Stories of Innovation
Global Innovation Spotlight
Original Technology Drives Commercial Applications, International Collaboration Confirms Sustained Reputation
How HU Xiaokang's AI-driven family education model reached the classroom and a cross-border partnership with Lexile.
In May 2025, Chinese intelligent family education expert HU Xiaokang signed a Digital Access and Distribution Agreement with Lexile, a subsidiary of Meta Metrics in the United States. More than a year has passed, and this cross-border cooperation has entered substantive operation from the signing stage: 5000 student assessment license...
INNOVATE™ Stockholm
WIB CAPITAL
BUILDING A NEW FRONT DOOR TO INVESTMENT; DESIGNED TO REDUCE BIAS
Early-stage investing is often described as data-driven. In practice, first impressions still decide what gets a meeting and what gets ignored. WiB Capital is building a digital front door to investment that helps startups become investor-ready using AI, while reducing identity-based bias by letting the business case speak first. The...
INNOVATE™ Antwerp Vol.2
HEIRBAUT ALGRICULTURE
THROUGHOUT WESTERN EUROPE FOOD PRODUCTION IS KNOWN TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR A WHOLE LOT OF GHG-EMISSIONS. HOWEVER, THE HOLISTIC APPROACH OF FOOD PRODUCTION SHOWN AT THE INNOVATIVE FARM OF HEIRBAUT ALGRICULTURE, AIMS TO REDUCE CO2 BY EVERY SINGLE INITIATIVE TAKEN
If you think that every farm in the world which has dairy cattle puts pressure on the climate, it is clear you have never visited Temse! Kris and Ginny Heirbaut are overflowing with circularity and are determined to close all their cycles. Kris’ grandfather used to have a mixed farm...
Global Innovation Spotlight
The Rise of AI Conferences in 2024:
A Look at the Most Important Events and Topics
Artificial intelligence, or as it is commonly referred to, AI conferences date back to the 1960s and have tremendously expanded from niche gatherings that mainly catered to academia to industry-focused and entrepreneurial assemblies. This is where researchers, policymakers, and professionals from global tech companies collaborate on various aspects of the...
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,...
AI Québec
CEuMONTRÉAL
A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION WHOSE MISSION IS TO DEVELOP AN ENTREPRENEURIAL AND INNOVATION CULTURE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MONTRÉAL
Mission University of Montreal’s entrepreneurship center (CEuMONTRÉAL) is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to develop a culture of entrepreneurship and innovation, while providing support to entrepreneurs for the creation of scientific and technological businesses in several fields, such as life sciences, biomedical, education, agriculture, law, etc. For over 20...
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™ Curitiba
HIPE
INNOVATION CENTER CURITIBA DRIVING INNOVATION IN RETAIL.
HIPE Innovation Center is the only innovation ecosystem in Brazil that drives and invests in every step of the retail entrepreneuring cycle. In over 22,000 square feet of workspace, HIPE houses about 300 workers between traditional companies, startups and independent professionals using a shared space model. According to HIPE’s CCO,...
INNOVATE™ Atlantic Canada
CareerBeacon
A Human Approach to HR Technology
While the recruitment industry changes faster than ever, CareerBeacon stands apart through a fundamental principle often overlooked in tech innovation: empathy. When Yves Boudreau and co-founder Benoit Bourque acquired CareerBeacon in 2021, they saw more than just a job board – they saw the opportunity to transform how talent connects...
INNOVATE™ Adelaide
NDE SOLUTIONS
Through advancement of our people and technology, we will create an incident free future.
Founded in 2018, company CEO / Managing Director, Kimal Singh, and COO / Director, Joshua Cleary, met onsite as contract technicians. The pair recognised flaws in the industry standard technology and methods when they discovered an opportunity to transform the non-destructive testing industry. Once NDE Solutions was created, it became...
INNOVATION Quebec
INVESTISSEMENT QUÉBEC
UNE HISTOIRE D’AVENIR
1998 Investissement Québec est créée. L’organisation permet aux entreprises et aux investisseurs d’accéder à l’ensemble des programmes offerts par le gouvernement du Québec. Bien que ce ne soit pas énoncé ainsi à l’époque, l’objectif est fondamentalement de développer l’économie du Québec et le positionner comme terre propice à l’innovation, à...
INNOVATE® Chicago Vol.1
AZUMO
Manufacturer of LCD 2.0, A Breakthrough Display Technology Revolutionizing A $130B Industry
Displays have become ubiquitous in our society. We find them in smartphones, tablets, laptops, TVs, drive through restaurants, ATM machines, thermostats, gas station pumps…the list is endless. Even still, there are notable negative impacts of displays which we have become accustomed to – excessive power consumption, subpar viewability in bright...
