Stories of Innovation
Global Innovation Spotlight
The Rise of Audiobooks and AI: Transforming the Way We Read
Once, reading was a quiet act. A private conversation between you and the page. Now? That’s changing. Audiobooks have crashed through the library doors, and artificial intelligence is riding shotgun. In 2023, the global audiobook market was valued at over $8 billion. By 2032, some projections place it above $35...
INNOVATE™ Toronto
REAL VENTURES
CANADA’S MOST ACTIVE EARLY-STAGE VENTURE CAPITAL FIRM
Real Ventures is one of Canada’s most active early-stage venture capital firms, dedicated to serving entrepreneurs and nurturing the communities in which they thrive. In 2007, we questioned why brilliant Canadian founders should have to fly to San Francisco to raise seed capital. Since then, we have dedicated ourselves to...
INNOVATE™ Curitiba
ESFERA
DELIGHTING CUSTOMERS, SHAPING THE FUTURE OF TECHNOLOGY WITH PERSONALIZED INNOVATION
ESFERA-DELIGHTING CUSTOMERS, SHAPING THE FUTURE OF TECHNOLOGY WITH PERSONALIZED INNOVATION AND IMPACTFUL SOLUTIONS! With a history that spans three decades, Esfera Informática establishes itself as an institution committed to excellence, with advanced technologies and innovation as its fundamental pillars. Certified by MPSBr, the company constantly improves the development of software...
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...
INNOVATION Quebec
C2T3
CCTT EN TÉLÉCOMMUNICATIONS
Le C2T3 a pour mission de contribuer à l’innovation technologique et à l’essor économique des entreprises associées au secteur des télécommunications, de l’Internet des objets, des réseaux 5G et de la connectivité intelligente. En adoptant des procédures d’innovation technologique, le C2T3 se veut un pôle d’excellence en télécommunications qui valorise...
INNOVATE™ Curitiba
ROCKET
BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN NICHE INNOVATION AND MAINSTREAM MEDIA
Having started in 2019 as a web-only reality show for local startups, Rocket has now developed into a full universe of multi-platform content and unforgettable live experiences with the goal to foment, give visibility, and highlight the positive impact of innovation and entrepreneurship in everyone’s lives. Though an important topic...
INNOVATE® Puerto Rico
ABARCA HEALTH
A DIFFERENT KIND OF PHARMACY BENEFIT MANAGER
Abarca was founded to deliver a better way in healthcare. For more than fifteen years, the pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) and technology company has been delivering on that promise for its health plan clients and their members through: A smarter platform: Abarca built DarwinTM, its healthcare technology platform, in-house from the...
INNOVATE™ South Africa
4C GROUP OF COMPANIES
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...
INNOVATE™ Estonia
PROEKSPERT
BUILDING SMART SOLUTIONS FOR A SMARTER WORLD
“Our engineers today are equipped with can-do attitudes and an ability to create ingenious and secure solutions and integrations.” Estonia’s reputation as a digital powerhouse owes much to its innovative companies, and Proekspert is no exception. Founded in 1993 during a time of economic uncertainty, this software development firm seized...
INNOVATE™ South Africa
OSCARS ARC
DOG ADOPTION. INSPIRED ADOPTION RATES IN SOUTH AFRICA ARE LESS THAN 10%. WOOF PROJECT IS CHANGING THE STATUS QUO
WOOF Project is a dynamic ‘pop–up’ mobile dog adoption initiative by Oscars Arc, a NPO born to inspire dog adoption and to save dogs’ lives. It was founded by Joanne Lefson in honour of Oscar, the adopted dog with whom she travelled around the world, visiting 43 countries across 5...
INNOVATE® New Jersey Vol.2
= SPACE
WE BELIEVE THAT ACCESS + RESOURCES =SPACE & OPPORTUNITIES
=SPACE strives to create a unique culture and positive sharespace. Headquartered in the City of Newark, our sharespace provides resources for startups, coaching for tech companies and an ecosystem for artists to share their work and thrive. We offer programming to help build, grow and scale businesses, with the vast...
INNOVATE™ Estonia
UP CATALYST
TURNING CO2 INTO ENERGY STORAGE: UP CATALYST REDEFINES BATTERY RAW MATERIALS
UP Catalyst is a European deep tech company headquartered in Estonia that produces climate-neutral carbon materials—such as battery-grade graphite and carbon nanotubes—directly from industrial CO2 emissions. Founded in 2019 by Dr. Gary Urb, Dr. Sander Ratso, Dr. Kätlin Kaare and Dr. Ivar Kruusenberg, the company is on a mission to...
