Stories of Innovation

INNOVATE® Philadelphia

Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC)

Driving Growth to Every Corner of Philadelphia

PIDC is Philadelphia’s public-private economic development corporation founded by the City of Philadelphia and the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia in 1958. Its mission is to create quality jobs and grow a global economy through economic development that ultimately achieves a high quality of life for all who live...

United Nations Lesotho

UNITED NATIONS LESOTHO

MESSAGE BY THE RESIDENT COORDINATOR

Ka lebelo la Ntšoekhe – With the speed of Ntšoekhe and aligned to the call by UN Member States to accelerate the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, this Cooperation Framework (CF) calls for accelerated pace in decision making, delivering and coordinating of development priorities, while leveraging all available resources,...

INNOVATE® Chicago Vol.1

ROOMII

ROOMII’S MISSION IS TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO ASPIRATIONAL FURNITURE FOR EVERY ROOM IN YOUR HOME

Roomii is an online marketplace that lets you lease out your furniture to people who don’t want to own it. Our platform lets you earn a return on your furniture investment while helping people furnish their space short-term with quality pre-owned furniture. Roomii’s story began in the spring of 2020....

INNOVATE™ Estonia

ELCOGEN

HIGHLY EFFICIENT SOLID OXIDE CELLS AND STACKS FOR FUEL CELL SYSTEMS AND ELECTROLYSERS

Elcogen’s roots trace back to Estonia’s post-independence period in the early 1990s. With the country newly liberated from Soviet rule, Estonia faced a major challenge in reorganizing its energy infrastructure. