Stories of Innovation
INNOVATE™ Estonia
W3N
WHAT BEGAN AS AN EXPERIMENT QUICKLY GREW INTO ESTONIA’S LEADING EMERGING TECH FESTIVAL.
When Alexander Bitskov left Estonia at 12, he never imagined that nearly two decades later he would return to turn his hometown into a stage for global innovation. Narva, a city on the country’s eastern border long defined by smokestacks and heavy industry, was the last place most would associate...
INNOVATE™ Estonia
GLOBEDRY
SOLAR-DRIED FOODS FOR A RESILIENT AND SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
In many rural regions, fresh harvests are lost before they ever reach a market — not because of poor quality, but due to heat, humidity, and lack of proper preservation. GlobeDry, a family-owned Estonian company, is tackling this challenge with solar-powered food dryers that allow communities and food entrepreneurs to...
INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports
AQUATIK ESPORTS
CREATING AND FOSTERING A COMMUNITY UNLIKE ANY OTHER!
With a mantra of ‘Esports for Everyone,’ Aquatik Esports is truly unique and has propelled an abrupt tidal wave of followers, fans, and participants spread across multiple channels and touchpoints across the world. By providing approachable spaces, opportunities, and platforms for amateur competitive gamers, creators, and streamers to launch their...
INNOVATE® South Carolina
CSX
PULLING FOR AMERICA
Driving Growth and Connectivity Across South Carolina For nearly two centuries, CSX has been a cornerstone of America’s economic engine, connecting businesses and communities with safe, efficient, and innovative freight solutions. Today, as one of North America’s leading railroads, CSX continues to deliver what matters most—reliability, flexibility, and value—while powering...
INNOVATE™ Stockholm
STARTUP PEOPLE
WIDENING THE GATE FOR THE NEXT GENERATION OF FOUNDERS
When Stockholm’s startup scene began to thrive in the early 2010s, it was known for producing unicorns – but also for its fragmentation. Founders often worked in isolation, disconnected from the support, partners, and investors that could help them endure the long, difficult middle miles between idea and success. SUP...
INNOVATION Quebec
CATALIS Québec
Véritable cheffe de file dans l’accélération des processus d’autorisation d’essais cliniques et leader de l’engagement des patient·e·s enrecherche clinique, est déterminée à positionner le Québec sur l’échiquier mondial de la recherche clinique
Portée par un mandat gouvernemental et appuyée par le ministère de l’Économie, de l’Innovation et de l’Énergie et le ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux, CATALIS est un berceau d’innovation en recherche clinique. L’OBNL, créé en 2017, entreprend le mandat audacieux d’optimiser l’environnement de la recherche clinique au...
INNOVATE™ Curitiba
ABL GROUP
INNOVATION IS PART OF OUR DNA
For over two decades, Grupo ABL, a company from Curitiba, the capital of Paraná, has stood out for its expertise in creating innovative and personalized technological solutions for several sectors. Focusing on technologies, the Group seeks to predict future demands to develop tools that solve the needs of organizations and...
INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition
MIDTOWN YOUTH ACADEMY
Fighting for youth through boxing and books
In establishing Midtown Youth Academy in 1977, Golden Gloves champ Eugene “Thunder” Hughes began with a make-shift boxing ring and a noble goal: draw at-risk youth away from the mean and drug-infested streets of Washington, D.C., and guide them to a successful path in life. “We let them knock themselves...
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...
INNOVATION Quebec
ÉCOBES
UN CCTT DÉDIÉ À RÉSOUDRE LES INÉGALITÉS SOCIALES EN ÉDUCATION ET EN SANTÉ
UN CCTT DÉDIÉ À RÉSOUDRE LES INÉGALITÉS SOCIALES EN ÉDUCATION ET EN SANTÉ AU MOYEN DE LA RECHERCHE APPLIQUÉE ET PARTENARIALE COMPRENDRE, COCONSTRUIRE, AGIR Le Centre d’Étude sur les COnditions de vie et BESoins de la population (ÉCOBES) s’affirme en tant que chef de file dans le domaine de l’innovation...
INNOVATION Quebec
OPTONIQUE
SPOTLIGHT ON INNOVATION
Photonics can be found everywhere: laser surgery, battery manufacturing, and quantum computers are among many other applications that benefit from light-based technologies. The presence of research centers and industries on Quebec soil has led to a fertile ground for innovation among deep tech start-ups and established businesses. Optonique, Québec’s Photonics...