INNOVATE™ Adelaide
ROYAL ADELAIDE HOSPITAL
INNOVATION-DRIVEN WORLD-CLASS CARE AND RESEARCH
Innovation sits at the core of South Australia’s Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH). Not only do we apply the latest evidence in health, education and research to ensure our patients receive world-class care, but we’re also creating the healthcare of the future. Our clinician scientists have designed a scientific breakthrough that...
INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition
BuildWithin
Potential over Credential
A pioneering company stands tall in the bustling world of tech innovation and workforce development in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan region. BuildWithin, an emblem of transformative learning and forward thinking solutions, marks a significant shift in how we approach skill development and career growth. This journey of innovation began with...
INNOVATE™ Alberta
VizworX
Creating Visibly Better Enterprise Software Solutions Through Advanced Technology
Delivering enterprise-class digital experiences, VizworX is an advanced software solutions services company. Leveraging the latest in augmented reality, virtual reality, artificial intelligence, complex data visualization, web and mobile technologies and techniques, VizworX supports several industries around the world by turning complex data into easily understandable and actionable information. We enable...
INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition
AMPLE
EMPOWERING CREATORS THROUGH THE TOKENIZATION OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
Ample is building a web3 distribution, streaming and financing infrastructure platform that supports films, shows and music. Tokenizing professional level creative IP, building a distribution network and token ecosystem to support future growth of the $2 trillion global media and entertainment market. The legacy entertainment industry is broken and antiquated....
INNOVATE® Blockchain
ENLEDGER
Is a story of fortuitous serendipity and strange coincidence, a random meeting of minds and a coming together of disparate expertise, chasing wild breakthrough ideas in data science and blockchain incentives engineering
Jason Dispenza, an energy exec running a solar energy and building performance company in D.C., meets Ryan Molecke, cryptocurrency exchange technical officer, on a tour bus taking the Icelandic Southern coastal tour, Jan 2016. By the next year, they are paired up with a new blockchain energy applications company, pitching...
Global Innovation Spotlight
Where to Find South African Food in Canada
HowZit Canada Leads the Way
For South African expats in Canada craving a taste of home—think boerewors, biltong, or rooibos tea—knowing where to find South African food in Canada can feel like a treasure hunt. Fortunately, a groundbreaking platform, HowZit Canada (howzitcanada.ca), launched by the South African Institute of Canada (SAIC), is revolutionizing the search....
INNOVATE® Chicago Vol.1
YMCA OF METROPOLITAN CHICAGO
WELCOME TO THE WORLD’S OLDEST INCUBATOR. THE YMCA OF METRO CHICAGO IS INNOVATING FROM THE INSIDE
In 2022, the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago celebrated its 164th birthday. There are only a handful of organizations in the country with that kind of history. But all those candles on the cake are not merely a reminder of accomplishments passed. It’s also a light leading the way forward, illuminating...
INNOVATE™ Curitiba
OLIST
MEET OLIST, THE LEADING ECOSYSTEM IN E-COMMERCE SOLUTIONS FOR SMES
Founded in 2015, Olist is a benchmark startup in e-commerce solutions for small and medium-sized businesses, focused on operational management, increased competitiveness in marketplaces and multichannel sales. In 2021, the company acquired Tiny e Vnda, companies based on high technology that offer top-notch services and share the same goal of...
INNOVATE™ Curitiba
NEW HOLLAND
SUSTAINABLE INNOVATION
Global leader in clean energy, New Holland Agriculture, a CNH brand and headquartered in Curitiba, is one of the most innovative companies in the agricultural sector in the world. Investment in new technologies and sustainable solutions is constant – always seeking to improve the experience of its customers. This culture...
INNOVATE™ Adelaide
AITI
FACTORY OF THE FUTURE
The Australian Industrial Transformation Institute at Flinders University is a national leader in industry and workplace innovation research. Located under the Main Assembly Building of the former Mitsubishi manufacturing site, now the Tonsley Innovation District in Adelaide’s south. The Australian Industrial Transformation Institute’s (AITI) multi-disciplinary team undertakes industry, economic and...
INNOVATE™ South Africa
CARBON1
PIONEERING SOUTH AFRICA’S DIGITAL MARKETING TRANSFORMATION
Let’s start at the beginningBack in 2009, Programmatic ad buying was in its infancy locally, despite its success being celebrated internationally. This spurred on the birth of Mark1, a company that would go on to pioneer technology and data-driven media buying in the South African market. Fast forward to 2020,...
INNOVATE® Nashville
Vanderbilt University
Innovation at Vanderbilt
An R1 research institution, Vanderbilt University is known for pathbreaking research, advancing discoveries and fueling breakthroughs across multiple disciplines. With more than $1 billion in annual research expenditures, Vanderbilt fosters cross-disciplinary collaboration with global impact. But Vanderbilt isn’t just a research university, it’s a powerful economic engine that turns ideas...
