your Gateway to the Life Sciences Sector

Votre porte d’entrée du secteur des sciences de la vie

Grâce à ses liens avec les organisations issues de tous les maillons de la chaîne de valeur en sciences de la vie, BIOQuébec vous aide à explorer de nouvelles opportunités d’affaires et à entrer en relation avec les personnes-clés de l’écosystème québécois. Depuis 1991, l’association des biotechnologies et des sciences...

INNOVATE™ Antwerp Vol.2

Q-LITE

Q-LITE -THE SMARTEST KIND OF ATTENTION

THE SMARTEST KIND OF ATTENTION

Q-lite is specialised in designing, producing and maintaining digital information systems and the accompanying software. Their wide product range includes pharmacy crosses, the zone-30 traffic signs that slow you down, the digital scoreboard of your favourite football team, transparent LED screens and parking guidance systems for cars and bicycles from...

INNOVATION Quebec

LE « RÉSEAU SDG INNOVATION™ NETWORK »

Under the leadership of eight Quebec academic institutions, the Smart-Digital-Green Innovation™ Network (SDG Innov), a first in Canada, was created on January 16, 2019, with a view to meeting industrial needs requiring inter-university collaboration in research and development (R&D), as well as the training of highly qualified personnel to accompany...

INNOVATE™ Adelaide

NOVA SYSTEMS

Smart people, solving complex problems, making our world safe and secure

About Nova SystemsNova Systems is a 100% Australian owned and controlled engineering services and technology solutions company. Founded by two veterans – Jim Whalley and Peter Nikoloff – in 1999 in Adelaide, South Australia, the company now employs more than 1000 people globally in strategically located offices in Australia, New...

INNOVATE™ Bristol & Bath

DIGITAL HEALTH

DIGITAL HEALTH-Health Sciences

Health Sciences, Life Sciences and Digital Health at the University of Bristol

The University of Bristol (UoB) is a research-intensive University with a global reputation ranked in the world’s top 60 and the UK’s top 10 in the QS World University Rankings 2021. Health, Life Sciences and Digital Health are areas of strength with world class teaching, research and enterprise development. UoB...

INNOVATE™ Toronto

ENTREPRENEUR FIRST

ENTREPRENEUR FIRST -The World’s Best Place To Find A Co-Founder- Over 10

The World’s Best Place To Find A Co-Founder- Over 10,000 Hours Spent Finding, Assessing And Selecting Canada’s Most Exceptional Talent

Join the world’s leading community of ambitious people who are ready to build. We believe the world is missing out on the best potential founders, and we’re on a mission to change that.   Entrepreneur First (EF) is a global leader in cofounder matching, with a track record of 10+...

INNOVATE™ Flanders

EXOVIBE

BACK TO THE FUTURE FROM SOFT EXOSKELETON TO SAAS PLATFORM AND BACK

OriginsThe idea for ExoVibe came to founder Gabriel Samlali in 2014, while he was struggling to carry a heavy box to his attic. Gabriel wondered how an elderly or disabled person would manage to complete the same task. A cursory google search for personal equipment solutions led Gabriel to exoskeletons....

INNOVATE® Seattle

MAVERON

BACKING TRANSFORMATIVE CONSUMERBUSINESSES FOR OVER 25 YEARS.

In the 1990s, Howard Schultz built Starbucks into one of the world’s most iconic consumer businesses. In 1998, after taking Starbucks public, Dan Levitan and Howard founded Maveron. They recognized that digital technologies would integrate into people’s lives in unprecedented ways and that great teams attacking consumer-focused problems would require...

INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2

Avricore

Brings pharmacy into the future with HealthTab™

Chronic illness causes 71% of deaths worldwide and is responsible for the majority of the global burden of disease. Yet these conditions are preventable and can be managed proactively with medication and lifestyle modification. Pharmacies are looking at ways to meet this challenge and increase access to care by investing...

INNOVATE® Kansas City

EMPIRE DREAMS

GRASSROOTS VISIONARIES: HOW EMPIRE DREAMS IS REBUILDING EAST-SIDE KC... ONE FAMILY, ONE NEIGHBORHOOD, ONE BUSINESS AT A TIME

Empire Dreams is birthing a new blueprint for urban transformation in East-Side Kansas City neighborhoods long neglected and marginalized by institutions and systems that fueled their disinvestment. Every facet of their work is designed to dismantle systemic racism, generational poverty, and the lingering effects of childhood trauma. Believing that true...

INNOVATE® Georgia

SKILLSHOT

SKILLSHOT PARTNERS WITH BRANDS TO DELIVER GAMING FOR GOOD

SKILLSHOT CONNECTS LEADING BRANDS, ENGAGED GAMING FANS, AND POSITIVE SOCIAL IMPACT. Now why exactly would major brands — as diverse as Coca-Cola, US Army, Microsoft, Google, Facebook, Amazon, Piedmont, Georgia State University, Spelman College, DoorDash, Chelsea FC, Comcast, Cox, Turner, Intel, HP, Lenovo, Boys and Girls Club, Make-A-Wish Georgia, YMCA,...

