Stories of Innovation

INNOVATION Quebec

CONSEIL DE L’INNOVATION DU QUÉBEC

LA RÉVOLUTION DE L’INNOVATION POUR L’AVENIR DU QUÉBEC

Le Conseil de l’innovation du Québec a pour mission de dynamiser l’innovation au sein des entreprises et de la société québécoise. Son équipe multiplie les actions afin d’insuffler une culture de l’innovation plus forte, partout à travers la province. Qu’il s’agisse d’innovation sociale, d’intelligence artificielle, de développement durable, de prospérité...

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...

INNOVATE™ Flanders

iFLUX

Future-proof groundwater monitoring solutions in uncertain and dynamic times.

How do you tackle groundwater contamination in a targeted, swift, and efficient manner? How do you prevent nature reserves and cities from running dry? These are the questions that iFLUX experts answer with the help of objective data coming from state-of-the-art sensor technology. Groundwater constitutes just 0,65% of Earth’s water,...

INNOVATE® Georgia

WORKOPTI

WORKOPTI SAVES LEADERS TIME. WORKOPTI SAVES LEADERS MONEY.

WORKOPTI: Technology Built for Leaders in the AI Economy WORKOPTI, founded by our CTO Elkanah Reed, is revolutionizing executive decision-making by providing a platform designed for the AI economy. As the only AI-powered leadership platform, WORKOPTI integrates a data management engine that turns unstructured data into actionable insights. This helps...

INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports

NUTRIGMR

NUTRIGMR-TO EQUIP GAMERS WITH “BETTER FOR YOU” PERFORMANCE BACKED BY INNOVATIVE NUTRITIONAL SCIENCE

TO EQUIP GAMERS WITH “BETTER FOR YOU” PERFORMANCE BACKED BY INNOVATIVE NUTRITIONAL SCIENCE

Innovative, science-backed product portfolio with cognitive health ingredients for esport athletes, gamers and streamers to consume before and during games and streams, designed to meet the needs of the gaming community.     Our team started studying esports athletes in 2018 and quickly saw a need to provide a healthy...

INNOVATE™ Curitiba

TREE TOOLS

INNOVATIVE CUSTOMER SERVICE TOOLS

In 2001, Tree Tools built its headquarters in the Curitiba Software Park, an area dedicated to software production, and since then has been part of the Curitiba City Council’s Tecnoparque program. Curitiba is an innovative city and was chosen in Barcelona, Spain, as the Smartest City in the World in...

INNOVATE™ Toronto

THE CCRM STORY

THE CCRM STORY: 10 YEARS IN THE MAKING

10 YEARS IN THE MAKING

“Regenerative medicine is the future, and not only is it the future, it’s a branch of medicine that Canada and the province of Ontario are actually quite good at.” – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau When it launched onto the scene in 2011, there was nothing else like it. Even today, ten years...

INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2

TAKASA

UNLOCK A WORLD OF SUSTAINABLE POSSIBILITIES WITH TAKASA

Takasa is a premium organic lifestyle company that is devoted to sourcing the finest materials, partnering with fair-trade and clean manufacturers, and delivering exceptional value to customers. With a passion for exceptionally high-quality materials and socially conscious manufacturing processes, Takasa is focused on combining thoughtfully designed premium products for those...

INNOVATE® Nashville

VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER

The Vanderbilt Vaccine Center -Improving human health through next-generation antibody science

The Vanderbilt Vaccine Center (VVC) was founded in 2004, with James E. Crowe, Jr, M.D. as director. The mission of this internationally recognized biomedical research and development team is to transform infectious disease prevention approaches using instant immunity achieved by use of naturally occurring molecules form the human immune system...

INNOVATE™ Alberta

INCEPTIONU

The Un-School challenging Calgarians to think and build differently

Have you ever thought about the difference between being future proof or future fit? InceptionU co-founders Margo Purcell and Greg Hart certainly have. In fact, the two Calgary professionals have built a business around it. InceptionU is a place of meaningful learning where individuals, businesses and organizations go to learn...