INNOVATION Quebec
INO
FAIRE LA LUMIÈRE ET CONCRÉTISER L’INNOVATION
INO est le plus important centre d’expertise en optique-photonique au Canada et compte parmi les meilleurs centres d’innovation industrielle au monde. Depuis 35 ans, l’organisation crée et développe des solutions innovantes et pertinentes pour répondre aux besoins d’entreprises québécoises et canadiennes. Grâce à des applications multiples de la lumière, du...
INNOVATE® South Florida
FPL
FPL - ENGINEER AND FORMER COMPETITOR HELPS STUDENTS BUILD AWARD-WINNING ROBOTS
The clock is ticking, and Zach Dean is rushing to put the final touches on a robot that’s minutes away from entering a battle arena. His high school robotics team, S.P.A.M., is gearing up to compete at the Broward County Convention Center, where game controllers and laptops guide robots through...
INNOVATE™ Toronto
MARS
Toronto’s Home Of Meaningful Innovation
MaRS helps promising ventures become world-leading companies. The anchor of Canada’s tech ecosystem, MaRS connects all players in the innovation economy to turn breakthrough ideas into products and services with global impact. MaRS was founded on the philosophy that innovators require more than labs and offices. They need a platform...
INNOVATION Quebec
INOVEM
CCTT IN WOODWORKING AND FURNITURE
As a woodworking and furniture innovation centre, Inovem has been supporting Quebec businesses since 1983. A true catalyst for innovation, our CCTT has become the benchmark for sustainable technologies in the woodworking, furniture and appearance wood products industry. Furniture, woodworking and appearance wood products businesses can count on Inovem’s expertise...
INNOVATION Quebec
ZONE AGTECH
STIMULATING THE EMERGENCE AND PROPELLING INNOVATIVE AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGIES IN QUEBEC
Since 2020, Quebec has been a pioneer in innovative agricultural technologies and plant bioproducts thanks to the development of Zone Agtech, a localized innovation ecosystem near the city of Montreal in the MRC of L’Assomption. Its mission? It is to intensify the development of clean, efficient and viable innovative technologies...
INNOVATION Quebec
ISMER
INSTITUT DES SCIENCES DE LA MER DE RIMOUSKI
L’Institut des sciences de la mer de Rimouski (ISMER) franchit le cap de ses 25 ans en 2024. Rattaché à l’Université du Québec à Rimouski, l’ISMER est une référence mondiale en recherche, en formation et en innovation en sciences de la mer dans une perspective de développement durable et de...
INNOVATE™ Bristol & Bath
INVEST BRISTOL + BATH
How Invest Bristol & Bath Can Help You
Invest Bristol & Bath (IBB) is the inward investment agency for the West of England Combined Authority. Our team is here to support businesses interested in growing, innovating and collaborating in the West of England through a range of tailored services to help your business thrive. Our team is experienced,...
INNOVATE™ Estonia
ESTONIAN ENTREPRENEURSHIP UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCES
A UNIVERSITY BORN OF A VISION
When Estonia regained independence in the early 1990s, its economy was in flux. The country was moving rapidly from a socialist system into the unpredictable, high-speed world of open markets. At that critical juncture, one man – Ülo Pärnits – saw a gap that urgently needed filling. Estonia had bright...
INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2
ECOMsquare
COWORKING SPACE AND COMMUNITY FOR ECOMMERCE IN VANCOUVER
A community project since day one.You might think of ECOMsquare as a place. To its founder, Steve Krueger, the distinctive blue building on West 8th Ave represents the latest evolution of a community he’s been building since June 12, 2014. Krueger hosted an Ecommerce Town Hall to connect with professionals...
INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports
Respawn Therapy
Is A Group Of Doctors Of Physical Therapy That Strive To Help Gamers Play With Healthier Habits And Less Pain
We’ve taken the lessons learned from our extensive experience in working with professional players to teach gamers of every level how to play while simultaneously reducing risk of injury. Everyone plays better when they play pain-free and we want to help them achieve that. I started Respawn Therapy in...
INNOVATE™ South Africa
DYNAMIC BRANDS MANUFACTURING (PTY) LTD
Birthed from humble beginnings within the Eastern Cape, Dynamic Brands Manufacturing (Pty) Ltd began its journey when current CEO, John Kew, identified a unique gap in the dilutable dairy blend market. Like many great entrepreneurial minds before him, John believed in the power of ideas that at first may not...
INNOVATE™ Estonia
DIPPERFOX
GRINDING THROUGH THE COMPETITION
Dipperfox, an Estonian-based heavy machinery attachment innovation powerhouse, has transformed the global approach to stump removal with its pioneering range of high-efficiency stump crushers. Designed for speed, durability, and versatility, Dipperfox stump grinders are rapidly becoming the tool of choice for professionals in forestry, landscaping, municipal services, and construction. Launched...