INNOVATION Quebec
AÉRO MONTRÉAL
CONSEIL DE L’INNOVATION – AÉRO MONTRÉAL, LA GRAPPE AÉROSPATIALE DU QUÉBEC
Grâce à son écosystème unique et diversifié, le Québec a réussi à maintenir une place de choix au sein de la chaîne d’approvisionnement mondiale en aérospatiale et Aéro Montréal y joue un rôle de premier plan. Mis sur pied en 2006, Aéro Montréal est un organisme à but non lucratif...
INNOVATION Quebec
CHAIRE DE RECHERCHE SIEMENS
ÉCOLE DE TECHNOLOGIE SUPÉRIEURE SUR L’INTÉGRATION DES TECHNOLOGIES DE L’INDUSTRIE 4.0 (2018-2028)
Les trois grands projets de recherche que chapeaute la Chaire de recherche Siemens sur l’intégration des technologies de l’industrie 4.0 sont le fruit d’un travail réalisé sur une année par le professeur Hany Moustapha et de nombreux collaborateurs. Financés par Siemens, le CRSNG et MITACS, ces projets réunissent l’expertise de...
INNOVATE® New Jersey Vol.2
CSG LAW
FULL-SERVICE LAW FIRM ANSWERING CLIENT NEEDS THROUGHOUT THE REGION
For more than 50 years, Chiesa Shahinian & Giantomasi (CSG Law) has assisted a broad spectrum of clients in achieving their objectives by offering a comprehensive array of legal services. Our more than 185 attorneys play a key role on clients’ advisory teams, providing strategic guidance to private enterprises, public...
INNOVATE® Austin Volume 2
ENCAST
DEEPENS CONNECTION BETWEEN PEOPLE, BRANDS, AND CAUSES
Our ecosystem simultaneously uplifts personal interactions, culture, brand affinity, and social impact. THE PROBLEMAbout 10,000 baby boomers retire daily. Millennials and Zoomers are taking their place, currently representing over 60% of the U.S. workforce. Younger generations care deeply about social causes. organizations who give them a greater purpose – other...
INNOVATE® Nashville
SUPERWISE
AI That Works for the Real World
SUPERWISE® is leading the next evolution in AI – making intelligent technology work for real-world industries, not just research labs. With practical, scalable, and low-friction tools, SUPERWISE empowers organizations to use AI to increase efficiency, improve decision-making, and transform how work gets done – from the executive suite to the...
INNOVATE™ Antwerp Vol.2
VITO
VISION ON TECHNOLOGY FOR A BETTER WORLD
VITO is a leading international research centre. We focus on applied research and advice, bridging the gap between fundamental research and the industry. We accelerate the transition to a sustainable world; we provide knowledge and technological innovations that facilitate this transition to a more sustainable society. We de-risk innovation...
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...
INNOVATE® Seattle
DEFINED.AI
TRANSFORMING AI TRAINING, ONE DATASET AT A TIME
At Defined.ai, our commitment is to enable the builders of AI with ethically sourced data and deliver conversational AI to digitally low-resourced markets. I had the idea of founding the company when I realized how the Conversational AI market was becoming mainstream, and everyone was building multilingual voice search and...
INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition
GRIT STUDIO
WE ELEVATE BRANDS
In the competitive world of digital marketing, standing out requires more than just expertise; it demands innovation, creativity, and a relentless pursuit of excellence. At Grit Studio, we embody these qualities. We are a content-first digital marketing studio dedicated to empowering premium brands through creative innovation and data-driven results. Founded...
INNOVATE® Georgia
CONSTRUCTION CHECK
SHAPING THE FUTURE OF CONSTRUCTION COST ESTIMATING
In the bustling landscape of the construction industry, a new player has emerged with a vision to revolutionize the way professionals estimate costs. Construction Check, founded in Atlanta, Georgia, by Leanda Thomas, the former CEO of Project Cost Solutions, Inc., is poised to become the leading platform for construction cost...
INNOVATE™ Adelaide
SPIRAL DATA
MEET THE AI TECHNOLOGISTS: Creating Decision Advantage for Water and Defence Organisations
In today’s fast-paced and data-driven business landscape, organisations are constantly seeking innovative solutions to unlock the true potential of their data. Enter Spiral Data, a leading player in Adelaide, Australia, revolutionising the way organisations extract insights from complex datasets. With a team of dedicated data scientists, machine learning engineers,and technologists,...
INNOVATION Manitoba
Sheepdog Brew Co.
INNOVATION ISN’T ALWAYS LOUD. SOMETIMES IT COMES IN A BLACK CAN.
Innovation often comes from adding more. Sheepdog Brew Co. built its business by asking what could be stripped away instead. Founded in Manitoba by former Winnipeg Police Service officer and Army Reservist Shawn Black, Sheepdog Brew Co. set out to challenge a coffee industry increasingly driven by flavours, trends and...