INNOVATE® Georgia

WILLIAM MILLS AGENCY

INFLUENCING WHAT THE INDUSTRY TALKS ABOUT

William Mills Agency (WMA) has been at the forefront of financial technology innovation since its inception. A storied company and perennially one of the top five public relations agencies in Georgia, WMA is trusted by financial companies and institutions around the country and the world. The agency’s history extends before...

INNOVATE® Maryland

The Agora Intiative - FUELING FEMALE FOUNDERS Spotlight on WISE Connect and CurieDx

Breakthrough healthcare companies rarely succeed on the strength of an innovative idea alone. Behind many founders stands a network of mentors, investors, and experienced entrepreneurs willing to open doors long before the wider market recognizes their potential. Creating those connections became the reason The Agora Initiative was founded. Led by...

INNOVATE™ Botswana Vol.1

LION TUTORING

WHAT REALLY SETS US APART FROM OUR COMPETITION IS THE WAY THAT WE HAVE MERGED TECHNOLOGY WITH OUR ALREADY EXISTING SERVICES

Starting off as just a tutoring company, as time went on we merged our tutorials together with technology. Together with the 4th industrial revolution, we are the first company in Botswana to work as an “Uber for tutors.” We are basically matching tutors and students across Botswana, South Africa, and...

INNOVATE® Seattle

Madrona

A Partner and Backer of Founders at the Innovation, Early and Acceleration Stages

Madrona starts working with leadership teams before the first investment, supporting them with capital and hard work. We have been doing this since 1995 and actively invest in AI, enterprise technology, marketplaces and more. As the tech footprint in Seattle has grown, so have we. Madrona opened a Silicon Valley...

INNOVATE™ Estonia

NORTAL

THE FUTURE DELIVERED. SEAMLESSLY.

THE FUTURE DELIVERED. SEAMLESSLY. Founded in 2000, Nortal has established itself as a global leader in digital transformation, blending local expertise with an international footprint. As an employee-owned company operating across 26 offices worldwide, Nortal partners with some of the world’s most impactful organizations and governments, architecting a future defined...

INNOVATE™ Antwerp Vol.2

MINIONE

MINIONE- INTRODUCED IN 2014

INTRODUCED IN 2014, MINIONE® SYSTEMS IS A BRAND OF EDUCATIONAL LIFE SCIENCE PRODUCTS DEVELOPED BY THE COMPANY EMBI TEC®, WHICH HAS FOR YEARS MANUFACTURED BIOTECH EQUIPMENT AND REAGENTS USED BY TOP RESEARCH FACILITIES ALL OVER THE WORLD

When its founders, Richard Chan and Winston Walker, learned that educators were purchasing their research-grade equipment to help students get hands-on experience with electrophoresis in their classrooms, they sought to develop a teacher and student-friendly electrophoresis system that was safe, compact, fast, and affordable, making it possible to complete inquiry...

INNOVATE® Chicago Vol.1

SIWA THERAPEUTICS

SIWA THERAPEUTICS-We Founded SIWA

We Founded SIWA, Drawing Upon An Understanding Of Aging And The AGEs, To Combat Cancer

SIWA Therapeutics, Inc. has developed 318H, a monoclonal antibody that we believe can become a broadly effective cancer immunotherapeutic. Most recently, we showed that 318H enabled complete remission of pancreatic cancer in vivo in humanized mice – we hope to file an IND application for pancreatic cancer next year. Our...

INNOVATE® Detroit

Plug and Play Detroit

Driving the Future of Mobility

A city synonymous with automotive innovation, Plug and Play’s Detroit operation is making waves with its groundbreaking approach to mobility. As a global leader in fostering innovation, Plug and Play has established itself as a critical player in the tech ecosystem. However, in Detroit, the organization is doing more than...

Global Innovation Spotlight

GreenGeeks vs. InMotion:

A Real WordPress Performance Comparison

GreenGeeks vs. InMotion: A Real WordPress Performance Comparison I spent the better part of 2025 months running WordPress sites on both GreenGeeks and InMotion Hosting. I tested load times, uptime, server response, and how each platform handled traffic under pressure. I also paid attention to the smaller things, like how...

