Stories of Innovation

INNOVATE® New Jersey Vol.2

INTEGRAL BIOMETRICS

WE DELIVER AUTOMATED AND INTEGRATED BIOMETRIC AUTHENTICATION FOR LIFE SCIENCE MANUFACTURERS.

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...

INNOVATE® Milwaukee

AfroCharts

AMPLIFYING THE PULSE OF AFRICAN MUSIC WORLDWIDE

AMPLIFYING THE PULSE OFAFRICAN MUSIC WORLDWIDE AfroCharts, founded by Leonard Novati in 2020, is a pioneering digital music platform dedicated to showcasing the rich tapestry of African music to the global audiences. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, AfroCharts has rapidly grown to become a vibrant hub for artists, fans, and event...

INNOVATE® South Carolina

ROLLS-ROYCE SOLUTIONS AMERICA

Building Innovation That Powers the World

Located in Graniteville, South Carolina, just off Interstate 20, Rolls-Royce’s mtu Aiken plant stands as a beacon of advanced manufacturing, workforce development, community commitment and clean energy leadership. Since opening its doors in 2010, the facility has grown from a promising assembly plant to a cornerstone of innovation, producing and...

INNOVATE® Georgia

BLACKROCK

CHARTING THE WAY FORWARD

For BlackRock, continuous innovation is key. BlackRock’s Aladdin® business—which provides an investment management platform for institutional investors and wealth managers—is at the heart of the company’s tech innovation. Aladdin provides a unified investment management platform that gives clients a full view of their portfolio, across public and private markets—and enables...

INNOVATE® Seattle

Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship

UW’S BUERK CENTER IS IN THE BUSINESS OF IDEAS

Inside the University of Washington’s Foster School of Business is a small office dedicated to helping big entrepreneurial ideas take shape. The Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship offers academic programs and real-world experiences for undergraduate and graduate students interested in the startup process. By empowering early-stage founders to embrace a sense...

INNOVATE™ Bristol & Bath

Altus

Altus - Making Financial Services Faster

Making Financial Services Faster

Our mission is to eliminate paper from financial services; leaving our clients free to focus on a digital future and reducing costs for consumers. In 2005 a small group of technical evangelists concluded it was time to tackle the mountains of paper still driving large parts of the financial services...

INNOVATE® Milwaukee

MARS SOLUTIONS GROUP

DISCOVERING DIVERSE TALENT THROUGH ALTERNATE PIPELINES

MARS Solutions Group is an award-winning talent solution supplier for information technology (IT), engineering, manufacturing, admin-clerical, healthcare, and professional roles located in Waukesha, WI. Founded by Rashi Arora-Khosla, an accomplished Enterprise Architect, and CEO of MARS Solutions Group, she launched MARS with boot strap capital and grew it organically into...

INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition

POPPY FLOWERS

POPPY TRANSFORMS THE PROCESS OF BUYING WEDDING FLOWERS INTO A SEAMLESS DIGITAL EXPERIENCE.

Poppy Flowers, the fastest-growing wedding florist in the country, is revolutionizing the wedding and floral industries with its innovative booking and fulfillment platform for wedding flowers. Poppy’s platform offers a more enjoyable, fun, and transparent experience for couples, florists, and farmers, distinguishing itself in a $5 billion industry. Since its...

INNOVATE™ Atlantic Canada

PLANET HATCH

CELEBRATING 10 YEARS

CELEBRATING 10 YEARS Welcome to Planet Hatch, a vibrant entrepreneurial hub, incubator, and collaborative workplace. We empower startups across diverse sectors by providing the essential resources to turn bold ideas into successful ventures. In partnership with Ignite, Planet Hatch is dedicated to nurturing first-time entrepreneurs and newcomers, shaping the future...