Global Innovation Spotlight
Original Technology Drives Commercial Applications, International Collaboration Confirms Sustained Reputation
How HU Xiaokang's AI-driven family education model reached the classroom and a cross-border partnership with Lexile.
In May 2025, Chinese intelligent family education expert HU Xiaokang signed a Digital Access and Distribution Agreement with Lexile, a subsidiary of Meta Metrics in the United States. More than a year has passed, and this cross-border cooperation has entered substantive operation from the signing stage: 5000 student assessment license...
INNOVATE™ Stockholm
WIB CAPITAL
BUILDING A NEW FRONT DOOR TO INVESTMENT; DESIGNED TO REDUCE BIAS
Early-stage investing is often described as data-driven. In practice, first impressions still decide what gets a meeting and what gets ignored. WiB Capital is building a digital front door to investment that helps startups become investor-ready using AI, while reducing identity-based bias by letting the business case speak first. The...
INNOVATE™ Antwerp Vol.2
HEIRBAUT ALGRICULTURE
THROUGHOUT WESTERN EUROPE FOOD PRODUCTION IS KNOWN TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR A WHOLE LOT OF GHG-EMISSIONS. HOWEVER, THE HOLISTIC APPROACH OF FOOD PRODUCTION SHOWN AT THE INNOVATIVE FARM OF HEIRBAUT ALGRICULTURE, AIMS TO REDUCE CO2 BY EVERY SINGLE INITIATIVE TAKEN
If you think that every farm in the world which has dairy cattle puts pressure on the climate, it is clear you have never visited Temse! Kris and Ginny Heirbaut are overflowing with circularity and are determined to close all their cycles. Kris’ grandfather used to have a mixed farm...
Global Innovation Spotlight
The Rise of AI Conferences in 2024:
A Look at the Most Important Events and Topics
Artificial intelligence, or as it is commonly referred to, AI conferences date back to the 1960s and have tremendously expanded from niche gatherings that mainly catered to academia to industry-focused and entrepreneurial assemblies. This is where researchers, policymakers, and professionals from global tech companies collaborate on various aspects of the...
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,...
AI Québec
CEuMONTRÉAL
A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION WHOSE MISSION IS TO DEVELOP AN ENTREPRENEURIAL AND INNOVATION CULTURE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MONTRÉAL
Mission University of Montreal’s entrepreneurship center (CEuMONTRÉAL) is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to develop a culture of entrepreneurship and innovation, while providing support to entrepreneurs for the creation of scientific and technological businesses in several fields, such as life sciences, biomedical, education, agriculture, law, etc. For over 20...
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™ Curitiba
HIPE
INNOVATION CENTER CURITIBA DRIVING INNOVATION IN RETAIL.
HIPE Innovation Center is the only innovation ecosystem in Brazil that drives and invests in every step of the retail entrepreneuring cycle. In over 22,000 square feet of workspace, HIPE houses about 300 workers between traditional companies, startups and independent professionals using a shared space model. According to HIPE’s CCO,...
INNOVATE™ Atlantic Canada
CareerBeacon
A Human Approach to HR Technology
While the recruitment industry changes faster than ever, CareerBeacon stands apart through a fundamental principle often overlooked in tech innovation: empathy. When Yves Boudreau and co-founder Benoit Bourque acquired CareerBeacon in 2021, they saw more than just a job board – they saw the opportunity to transform how talent connects...
INNOVATE™ Adelaide
NDE SOLUTIONS
Through advancement of our people and technology, we will create an incident free future.
Founded in 2018, company CEO / Managing Director, Kimal Singh, and COO / Director, Joshua Cleary, met onsite as contract technicians. The pair recognised flaws in the industry standard technology and methods when they discovered an opportunity to transform the non-destructive testing industry. Once NDE Solutions was created, it became...
INNOVATION Quebec
INVESTISSEMENT QUÉBEC
UNE HISTOIRE D’AVENIR
1998 Investissement Québec est créée. L’organisation permet aux entreprises et aux investisseurs d’accéder à l’ensemble des programmes offerts par le gouvernement du Québec. Bien que ce ne soit pas énoncé ainsi à l’époque, l’objectif est fondamentalement de développer l’économie du Québec et le positionner comme terre propice à l’innovation, à...
INNOVATE® Chicago Vol.1
AZUMO
Manufacturer of LCD 2.0, A Breakthrough Display Technology Revolutionizing A $130B Industry
Displays have become ubiquitous in our society. We find them in smartphones, tablets, laptops, TVs, drive through restaurants, ATM machines, thermostats, gas station pumps…the list is endless. Even still, there are notable negative impacts of displays which we have become accustomed to – excessive power consumption, subpar viewability in bright...