INNOVATE™ Curitiba

AUDI

Audi celebrates 30-years in Brazil in 2024, a challenging journey that begun in 1994, when the former F1 driver and Brazilian icon Ayrton Senna started importing the four rings vehicles brand to local market, with new technologies and unprecedented driving dynamics. In these 30-years, Audi has brought outstanding models to...

INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports

EsportScholar

EsportScholar-Is located at the intersection of esports and education

Is located at the intersection of esports and education, and is home to the future of learning and competition

Our after-school league coalesces in-game coaching with STEAM instruction into a dynamic, engaging program for organizations, schools and school districts. We’re in the business of building vibrant esports communities with the goal of being the highlight of our students’ days. We believe in recognizing abilities that have (for far too...

INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports

UKNIGHTED XP

UKNIGHTED XP- We Play For The World

We Play For The World

A 501(c)3 nonprofit charity dedicated to communities, leaders, and organizations by offering innovative consultant services. In 2018, UKnightedXP, Inc. (UKXP) was like all ventures in the beginning – an idea and a dream. Devastated by hurricane Michael, the Panhandle of Florida was reeling from one of the most devastating category...

INNOVATION Quebec

INNOVER ENSEMBLE

LE MODÈLE DU CENTRE-DU-QUÉBEC

Le Centre-du-Québec, c’est 5 territoires d’appartenance et une démarche régionale de co-développement unique. Elle favorise l’innovation, la mise en commun de l’expertise, la réalisation de projets communs et surtout, une complémentarité quicrée un véritable effet de levier. Ce modèle de concertation innovant permet aussi un partage des responsabilités liées au...

INNOVATE™ South Africa

DMG EVENTS

INNOVATING THE BUSINESS OF FACE-TO-FACE EVENTS , THE GLOBAL EXHIBITIONS INDUSTRY IS OF KEY ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE AND IS BY NO MEANS AN INSIGNIFICANT BUSINESS

Worldwide there are approximately 32 000 exhibitions each year, featuring 4.5 million exhibiting companies and attracting over 303 million visitors....

INNOVATION Quebec

CONSEIL DE L’INNOVATION DU QUÉBEC

LA RÉVOLUTION DE L’INNOVATION POUR L’AVENIR DU QUÉBEC

Le Conseil de l’innovation du Québec a pour mission de dynamiser l’innovation au sein des entreprises et de la société québécoise. Son équipe multiplie les actions afin d’insuffler une culture de l’innovation plus forte, partout à travers la province. Qu’il s’agisse d’innovation sociale, d’intelligence artificielle, de développement durable, de prospérité...

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...

INNOVATE™ Flanders

iFLUX

Future-proof groundwater monitoring solutions in uncertain and dynamic times.

How do you tackle groundwater contamination in a targeted, swift, and efficient manner? How do you prevent nature reserves and cities from running dry? These are the questions that iFLUX experts answer with the help of objective data coming from state-of-the-art sensor technology. Groundwater constitutes just 0,65% of Earth’s water,...

INNOVATE® Georgia

WORKOPTI

WORKOPTI SAVES LEADERS TIME. WORKOPTI SAVES LEADERS MONEY.

WORKOPTI: Technology Built for Leaders in the AI Economy WORKOPTI, founded by our CTO Elkanah Reed, is revolutionizing executive decision-making by providing a platform designed for the AI economy. As the only AI-powered leadership platform, WORKOPTI integrates a data management engine that turns unstructured data into actionable insights. This helps...

INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports

NUTRIGMR

NUTRIGMR-TO EQUIP GAMERS WITH “BETTER FOR YOU” PERFORMANCE BACKED BY INNOVATIVE NUTRITIONAL SCIENCE

TO EQUIP GAMERS WITH “BETTER FOR YOU” PERFORMANCE BACKED BY INNOVATIVE NUTRITIONAL SCIENCE

Innovative, science-backed product portfolio with cognitive health ingredients for esport athletes, gamers and streamers to consume before and during games and streams, designed to meet the needs of the gaming community.     Our team started studying esports athletes in 2018 and quickly saw a need to provide a healthy...