INNOVATE™ Estonia
W3N
WHAT BEGAN AS AN EXPERIMENT QUICKLY GREW INTO ESTONIA’S LEADING EMERGING TECH FESTIVAL.
When Alexander Bitskov left Estonia at 12, he never imagined that nearly two decades later he would return to turn his hometown into a stage for global innovation. Narva, a city on the country’s eastern border long defined by smokestacks and heavy industry, was the last place most would associate...
INNOVATE™ Estonia
GLOBEDRY
SOLAR-DRIED FOODS FOR A RESILIENT AND SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
In many rural regions, fresh harvests are lost before they ever reach a market — not because of poor quality, but due to heat, humidity, and lack of proper preservation. GlobeDry, a family-owned Estonian company, is tackling this challenge with solar-powered food dryers that allow communities and food entrepreneurs to...
INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports
AQUATIK ESPORTS
CREATING AND FOSTERING A COMMUNITY UNLIKE ANY OTHER!
With a mantra of ‘Esports for Everyone,’ Aquatik Esports is truly unique and has propelled an abrupt tidal wave of followers, fans, and participants spread across multiple channels and touchpoints across the world. By providing approachable spaces, opportunities, and platforms for amateur competitive gamers, creators, and streamers to launch their...
INNOVATE® South Carolina
CSX
PULLING FOR AMERICA
Driving Growth and Connectivity Across South Carolina For nearly two centuries, CSX has been a cornerstone of America’s economic engine, connecting businesses and communities with safe, efficient, and innovative freight solutions. Today, as one of North America’s leading railroads, CSX continues to deliver what matters most—reliability, flexibility, and value—while powering...
INNOVATE™ Stockholm
STARTUP PEOPLE
WIDENING THE GATE FOR THE NEXT GENERATION OF FOUNDERS
When Stockholm’s startup scene began to thrive in the early 2010s, it was known for producing unicorns – but also for its fragmentation. Founders often worked in isolation, disconnected from the support, partners, and investors that could help them endure the long, difficult middle miles between idea and success. SUP...
INNOVATION Quebec
CATALIS Québec
Véritable cheffe de file dans l’accélération des processus d’autorisation d’essais cliniques et leader de l’engagement des patient·e·s enrecherche clinique, est déterminée à positionner le Québec sur l’échiquier mondial de la recherche clinique
Portée par un mandat gouvernemental et appuyée par le ministère de l’Économie, de l’Innovation et de l’Énergie et le ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux, CATALIS est un berceau d’innovation en recherche clinique. L’OBNL, créé en 2017, entreprend le mandat audacieux d’optimiser l’environnement de la recherche clinique au...
INNOVATE™ Curitiba
ABL GROUP
INNOVATION IS PART OF OUR DNA
For over two decades, Grupo ABL, a company from Curitiba, the capital of Paraná, has stood out for its expertise in creating innovative and personalized technological solutions for several sectors. Focusing on technologies, the Group seeks to predict future demands to develop tools that solve the needs of organizations and...
INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition
MIDTOWN YOUTH ACADEMY
Fighting for youth through boxing and books
In establishing Midtown Youth Academy in 1977, Golden Gloves champ Eugene “Thunder” Hughes began with a make-shift boxing ring and a noble goal: draw at-risk youth away from the mean and drug-infested streets of Washington, D.C., and guide them to a successful path in life. “We let them knock themselves...
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...
INNOVATION Quebec
ÉCOBES
UN CCTT DÉDIÉ À RÉSOUDRE LES INÉGALITÉS SOCIALES EN ÉDUCATION ET EN SANTÉ
UN CCTT DÉDIÉ À RÉSOUDRE LES INÉGALITÉS SOCIALES EN ÉDUCATION ET EN SANTÉ AU MOYEN DE LA RECHERCHE APPLIQUÉE ET PARTENARIALE COMPRENDRE, COCONSTRUIRE, AGIR Le Centre d’Étude sur les COnditions de vie et BESoins de la population (ÉCOBES) s’affirme en tant que chef de file dans le domaine de l’innovation...
INNOVATION Quebec
OPTONIQUE
SPOTLIGHT ON INNOVATION
Photonics can be found everywhere: laser surgery, battery manufacturing, and quantum computers are among many other applications that benefit from light-based technologies. The presence of research centers and industries on Quebec soil has led to a fertile ground for innovation among deep tech start-ups and established businesses. Optonique, Québec’s Photonics...