INNOVATION Quebec

Pharmabio Développement

Depuis 1999, Pharmabio Développement, le Comité sectoriel de maind’œuvre des industries des produits pharmaceutiques et biotechnologiques, porte fièrement sa mission de participer activement au développement de la main-d’œuvre et de l’emploi des entreprises de son secteur

Afin de soutenir sa mission, le mandat de Pharmabio Développement se définit comme suit : • Soutenir et conseiller les partenaires de l’industrie et de l’éducation dans le développement de solutions.• Approvisionner l’ensemble de ses partenaires en outils, en programmes et en information.• Jouer un rôle de premier plan dans...

INNOVATE™ South Africa

RED-LINED INTERNATIONAL

RED-LINED INTERNATIONAL- MOTORSPORT ADVENTURE

MOTORSPORT ADVENTURE

The CEO and founder of Red-Lined International Terence Marsh had a goal of competing on the world stage at Dakar and established the business in 2013. We set out into the international market in search of a race car and returned to South Africa disillusioned at what the market had...

INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition

UNLEASHING INNOVATION

THE THINKNIMBLE REVOLUTION

“We are a product design and software development agency that turns clients into confident tech leaders who understand their customers and build great tech.” ThinkNimble is a guiding light of innovation. It’s carved out a niche that’s as unique as its approach to technology and entrepreneurship. Founded on the principle...

INNOVATE™ Alberta

BUOYANCY

Empowering employment agencies to scale their impact through technology-enabled behaviour change

Buoyancy Works is a Calgary, Alberta-based wellness tech and behavioural insights company that empowers employment agencies to scale their impact through technology-enabled behaviour change techniques. The Buoyancy platform helps organizations scale programs, measure engagement, and support their clients through the emotional and motivational challenges of the job search. Buoyancy’s tools...

INNOVATE™ Atlantic Canada

Atlantic Fintech

A Rising Star in Canada's Fintech Scene

Atlantic Fintech is a catalyst for growth in the financial technology sector across the four Atlantic Canadian provinces: New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador. This sector initiative aims to accelerate the industry’s expansion by building a connected global network of founders and experts and forming...

INNOVATE® Chicago Vol.1

NATURE'S FYND

NATURE'S FYND-TRANSFORMING HOW THE WORLD EATS WITH FY™

TRANSFORMING HOW THE WORLD EATS WITH FY™, A NEW-TO-THE-WORLD, NUTRITIONAL FUNGI PROTEIN

The story of Nature’s Fynd™ begins millions of years ago, in an acidic hot spring located in what is today Yellowstone National Park when a remarkable microbe was born. In 2009, NASA-backed research on extremophiles led our co-founder to the park’s hot springs. He then isolated and discovered a remarkable...

INNOVATE™ Estonia

B.EST SOLUTIONS

REDEFINING SECURE DIGITAL IDENTITY WHILE STRENGTHENING LOCAL ECOSYSTEMS

Can a digital state be built from scratch with external expertise and support? B.EST Solutions has spent the past 15 years proving that it can. Founded with the mission of adapting Estonia’s pioneering digital state experience to new contexts, the company has become a trusted developer and operator of national...

INNOVATE™ Estonia

SEMETRON

INNOVATION IN HEALTHCARE: MOBILE MODULAR HOSPITAL

The healthcare sector faces increasingly complex challenges — from the impacts of climate change and natural disasters to global pandemics and conflict-related crises. In these situations, timely access to quality medical care can be a matter of life and death. This is where Semetron steps in, an innovative leader from...

INNOVATE™ Curitiba

LIGGA

CONNECTIVITY IN SCHOOLS DRIVES DIGITAL INCLUSION IN INDIGENOUS AND RURAL COMMUNITIES IN PARANÁ

The arrival of Ligga’s fiber optic network in rural schools supports the work of teachers and encourages students’ knowledge and access to technology, benefiting the entire teaching ecosystem and the local community. Ligga, the main internet company and connectivity provider in Paraná, in partnership with the State Department of Education...