INNOVATE™ Curitiba

TREE TOOLS

INNOVATIVE CUSTOMER SERVICE TOOLS

In 2001, Tree Tools built its headquarters in the Curitiba Software Park, an area dedicated to software production, and since then has been part of the Curitiba City Council’s Tecnoparque program. Curitiba is an innovative city and was chosen in Barcelona, Spain, as the Smartest City in the World in...

INNOVATE™ Toronto

THE CCRM STORY

THE CCRM STORY: 10 YEARS IN THE MAKING

10 YEARS IN THE MAKING

“Regenerative medicine is the future, and not only is it the future, it’s a branch of medicine that Canada and the province of Ontario are actually quite good at.” – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau When it launched onto the scene in 2011, there was nothing else like it. Even today, ten years...

INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2

TAKASA

UNLOCK A WORLD OF SUSTAINABLE POSSIBILITIES WITH TAKASA

Takasa is a premium organic lifestyle company that is devoted to sourcing the finest materials, partnering with fair-trade and clean manufacturers, and delivering exceptional value to customers. With a passion for exceptionally high-quality materials and socially conscious manufacturing processes, Takasa is focused on combining thoughtfully designed premium products for those...

INNOVATE® Nashville

VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER

The Vanderbilt Vaccine Center -Improving human health through next-generation antibody science

The Vanderbilt Vaccine Center (VVC) was founded in 2004, with James E. Crowe, Jr, M.D. as director. The mission of this internationally recognized biomedical research and development team is to transform infectious disease prevention approaches using instant immunity achieved by use of naturally occurring molecules form the human immune system...

INNOVATE™ Alberta

INCEPTIONU

The Un-School challenging Calgarians to think and build differently

Have you ever thought about the difference between being future proof or future fit? InceptionU co-founders Margo Purcell and Greg Hart certainly have. In fact, the two Calgary professionals have built a business around it. InceptionU is a place of meaningful learning where individuals, businesses and organizations go to learn...

INNOVATE® Georgia

WILLIAM MILLS AGENCY

INFLUENCING WHAT THE INDUSTRY TALKS ABOUT

William Mills Agency (WMA) has been at the forefront of financial technology innovation since its inception. A storied company and perennially one of the top five public relations agencies in Georgia, WMA is trusted by financial companies and institutions around the country and the world. The agency’s history extends before...

INNOVATE® Maryland

The Agora Intiative - FUELING FEMALE FOUNDERS Spotlight on WISE Connect and CurieDx

Breakthrough healthcare companies rarely succeed on the strength of an innovative idea alone. Behind many founders stands a network of mentors, investors, and experienced entrepreneurs willing to open doors long before the wider market recognizes their potential. Creating those connections became the reason The Agora Initiative was founded. Led by...

INNOVATE™ Botswana Vol.1

LION TUTORING

WHAT REALLY SETS US APART FROM OUR COMPETITION IS THE WAY THAT WE HAVE MERGED TECHNOLOGY WITH OUR ALREADY EXISTING SERVICES

Starting off as just a tutoring company, as time went on we merged our tutorials together with technology. Together with the 4th industrial revolution, we are the first company in Botswana to work as an “Uber for tutors.” We are basically matching tutors and students across Botswana, South Africa, and...

INNOVATE® Seattle

Madrona

A Partner and Backer of Founders at the Innovation, Early and Acceleration Stages

Madrona starts working with leadership teams before the first investment, supporting them with capital and hard work. We have been doing this since 1995 and actively invest in AI, enterprise technology, marketplaces and more. As the tech footprint in Seattle has grown, so have we. Madrona opened a Silicon Valley...

INNOVATE™ Estonia

NORTAL

THE FUTURE DELIVERED. SEAMLESSLY.

THE FUTURE DELIVERED. SEAMLESSLY. Founded in 2000, Nortal has established itself as a global leader in digital transformation, blending local expertise with an international footprint. As an employee-owned company operating across 26 offices worldwide, Nortal partners with some of the world’s most impactful organizations and governments, architecting a future defined...