INNOVATION Quebec
INO
FAIRE LA LUMIÈRE ET CONCRÉTISER L’INNOVATION
INO est le plus important centre d’expertise en optique-photonique au Canada et compte parmi les meilleurs centres d’innovation industrielle au monde. Depuis 35 ans, l’organisation crée et développe des solutions innovantes et pertinentes pour répondre aux besoins d’entreprises québécoises et canadiennes. Grâce à des applications multiples de la lumière, du...
INNOVATE® South Florida
FPL
FPL - ENGINEER AND FORMER COMPETITOR HELPS STUDENTS BUILD AWARD-WINNING ROBOTS
The clock is ticking, and Zach Dean is rushing to put the final touches on a robot that’s minutes away from entering a battle arena. His high school robotics team, S.P.A.M., is gearing up to compete at the Broward County Convention Center, where game controllers and laptops guide robots through...
INNOVATE™ Toronto
MARS
Toronto’s Home Of Meaningful Innovation
MaRS helps promising ventures become world-leading companies. The anchor of Canada’s tech ecosystem, MaRS connects all players in the innovation economy to turn breakthrough ideas into products and services with global impact. MaRS was founded on the philosophy that innovators require more than labs and offices. They need a platform...
INNOVATION Quebec
INOVEM
CCTT IN WOODWORKING AND FURNITURE
As a woodworking and furniture innovation centre, Inovem has been supporting Quebec businesses since 1983. A true catalyst for innovation, our CCTT has become the benchmark for sustainable technologies in the woodworking, furniture and appearance wood products industry. Furniture, woodworking and appearance wood products businesses can count on Inovem’s expertise...
INNOVATION Quebec
ZONE AGTECH
STIMULATING THE EMERGENCE AND PROPELLING INNOVATIVE AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGIES IN QUEBEC
Since 2020, Quebec has been a pioneer in innovative agricultural technologies and plant bioproducts thanks to the development of Zone Agtech, a localized innovation ecosystem near the city of Montreal in the MRC of L’Assomption. Its mission? It is to intensify the development of clean, efficient and viable innovative technologies...
INNOVATION Quebec
ISMER
INSTITUT DES SCIENCES DE LA MER DE RIMOUSKI
L’Institut des sciences de la mer de Rimouski (ISMER) franchit le cap de ses 25 ans en 2024. Rattaché à l’Université du Québec à Rimouski, l’ISMER est une référence mondiale en recherche, en formation et en innovation en sciences de la mer dans une perspective de développement durable et de...
INNOVATE™ Bristol & Bath
INVEST BRISTOL + BATH
How Invest Bristol & Bath Can Help You
Invest Bristol & Bath (IBB) is the inward investment agency for the West of England Combined Authority. Our team is here to support businesses interested in growing, innovating and collaborating in the West of England through a range of tailored services to help your business thrive. Our team is experienced,...
INNOVATE™ Estonia
ESTONIAN ENTREPRENEURSHIP UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCES
A UNIVERSITY BORN OF A VISION
When Estonia regained independence in the early 1990s, its economy was in flux. The country was moving rapidly from a socialist system into the unpredictable, high-speed world of open markets. At that critical juncture, one man – Ülo Pärnits – saw a gap that urgently needed filling. Estonia had bright...
INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2
ECOMsquare
COWORKING SPACE AND COMMUNITY FOR ECOMMERCE IN VANCOUVER
A community project since day one.You might think of ECOMsquare as a place. To its founder, Steve Krueger, the distinctive blue building on West 8th Ave represents the latest evolution of a community he’s been building since June 12, 2014. Krueger hosted an Ecommerce Town Hall to connect with professionals...
INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports
Respawn Therapy
Is A Group Of Doctors Of Physical Therapy That Strive To Help Gamers Play With Healthier Habits And Less Pain
We’ve taken the lessons learned from our extensive experience in working with professional players to teach gamers of every level how to play while simultaneously reducing risk of injury. Everyone plays better when they play pain-free and we want to help them achieve that. I started Respawn Therapy in...
INNOVATE™ South Africa
DYNAMIC BRANDS MANUFACTURING (PTY) LTD
Birthed from humble beginnings within the Eastern Cape, Dynamic Brands Manufacturing (Pty) Ltd began its journey when current CEO, John Kew, identified a unique gap in the dilutable dairy blend market. Like many great entrepreneurial minds before him, John believed in the power of ideas that at first may not...
INNOVATE™ Estonia
DIPPERFOX
GRINDING THROUGH THE COMPETITION
Dipperfox, an Estonian-based heavy machinery attachment innovation powerhouse, has transformed the global approach to stump removal with its pioneering range of high-efficiency stump crushers. Designed for speed, durability, and versatility, Dipperfox stump grinders are rapidly becoming the tool of choice for professionals in forestry, landscaping, municipal services, and construction. Launched...