INNOVATE® Detroit

Electric Outdoors

Building Sustainable Off-Grid Camping Systems for a New Era of Outdoor Adventure

Based in Detroit, Michigan, and founded in 2023, clean tech startup Electric Outdoors is on a path to transform off-grid camping and sustainability in the outdoors. Its mission is driven by what the company has identified as a huge gap in the current outdoor recreation market: Connected glamping in remote...

INNOVATE® Seattle

SYNDIO

SYNDIO HELPS HR LEADERS NAVIGATE THIS NEW WORLD WITH TECHNOLOGY

SYNDIO HELPS HR LEADERS NAVIGATE THIS NEW WORLD WITH TECHNOLOGY Companies with great cultures win in the market. Yet today, vital  elements that define culture — like how a company values its employees through pay and advancement — are on full display. In this environment of growing transparency requirements, it’s...

INNOVATE® Georgia

QTS

THE BACKBONE OF OUR MODERN ECONOMY

QTS Data Centers is a leading provider of data center solutions across a diverse footprint with over two gigawatts of critical power capacity under customer contract in North America and Europe. Part of the Blackstone portfolio, QTS delivers secure, compliant infrastructure solutions, robust connectivity and premium customer service to leading...

INNOVATION Quebec

CEIM

STIMULATING ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND FOSTERING THE GROWTH OF EMERGING TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES

As an organization that has been serving innovation for more than 25 years, we are particularly proud to have supported companies that have since become flagships of our ecosystem, or that now act as powerful catalysts for progress and change in our society. “Our entrepreneurs’ capacity to create and to...

Global Innovation Spotlight

HILCO CONSUMER - RETAIL

INNOVATING FOR THE RETAIL LIFECYCLE – FROM BEGINNING TO END AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN

Can a business founded as a retail liquidation firm innovate to save retail? Hilco Consumer-Retail (HCR) is undoubtedly trying – and succeeding in BIG WAYS! Retail – and the consumer product businesses that feed them inventory – is among the most troubled sectors in the United States and worldwide. This...

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...

INNOVATE® New Jersey Vol.2

INTEGRAL BIOMETRICS

WE DELIVER AUTOMATED AND INTEGRATED BIOMETRIC AUTHENTICATION FOR LIFE SCIENCE MANUFACTURERS.

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...

INNOVATE® Milwaukee

AfroCharts

AMPLIFYING THE PULSE OF AFRICAN MUSIC WORLDWIDE

AMPLIFYING THE PULSE OFAFRICAN MUSIC WORLDWIDE AfroCharts, founded by Leonard Novati in 2020, is a pioneering digital music platform dedicated to showcasing the rich tapestry of African music to the global audiences. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, AfroCharts has rapidly grown to become a vibrant hub for artists, fans, and event...

INNOVATE® South Carolina

ROLLS-ROYCE SOLUTIONS AMERICA

Building Innovation That Powers the World

Located in Graniteville, South Carolina, just off Interstate 20, Rolls-Royce’s mtu Aiken plant stands as a beacon of advanced manufacturing, workforce development, community commitment and clean energy leadership. Since opening its doors in 2010, the facility has grown from a promising assembly plant to a cornerstone of innovation, producing and...

INNOVATE® Georgia

BLACKROCK

CHARTING THE WAY FORWARD

For BlackRock, continuous innovation is key. BlackRock’s Aladdin® business—which provides an investment management platform for institutional investors and wealth managers—is at the heart of the company’s tech innovation. Aladdin provides a unified investment management platform that gives clients a full view of their portfolio, across public and private markets—and enables...

INNOVATE® Seattle

Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship

UW’S BUERK CENTER IS IN THE BUSINESS OF IDEAS

Inside the University of Washington’s Foster School of Business is a small office dedicated to helping big entrepreneurial ideas take shape. The Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship offers academic programs and real-world experiences for undergraduate and graduate students interested in the startup process. By empowering early-stage founders to embrace a sense...

