Stories of Innovation

19th of March 1863, in a house in a suburb of Antwerp, François-Xavier de Beukelaer – after finishing his studies as a doctor and pharmacist – discovered early in the morning after years of research, the recipe for a delicious liqueur: Elixir d’Anvers. Elixir d’Anvers soon became famous for his...

Gatik, the market leader in autonomous middle mile logistics, focuses on B2B short-haul delivery, moving goods safely and efficiently using its fleet of medium duty trucks. Gatik’s autonomous vehicles (AVs) are commercially deployed in multiple markets including Ontario, Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana. Founded in 2017 by veterans of the autonomous...

It’s no secret that healthcare has become excessively complex for both providers and patients. Medplus Solutions builds innovative service programs that deliver a simpler, better experience for patients and superior outcomes for facilities, employers, and payors. Medplus Solutions’ purpose is to provoke changes in the healthcare system by innovating in...

La création de l’organisation s’est faite en 2018, à la suite d’un processus de consultation et de concertation régional, pour établir le positionnement adéquat de l’organisation. La complémentarité de la mission de l’organisation avec l’ensemble des partenaires de l’écosystème de développement et d’innovation en région a permis de conclure à...

Innovation ecosystems have always grown around shared physical places, from university labs and coworking spaces to startup districts, demo days, accelerators, and global conferences. These places still matter because people build trust faster when they can meet, listen, and exchange ideas in the same room.  Yet they are no longer...

I have lived to work and, believe me, that’s no way to live… or work. This doesn’t mean don’t work hard. I’ve just discovered that when you love where you live you have a longer-term view of how you work. I spend my days supporting people who are in the...

Edesa Biotech, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company focused on commercializing latestage, research-validated assets. In 2020, the Markham-based company positioned itself on the frontline of the Covid-19 treatment race when one of its leading drug candidates showed great promise as a “rescue therapy” for hospitalized patients with a life-threatening form of...

Well-structured online safety guidelines help reduce risk by establishing consistent expectations for behaviour and the use of secure technology. When organisations articulate their responsibilities clearly (whether to staff, students, customers, or platform users), they improve compliance and address threats proactively. These guidelines also help users recognise unsafe situations.  Strong policies...

The Quebec Film and Television Council (QFTC) has been contributing to the development and competitiveness of Quebec as a world-class audiovisual production center for over fifteen years. It supports innovation in three major economic sectors in Quebec: live action, visual effects, and animation. In 2021, this creative and dynamic sector...

REBOOT PARTNERS Reboot Partners helps emerging growth company CEO’s to operate at scale and accelerate global growth—and advises Fortune 1000 executives and multi-national corporations on how to tackle their most challenging issues, by seizing emerging market opportunities, building global partnerships and development initiatives, and leading sustainable digital-transformation programs. From behind-the-scenes...

Polycade is the gaming platform for in-person play. The Polycade software powers PC-based consoles and arcade machines, including their proprietary commercial-grade two and four-player arcade machines. The software features are designed to support in-person and location-based gaming, while connecting these physical communities with their digital counterparts — features like small-pond...

Co-founded by University of Toronto graduates, Bashir Khan, Ayaan Haider and Shayaan Haider in 2018, AirMatrix builds the world’s most precise drone road systems. AirMatrix is innovating at the bleeding edge and is affiliated with Communitech, MaRS, IRAP and DMZ. AirMatrix is a member of Transport Canada’s action team on...

Airspeeder, in collaboration with Alauda Aeronautics, is leading the way in the development of electric flying vehicles through the power of sporting competition. With their headquarters in Adelaide, South Australia, and London, England, they are strategically positioned to drive technical progress and build public acceptance for a new mobility revolution....

As Philadelphia celebrates 250 years of innovation, independence, and impact, HiTouch Enterprises marks a milestone of its own — ten years of building experiences that move communities, elevate brands, and deliver measurable results. Founded in 2016 by marketing and event strategist Felicia D. Williams, HiTouch Enterprises has grown into a...

Nearly 18,000 people work, practice, study and work here. The CHUM offers the best specialized and super specialized care to all Quebecers and improves their health, based on scientific knowledge that is constantly updated by a research and teaching community. The CHUM Research Centre is the largest research center in...

Kansas City has long been a center of industry and grit. In recent years, it has also proven itself to be a center of innovation. Pipeline Entrepreneurs sits at the heart of that shift. Founded in 2007, the organization supports the Midwest’s most driven founders and proves that world-class companies...

Heidi is an entrepreneur and computer scientist who anticipates the needs of businesses and society as they’re transformed by digital technology. She earned her Master’s in Computer Science at the University of Twente in the Netherlands. She is constantly seeking the edge of change and where she finds it, she...

Born in the year of the millennium, Step Ahead Consulting, headquartered in Quinta da Fonte, in Oeiras, quickly asserted itself in two aspects: Despite a very strong presence in Angola, the company remained committed to several outstanding national projects, such as the Nationality Process, and other management projects, in clients...

ELEVATOR PITCH Bristol Private Equity Club (BPEC) was founded by Jerry Barnes alongside five local influential and successful entrepreneurs in May 2016 and has, to date, provided circa £6M to 18 Bristol-based tech companies, some of whom are progressing to being globally-recognised leaders in their specialised sector. These investments have...

As American forces crossed the English Channel to liberate France in June 1944, Milwaukee native Lloyd A. Sauer was thinking forward to a post-war era. Sauer purchased a small company called ColorPrint Products Printing and began producing window signage for shoe stores. But it was Cadillac and Harley-Davidson that propelled...

TekCyte’s next-generation medical device coating technology BIOINVISIBLE™ is helping to create safer and better outcomes for patients. Currently, vascular medical device complications result in implant failure rates of up to 30%, leaving many patients requiring additional medical intervention and surgery. These complications can cause patients significant discomfort, morbidity, and in...

Cities are being asked to undergo profound transformations in the coming decades, to adapt to major environmental changes resulting from a development model based on continuous growth and to attenuate the negative externalities of urbanization. It should be possible for cities to participate in the regeneration of ecosystems and the...

Cavrnus, Inc. is an innovative technology startup that enables every enterprise, brand and creator to intuitively design, build and share their vision of immersive reality with anyone, anywhere, and on any device. The Cavrnus metaverse builder platform delivers highly realistic visuals and interactions that bring any experience–from virtual product showrooms...

Homemade in DC is innovating on the staid corporate catering and gifting scene, combining local sourcing, diverse founders and small businesses, storytelling, and rich data all on one platform. Founded by Mackenzie Loy, this growing organization is not just an online marketplace; it is a vibrant hub for corporate catering...