INNOVATE™ Stockholm

I AM YOUR SISTER

A SCANDINAVIAN BRAND TURNING SISTERHOOD INTO GLOBAL DEMAND

Founded in Stockholm, IAYS (I AM YOUR SISTER) is a Scandinavian knitwear brand built on premium design, craftsmanship and cultural relevance. With high-end knitwear at its core, the company represents a modern approach to luxury, one that combines quality and minimalist aesthetics with a purposeful message of connection and sisterhood....

INNOVATION Quebec

VESTECHPRO

Vestechpro est un Centre Collégial de Transfert de Technologie (CCTT) spécialisé circular economy. en habillement, affilié au Cégep Marie-Victorin, membre du Réseau des CCTT – Synchronex, et l’un des 64 centres d’accès à la technologie du réseau pancanadien Tech-Accès Canada. Le Centre figure aussi parmi les experts en pratiques d’affaires...

INNOVATE™ South Africa

ICONIX ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS (PTY) LTD T/A SMARTEE

ICONIX ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS (PTY) LTD T/A SMARTEE- COMPANIES ARE FACING UNPRECEDENTED CHALLENGES AND LOSSES DUE TO INFORMATION MISMANAGEMENT.

COMPANIES ARE FACING UNPRECEDENTED CHALLENGES AND LOSSES DUE TO INFORMATION MISMANAGEMENT.

The concept of the Internet of Things and Big Data has always intrigued Ashveer and Nivashnee Ramparsad, a husband and wife team that are so passionate about the world of technology and data-driven business. As founders of Smartee, they saw the need to invest themselves into this vision. During his...

INNOVATION Quebec

CPA

CCTT IN AUTOMATED PRODUCTION

Since 1984, Cégep de Jonquière’s Centre de production automatisée (CPA) has been working closely with approximately 200 organizations each year, both locally and internationally. Our mission has expanded with the creation of our Centre en technologies des énergies renouvelables et du rendement énergétique (Centre TERRE) through the NSERC. Working together...

INNOVATION Quebec

CINDERELLA'S

ELEVATING CLEANING STANDARDS FOR A PRISTINE SOUTH AUSTRALIA

The dynamic husband and wife team of Mark and Tracey Ferdinands, set out to disrupt the cleaning industry with their innovative Territory Management System. Armed with a strong hospitality background and a team of highly trained and caring professionals, the Cinderella’s team consistently delivers exceptional results. Larger organisations are flocking...

INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports

OAKWOOD UNIVERSITY

OAKWOOD UNIVERSITY-IF YOU BUILD IT

IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME...” THIS MISQUOTED LINE DERIVED FROM THE MOVIE, FIELD OF DREAMS, IS OFTEN ASSOCIATED WITH STARTUP DEVELOPMENT. IT SOUNDS GOOD BUT UNFORTUNATELY IT IS NOT REALISTIC

What does work is the act of providing a reason for why they should come. That is the central theme of Oakwood University’s Entrepreneurship Center, OU Launchpad, and it is why gaming is at the heart of the center’s success. OU Launchpad is structured around ideation and microentrepreneurship. These two...

INNOVATE™ Oeiras

WE ARE CISCO

WE ARE CISCO- Cisco Helps Seize The Opportunities Of Tomorrow By Proving That Amazing Things Can Happen When You Connect The Unconnected

Cisco Helps Seize The Opportunities Of Tomorrow By Proving That Amazing Things Can Happen When You Connect The Unconnected

An integral part of our DNA is creating long-lasting customer partnerships, working together to identify our customers’ needs and provide solutions that fuel their success. We have preserved this keen focus on solving business challenges since our founding in 1984. Len Bosack and wife Sandy Lerner, both working for Stanford...

INNOVATION Quebec

Le CQDM

Le CQDM- Accélérer la découverte de médicaments

Accélérer la découverte de médicaments

Ce consortium de recherche biopharmaceutique à but non lucratif soutient et facilite l’innovation multipartite afin d’accélérer la transformation de découvertes de pointe en vaccins, en produits thérapeutiques et en diagnostics répondant à des besoins médicaux non satisfaits, tout en générant des retombées importantes pour l’économie canadienne.   Un modèle de...

INNOVATE® Chicago Vol.1

WILLIAM BLAIR

WILLIAM BLAIR-INVESTING AT THE NEXUS OF THE INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM

INVESTING AT THE NEXUS OF THE INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM

Committed to Growth and Innovation Since 1935At William Blair, growth and innovation are in our DNA. As an independent, private partnership, we are committed to providing the world’s leading venture firms with the expert guidance and creative solutions required to unlock value for investors and their portfolio companies. We are...

INNOVATE® Tampa Bay Vol.3

RELIEVEIT

RELIEVEIT-The First Plant-Derived Anti-Inflammatory Drug Discovery Credited To A Black-Owned Company In U.S. History

The First Plant-Derived Anti-Inflammatory Drug Discovery Credited To A Black-Owned Company In U.S. History

What began hundreds of years ago as a pain remedy on the island of diseases reached a staggering 43.5 million. Trinidad has evolved into the United States’ first plant-derived, anti-inflammatory drug discovery credited to a Black-owned company.   RelieveIt is a pain relief medicine and the brainchild of W. Caleb...