INNOVATE™ Bristol & Bath

Altus

Altus - Making Financial Services Faster

Making Financial Services Faster

Our mission is to eliminate paper from financial services; leaving our clients free to focus on a digital future and reducing costs for consumers. In 2005 a small group of technical evangelists concluded it was time to tackle the mountains of paper still driving large parts of the financial services...

INNOVATE® Milwaukee

MARS SOLUTIONS GROUP

DISCOVERING DIVERSE TALENT THROUGH ALTERNATE PIPELINES

MARS Solutions Group is an award-winning talent solution supplier for information technology (IT), engineering, manufacturing, admin-clerical, healthcare, and professional roles located in Waukesha, WI. Founded by Rashi Arora-Khosla, an accomplished Enterprise Architect, and CEO of MARS Solutions Group, she launched MARS with boot strap capital and grew it organically into...

INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition

POPPY FLOWERS

POPPY TRANSFORMS THE PROCESS OF BUYING WEDDING FLOWERS INTO A SEAMLESS DIGITAL EXPERIENCE.

Poppy Flowers, the fastest-growing wedding florist in the country, is revolutionizing the wedding and floral industries with its innovative booking and fulfillment platform for wedding flowers. Poppy’s platform offers a more enjoyable, fun, and transparent experience for couples, florists, and farmers, distinguishing itself in a $5 billion industry. Since its...

INNOVATE™ Atlantic Canada

PLANET HATCH

CELEBRATING 10 YEARS

CELEBRATING 10 YEARS Welcome to Planet Hatch, a vibrant entrepreneurial hub, incubator, and collaborative workplace. We empower startups across diverse sectors by providing the essential resources to turn bold ideas into successful ventures. In partnership with Ignite, Planet Hatch is dedicated to nurturing first-time entrepreneurs and newcomers, shaping the future...

INNOVATION Quebec

Pharmabio Développement

Depuis 1999, Pharmabio Développement, le Comité sectoriel de maind’œuvre des industries des produits pharmaceutiques et biotechnologiques, porte fièrement sa mission de participer activement au développement de la main-d’œuvre et de l’emploi des entreprises de son secteur

Afin de soutenir sa mission, le mandat de Pharmabio Développement se définit comme suit : • Soutenir et conseiller les partenaires de l’industrie et de l’éducation dans le développement de solutions.• Approvisionner l’ensemble de ses partenaires en outils, en programmes et en information.• Jouer un rôle de premier plan dans...

INNOVATE™ South Africa

RED-LINED INTERNATIONAL

RED-LINED INTERNATIONAL- MOTORSPORT ADVENTURE

MOTORSPORT ADVENTURE

The CEO and founder of Red-Lined International Terence Marsh had a goal of competing on the world stage at Dakar and established the business in 2013. We set out into the international market in search of a race car and returned to South Africa disillusioned at what the market had...

INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition

UNLEASHING INNOVATION

THE THINKNIMBLE REVOLUTION

“We are a product design and software development agency that turns clients into confident tech leaders who understand their customers and build great tech.” ThinkNimble is a guiding light of innovation. It’s carved out a niche that’s as unique as its approach to technology and entrepreneurship. Founded on the principle...

INNOVATE™ Alberta

BUOYANCY

Empowering employment agencies to scale their impact through technology-enabled behaviour change

Buoyancy Works is a Calgary, Alberta-based wellness tech and behavioural insights company that empowers employment agencies to scale their impact through technology-enabled behaviour change techniques. The Buoyancy platform helps organizations scale programs, measure engagement, and support their clients through the emotional and motivational challenges of the job search. Buoyancy’s tools...

INNOVATE™ Atlantic Canada

Atlantic Fintech

A Rising Star in Canada's Fintech Scene

Atlantic Fintech is a catalyst for growth in the financial technology sector across the four Atlantic Canadian provinces: New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador. This sector initiative aims to accelerate the industry’s expansion by building a connected global network of founders and experts and forming...