INNOVATION Quebec
AÉRO MONTRÉAL
CONSEIL DE L’INNOVATION – AÉRO MONTRÉAL, LA GRAPPE AÉROSPATIALE DU QUÉBEC
Grâce à son écosystème unique et diversifié, le Québec a réussi à maintenir une place de choix au sein de la chaîne d’approvisionnement mondiale en aérospatiale et Aéro Montréal y joue un rôle de premier plan. Mis sur pied en 2006, Aéro Montréal est un organisme à but non lucratif...
INNOVATION Quebec
CHAIRE DE RECHERCHE SIEMENS
ÉCOLE DE TECHNOLOGIE SUPÉRIEURE SUR L’INTÉGRATION DES TECHNOLOGIES DE L’INDUSTRIE 4.0 (2018-2028)
Les trois grands projets de recherche que chapeaute la Chaire de recherche Siemens sur l’intégration des technologies de l’industrie 4.0 sont le fruit d’un travail réalisé sur une année par le professeur Hany Moustapha et de nombreux collaborateurs. Financés par Siemens, le CRSNG et MITACS, ces projets réunissent l’expertise de...
INNOVATE® New Jersey Vol.2
CSG LAW
FULL-SERVICE LAW FIRM ANSWERING CLIENT NEEDS THROUGHOUT THE REGION
For more than 50 years, Chiesa Shahinian & Giantomasi (CSG Law) has assisted a broad spectrum of clients in achieving their objectives by offering a comprehensive array of legal services. Our more than 185 attorneys play a key role on clients’ advisory teams, providing strategic guidance to private enterprises, public...
INNOVATE® Austin Volume 2
ENCAST
DEEPENS CONNECTION BETWEEN PEOPLE, BRANDS, AND CAUSES
Our ecosystem simultaneously uplifts personal interactions, culture, brand affinity, and social impact. THE PROBLEMAbout 10,000 baby boomers retire daily. Millennials and Zoomers are taking their place, currently representing over 60% of the U.S. workforce. Younger generations care deeply about social causes. organizations who give them a greater purpose – other...
INNOVATE® Nashville
SUPERWISE
AI That Works for the Real World
SUPERWISE® is leading the next evolution in AI – making intelligent technology work for real-world industries, not just research labs. With practical, scalable, and low-friction tools, SUPERWISE empowers organizations to use AI to increase efficiency, improve decision-making, and transform how work gets done – from the executive suite to the...
INNOVATE™ Antwerp Vol.2
VITO
VISION ON TECHNOLOGY FOR A BETTER WORLD
VITO is a leading international research centre. We focus on applied research and advice, bridging the gap between fundamental research and the industry. We accelerate the transition to a sustainable world; we provide knowledge and technological innovations that facilitate this transition to a more sustainable society. We de-risk innovation...
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...
INNOVATE® Seattle
DEFINED.AI
TRANSFORMING AI TRAINING, ONE DATASET AT A TIME
At Defined.ai, our commitment is to enable the builders of AI with ethically sourced data and deliver conversational AI to digitally low-resourced markets. I had the idea of founding the company when I realized how the Conversational AI market was becoming mainstream, and everyone was building multilingual voice search and...
INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition
GRIT STUDIO
WE ELEVATE BRANDS
In the competitive world of digital marketing, standing out requires more than just expertise; it demands innovation, creativity, and a relentless pursuit of excellence. At Grit Studio, we embody these qualities. We are a content-first digital marketing studio dedicated to empowering premium brands through creative innovation and data-driven results. Founded...
INNOVATE® Georgia
CONSTRUCTION CHECK
SHAPING THE FUTURE OF CONSTRUCTION COST ESTIMATING
In the bustling landscape of the construction industry, a new player has emerged with a vision to revolutionize the way professionals estimate costs. Construction Check, founded in Atlanta, Georgia, by Leanda Thomas, the former CEO of Project Cost Solutions, Inc., is poised to become the leading platform for construction cost...
INNOVATE™ Adelaide
SPIRAL DATA
MEET THE AI TECHNOLOGISTS: Creating Decision Advantage for Water and Defence Organisations
In today’s fast-paced and data-driven business landscape, organisations are constantly seeking innovative solutions to unlock the true potential of their data. Enter Spiral Data, a leading player in Adelaide, Australia, revolutionising the way organisations extract insights from complex datasets. With a team of dedicated data scientists, machine learning engineers,and technologists,...
INNOVATION Manitoba
Sheepdog Brew Co.
INNOVATION ISN’T ALWAYS LOUD. SOMETIMES IT COMES IN A BLACK CAN.
Innovation often comes from adding more. Sheepdog Brew Co. built its business by asking what could be stripped away instead. Founded in Manitoba by former Winnipeg Police Service officer and Army Reservist Shawn Black, Sheepdog Brew Co. set out to challenge a coffee industry increasingly driven by flavours, trends and...