INNOVATION Quebec

LE CENTRE D’OPTIQUE, PHOTONIQUE ET LASERS (COPL)

LE COPL EST UN ENVIRONNEMENT INTÉGRÉ DE RECHERCHE COLLABORATIVE ET DE FORMATION INCLUSIVE RASSEMBLANT DES EXPERTISES MULTIDISCIPLINAIRES

Son leadership au niveau national contribue grandement à l’essor scientifique et économique des technologies de l’optique et de la photonique au Québec. Depuis 1989, le COPL facilite les collaborations entre des équipes de recherche multidisciplinaires et favorise la mise en commun d’infrastructures et d’expertises de recherche. Sa contribution a permis...

INNOVATION Quebec

NOKIA BELL LABS

NOKIA BELL LABS-A CENTURY OF INNOVATION AT THE FLAGSHIP TELECOM RESEARCH INSTITUTE

A CENTURY OF INNOVATION AT THE FLAGSHIP TELECOM RESEARCH INSTITUTE

For nearly a century, Bell Labs has been revolutionizing the telecommunications industry from its headquarters in Murray Hill, New Jersey. The facility has been a hotbed of innovation for the renowned industrial research institute. Perhaps Bell Labs’ greatest brainchild, the transistor, was first demonstrated there in 1947. Groundbreaking inventions in...

INNOVATION Quebec

GOSEC

20 YEARS OF INNOVATION EXCELLENCE, GOSEC SETS THE STANDARD FOR THE SHAPING OF THE FUTURE OF CYBERSEC

Back for its 20th year, GoSec is an annual conference where the best and brightest experts in IT security from across various sectors facilitate the exchange of ideas, open discussion, disseminate insights and develop lasting relationships that strengthen the cybersecurity community. Set in the world class city of Montréal in...

INNOVATION Quebec

BIOQuébec

BIOQuébec-Your Gateway to the Life Sciences Sector

Votre porte d’entrée du secteur des sciences de la vie

Grâce à ses liens avec les organisations issues de tous les maillons de la chaîne de valeur en sciences de la vie, BIOQuébec vous aide à explorer de nouvelles opportunités d’affaires et à entrer en relation avec les personnes-clés de l’écosystème québécois. Depuis 1991, l’association des biotechnologies et des sciences...

INNOVATE™ Antwerp Vol.2

Q-LITE

Q-LITE -THE SMARTEST KIND OF ATTENTION

THE SMARTEST KIND OF ATTENTION

Q-lite is specialised in designing, producing and maintaining digital information systems and the accompanying software. Their wide product range includes pharmacy crosses, the zone-30 traffic signs that slow you down, the digital scoreboard of your favourite football team, transparent LED screens and parking guidance systems for cars and bicycles from...

INNOVATION Quebec

LE « RÉSEAU SDG INNOVATION™ NETWORK »

Under the leadership of eight Quebec academic institutions, the Smart-Digital-Green Innovation™ Network (SDG Innov), a first in Canada, was created on January 16, 2019, with a view to meeting industrial needs requiring inter-university collaboration in research and development (R&D), as well as the training of highly qualified personnel to accompany...

INNOVATE™ Adelaide

NOVA SYSTEMS

Smart people, solving complex problems, making our world safe and secure

About Nova SystemsNova Systems is a 100% Australian owned and controlled engineering services and technology solutions company. Founded by two veterans – Jim Whalley and Peter Nikoloff – in 1999 in Adelaide, South Australia, the company now employs more than 1000 people globally in strategically located offices in Australia, New...

INNOVATE™ Bristol & Bath

DIGITAL HEALTH

DIGITAL HEALTH-Health Sciences

Health Sciences, Life Sciences and Digital Health at the University of Bristol

The University of Bristol (UoB) is a research-intensive University with a global reputation ranked in the world’s top 60 and the UK’s top 10 in the QS World University Rankings 2021. Health, Life Sciences and Digital Health are areas of strength with world class teaching, research and enterprise development. UoB...

INNOVATE™ Toronto

ENTREPRENEUR FIRST

ENTREPRENEUR FIRST -The World’s Best Place To Find A Co-Founder- Over 10

The World’s Best Place To Find A Co-Founder- Over 10,000 Hours Spent Finding, Assessing And Selecting Canada’s Most Exceptional Talent

Join the world’s leading community of ambitious people who are ready to build. We believe the world is missing out on the best potential founders, and we’re on a mission to change that.   Entrepreneur First (EF) is a global leader in cofounder matching, with a track record of 10+...

INNOVATE™ Flanders

EXOVIBE

BACK TO THE FUTURE FROM SOFT EXOSKELETON TO SAAS PLATFORM AND BACK

OriginsThe idea for ExoVibe came to founder Gabriel Samlali in 2014, while he was struggling to carry a heavy box to his attic. Gabriel wondered how an elderly or disabled person would manage to complete the same task. A cursory google search for personal equipment solutions led Gabriel to exoskeletons....

Ecosystems