INNOVATE™ Antwerp Vol.2

MINIONE

MINIONE- INTRODUCED IN 2014

INTRODUCED IN 2014, MINIONE® SYSTEMS IS A BRAND OF EDUCATIONAL LIFE SCIENCE PRODUCTS DEVELOPED BY THE COMPANY EMBI TEC®, WHICH HAS FOR YEARS MANUFACTURED BIOTECH EQUIPMENT AND REAGENTS USED BY TOP RESEARCH FACILITIES ALL OVER THE WORLD

When its founders, Richard Chan and Winston Walker, learned that educators were purchasing their research-grade equipment to help students get hands-on experience with electrophoresis in their classrooms, they sought to develop a teacher and student-friendly electrophoresis system that was safe, compact, fast, and affordable, making it possible to complete inquiry...

INNOVATE® Chicago Vol.1

SIWA THERAPEUTICS

SIWA THERAPEUTICS-We Founded SIWA

We Founded SIWA, Drawing Upon An Understanding Of Aging And The AGEs, To Combat Cancer

SIWA Therapeutics, Inc. has developed 318H, a monoclonal antibody that we believe can become a broadly effective cancer immunotherapeutic. Most recently, we showed that 318H enabled complete remission of pancreatic cancer in vivo in humanized mice – we hope to file an IND application for pancreatic cancer next year. Our...

INNOVATE® Detroit

Plug and Play Detroit

Driving the Future of Mobility

A city synonymous with automotive innovation, Plug and Play’s Detroit operation is making waves with its groundbreaking approach to mobility. As a global leader in fostering innovation, Plug and Play has established itself as a critical player in the tech ecosystem. However, in Detroit, the organization is doing more than...

Global Innovation Spotlight

GreenGeeks vs. InMotion:

A Real WordPress Performance Comparison

GreenGeeks vs. InMotion: A Real WordPress Performance Comparison I spent the better part of 2025 months running WordPress sites on both GreenGeeks and InMotion Hosting. I tested load times, uptime, server response, and how each platform handled traffic under pressure. I also paid attention to the smaller things, like how...

INNOVATE™ Curitiba

AUDI

Audi celebrates 30-years in Brazil in 2024, a challenging journey that begun in 1994, when the former F1 driver and Brazilian icon Ayrton Senna started importing the four rings vehicles brand to local market, with new technologies and unprecedented driving dynamics. In these 30-years, Audi has brought outstanding models to...

INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports

EsportScholar

EsportScholar-Is located at the intersection of esports and education

Is located at the intersection of esports and education, and is home to the future of learning and competition

Our after-school league coalesces in-game coaching with STEAM instruction into a dynamic, engaging program for organizations, schools and school districts. We’re in the business of building vibrant esports communities with the goal of being the highlight of our students’ days. We believe in recognizing abilities that have (for far too...

INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports

UKNIGHTED XP

UKNIGHTED XP- We Play For The World

We Play For The World

A 501(c)3 nonprofit charity dedicated to communities, leaders, and organizations by offering innovative consultant services. In 2018, UKnightedXP, Inc. (UKXP) was like all ventures in the beginning – an idea and a dream. Devastated by hurricane Michael, the Panhandle of Florida was reeling from one of the most devastating category...

INNOVATION Quebec

INNOVER ENSEMBLE

LE MODÈLE DU CENTRE-DU-QUÉBEC

Le Centre-du-Québec, c’est 5 territoires d’appartenance et une démarche régionale de co-développement unique. Elle favorise l’innovation, la mise en commun de l’expertise, la réalisation de projets communs et surtout, une complémentarité quicrée un véritable effet de levier. Ce modèle de concertation innovant permet aussi un partage des responsabilités liées au...

INNOVATE™ South Africa

DMG EVENTS

INNOVATING THE BUSINESS OF FACE-TO-FACE EVENTS , THE GLOBAL EXHIBITIONS INDUSTRY IS OF KEY ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE AND IS BY NO MEANS AN INSIGNIFICANT BUSINESS

Worldwide there are approximately 32 000 exhibitions each year, featuring 4.5 million exhibiting companies and attracting over 303 million visitors....

Ecosystems