INNOVATE® Chicago Vol.1

NATURE'S FYND

NATURE'S FYND-TRANSFORMING HOW THE WORLD EATS WITH FY™

TRANSFORMING HOW THE WORLD EATS WITH FY™, A NEW-TO-THE-WORLD, NUTRITIONAL FUNGI PROTEIN

The story of Nature’s Fynd™ begins millions of years ago, in an acidic hot spring located in what is today Yellowstone National Park when a remarkable microbe was born. In 2009, NASA-backed research on extremophiles led our co-founder to the park’s hot springs. He then isolated and discovered a remarkable...

INNOVATE™ Estonia

B.EST SOLUTIONS

REDEFINING SECURE DIGITAL IDENTITY WHILE STRENGTHENING LOCAL ECOSYSTEMS

Can a digital state be built from scratch with external expertise and support? B.EST Solutions has spent the past 15 years proving that it can. Founded with the mission of adapting Estonia’s pioneering digital state experience to new contexts, the company has become a trusted developer and operator of national...

INNOVATE™ Estonia

SEMETRON

INNOVATION IN HEALTHCARE: MOBILE MODULAR HOSPITAL

The healthcare sector faces increasingly complex challenges — from the impacts of climate change and natural disasters to global pandemics and conflict-related crises. In these situations, timely access to quality medical care can be a matter of life and death. This is where Semetron steps in, an innovative leader from...

INNOVATE™ Curitiba

LIGGA

CONNECTIVITY IN SCHOOLS DRIVES DIGITAL INCLUSION IN INDIGENOUS AND RURAL COMMUNITIES IN PARANÁ

The arrival of Ligga’s fiber optic network in rural schools supports the work of teachers and encourages students’ knowledge and access to technology, benefiting the entire teaching ecosystem and the local community. Ligga, the main internet company and connectivity provider in Paraná, in partnership with the State Department of Education...

INNOVATE® Detroit

Electric Outdoors

Building Sustainable Off-Grid Camping Systems for a New Era of Outdoor Adventure

Based in Detroit, Michigan, and founded in 2023, clean tech startup Electric Outdoors is on a path to transform off-grid camping and sustainability in the outdoors. Its mission is driven by what the company has identified as a huge gap in the current outdoor recreation market: Connected glamping in remote...

INNOVATE® Seattle

SYNDIO

SYNDIO HELPS HR LEADERS NAVIGATE THIS NEW WORLD WITH TECHNOLOGY

SYNDIO HELPS HR LEADERS NAVIGATE THIS NEW WORLD WITH TECHNOLOGY Companies with great cultures win in the market. Yet today, vital  elements that define culture — like how a company values its employees through pay and advancement — are on full display. In this environment of growing transparency requirements, it’s...

INNOVATE® Georgia

QTS

THE BACKBONE OF OUR MODERN ECONOMY

QTS Data Centers is a leading provider of data center solutions across a diverse footprint with over two gigawatts of critical power capacity under customer contract in North America and Europe. Part of the Blackstone portfolio, QTS delivers secure, compliant infrastructure solutions, robust connectivity and premium customer service to leading...

INNOVATION Quebec

CEIM

STIMULATING ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND FOSTERING THE GROWTH OF EMERGING TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES

As an organization that has been serving innovation for more than 25 years, we are particularly proud to have supported companies that have since become flagships of our ecosystem, or that now act as powerful catalysts for progress and change in our society. “Our entrepreneurs’ capacity to create and to...

Global Innovation Spotlight

HILCO CONSUMER - RETAIL

INNOVATING FOR THE RETAIL LIFECYCLE – FROM BEGINNING TO END AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN

Can a business founded as a retail liquidation firm innovate to save retail? Hilco Consumer-Retail (HCR) is undoubtedly trying – and succeeding in BIG WAYS! Retail – and the consumer product businesses that feed them inventory – is among the most troubled sectors in the United States and worldwide. This...

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...

Ecosystems