Global Innovation Spotlight
The Rise of Audiobooks and AI: Transforming the Way We Read
Once, reading was a quiet act. A private conversation between you and the page. Now? That’s changing. Audiobooks have crashed through the library doors, and artificial intelligence is riding shotgun. In 2023, the global audiobook market was valued at over $8 billion. By 2032, some projections place it above $35...
INNOVATE™ Toronto
REAL VENTURES
CANADA’S MOST ACTIVE EARLY-STAGE VENTURE CAPITAL FIRM
Real Ventures is one of Canada’s most active early-stage venture capital firms, dedicated to serving entrepreneurs and nurturing the communities in which they thrive. In 2007, we questioned why brilliant Canadian founders should have to fly to San Francisco to raise seed capital. Since then, we have dedicated ourselves to...
INNOVATE™ Curitiba
ESFERA
DELIGHTING CUSTOMERS, SHAPING THE FUTURE OF TECHNOLOGY WITH PERSONALIZED INNOVATION
ESFERA-DELIGHTING CUSTOMERS, SHAPING THE FUTURE OF TECHNOLOGY WITH PERSONALIZED INNOVATION AND IMPACTFUL SOLUTIONS! With a history that spans three decades, Esfera Informática establishes itself as an institution committed to excellence, with advanced technologies and innovation as its fundamental pillars. Certified by MPSBr, the company constantly improves the development of software...
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...
INNOVATION Quebec
C2T3
CCTT EN TÉLÉCOMMUNICATIONS
Le C2T3 a pour mission de contribuer à l’innovation technologique et à l’essor économique des entreprises associées au secteur des télécommunications, de l’Internet des objets, des réseaux 5G et de la connectivité intelligente. En adoptant des procédures d’innovation technologique, le C2T3 se veut un pôle d’excellence en télécommunications qui valorise...
INNOVATE™ Curitiba
ROCKET
BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN NICHE INNOVATION AND MAINSTREAM MEDIA
Having started in 2019 as a web-only reality show for local startups, Rocket has now developed into a full universe of multi-platform content and unforgettable live experiences with the goal to foment, give visibility, and highlight the positive impact of innovation and entrepreneurship in everyone’s lives. Though an important topic...
INNOVATE® Puerto Rico
ABARCA HEALTH
A DIFFERENT KIND OF PHARMACY BENEFIT MANAGER
Abarca was founded to deliver a better way in healthcare. For more than fifteen years, the pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) and technology company has been delivering on that promise for its health plan clients and their members through: A smarter platform: Abarca built DarwinTM, its healthcare technology platform, in-house from the...
INNOVATE™ South Africa
4C GROUP OF COMPANIES
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...
INNOVATE™ Estonia
PROEKSPERT
BUILDING SMART SOLUTIONS FOR A SMARTER WORLD
“Our engineers today are equipped with can-do attitudes and an ability to create ingenious and secure solutions and integrations.” Estonia’s reputation as a digital powerhouse owes much to its innovative companies, and Proekspert is no exception. Founded in 1993 during a time of economic uncertainty, this software development firm seized...
INNOVATE™ South Africa
OSCARS ARC
DOG ADOPTION. INSPIRED ADOPTION RATES IN SOUTH AFRICA ARE LESS THAN 10%. WOOF PROJECT IS CHANGING THE STATUS QUO
WOOF Project is a dynamic ‘pop–up’ mobile dog adoption initiative by Oscars Arc, a NPO born to inspire dog adoption and to save dogs’ lives. It was founded by Joanne Lefson in honour of Oscar, the adopted dog with whom she travelled around the world, visiting 43 countries across 5...
INNOVATE® New Jersey Vol.2
= SPACE
WE BELIEVE THAT ACCESS + RESOURCES =SPACE & OPPORTUNITIES
=SPACE strives to create a unique culture and positive sharespace. Headquartered in the City of Newark, our sharespace provides resources for startups, coaching for tech companies and an ecosystem for artists to share their work and thrive. We offer programming to help build, grow and scale businesses, with the vast...
INNOVATE™ Estonia
UP CATALYST
TURNING CO2 INTO ENERGY STORAGE: UP CATALYST REDEFINES BATTERY RAW MATERIALS
UP Catalyst is a European deep tech company headquartered in Estonia that produces climate-neutral carbon materials—such as battery-grade graphite and carbon nanotubes—directly from industrial CO2 emissions. Founded in 2019 by Dr. Gary Urb, Dr. Sander Ratso, Dr. Kätlin Kaare and Dr. Ivar Kruusenberg, the company is on a mission to...
INNOVATE™ Adelaide
ROYAL ADELAIDE HOSPITAL
INNOVATION-DRIVEN WORLD-CLASS CARE AND RESEARCH
Innovation sits at the core of South Australia’s Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH). Not only do we apply the latest evidence in health, education and research to ensure our patients receive world-class care, but we’re also creating the healthcare of the future. Our clinician scientists have designed a scientific breakthrough that...
INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition
BuildWithin
Potential over Credential
A pioneering company stands tall in the bustling world of tech innovation and workforce development in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan region. BuildWithin, an emblem of transformative learning and forward thinking solutions, marks a significant shift in how we approach skill development and career growth. This journey of innovation began with...
INNOVATE™ Alberta
VizworX
Creating Visibly Better Enterprise Software Solutions Through Advanced Technology
Delivering enterprise-class digital experiences, VizworX is an advanced software solutions services company. Leveraging the latest in augmented reality, virtual reality, artificial intelligence, complex data visualization, web and mobile technologies and techniques, VizworX supports several industries around the world by turning complex data into easily understandable and actionable information. We enable...
INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition
AMPLE
EMPOWERING CREATORS THROUGH THE TOKENIZATION OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
Ample is building a web3 distribution, streaming and financing infrastructure platform that supports films, shows and music. Tokenizing professional level creative IP, building a distribution network and token ecosystem to support future growth of the $2 trillion global media and entertainment market. The legacy entertainment industry is broken and antiquated....
INNOVATE® Blockchain
ENLEDGER
Is a story of fortuitous serendipity and strange coincidence, a random meeting of minds and a coming together of disparate expertise, chasing wild breakthrough ideas in data science and blockchain incentives engineering
Jason Dispenza, an energy exec running a solar energy and building performance company in D.C., meets Ryan Molecke, cryptocurrency exchange technical officer, on a tour bus taking the Icelandic Southern coastal tour, Jan 2016. By the next year, they are paired up with a new blockchain energy applications company, pitching...
Global Innovation Spotlight
Where to Find South African Food in Canada
HowZit Canada Leads the Way
For South African expats in Canada craving a taste of home—think boerewors, biltong, or rooibos tea—knowing where to find South African food in Canada can feel like a treasure hunt. Fortunately, a groundbreaking platform, HowZit Canada (howzitcanada.ca), launched by the South African Institute of Canada (SAIC), is revolutionizing the search....
INNOVATE® Chicago Vol.1
YMCA OF METROPOLITAN CHICAGO
WELCOME TO THE WORLD’S OLDEST INCUBATOR. THE YMCA OF METRO CHICAGO IS INNOVATING FROM THE INSIDE
In 2022, the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago celebrated its 164th birthday. There are only a handful of organizations in the country with that kind of history. But all those candles on the cake are not merely a reminder of accomplishments passed. It’s also a light leading the way forward, illuminating...
INNOVATE™ Curitiba
OLIST
MEET OLIST, THE LEADING ECOSYSTEM IN E-COMMERCE SOLUTIONS FOR SMES
Founded in 2015, Olist is a benchmark startup in e-commerce solutions for small and medium-sized businesses, focused on operational management, increased competitiveness in marketplaces and multichannel sales. In 2021, the company acquired Tiny e Vnda, companies based on high technology that offer top-notch services and share the same goal of...
INNOVATE™ Curitiba
NEW HOLLAND
SUSTAINABLE INNOVATION
Global leader in clean energy, New Holland Agriculture, a CNH brand and headquartered in Curitiba, is one of the most innovative companies in the agricultural sector in the world. Investment in new technologies and sustainable solutions is constant – always seeking to improve the experience of its customers. This culture...
INNOVATE™ Adelaide
AITI
FACTORY OF THE FUTURE
The Australian Industrial Transformation Institute at Flinders University is a national leader in industry and workplace innovation research. Located under the Main Assembly Building of the former Mitsubishi manufacturing site, now the Tonsley Innovation District in Adelaide’s south. The Australian Industrial Transformation Institute’s (AITI) multi-disciplinary team undertakes industry, economic and...
INNOVATE™ South Africa
CARBON1
PIONEERING SOUTH AFRICA’S DIGITAL MARKETING TRANSFORMATION
Let’s start at the beginningBack in 2009, Programmatic ad buying was in its infancy locally, despite its success being celebrated internationally. This spurred on the birth of Mark1, a company that would go on to pioneer technology and data-driven media buying in the South African market. Fast forward to 2020,...
INNOVATE® Nashville
Vanderbilt University
Innovation at Vanderbilt
An R1 research institution, Vanderbilt University is known for pathbreaking research, advancing discoveries and fueling breakthroughs across multiple disciplines. With more than $1 billion in annual research expenditures, Vanderbilt fosters cross-disciplinary collaboration with global impact. But Vanderbilt isn’t just a research university, it’s a powerful economic engine that turns ideas...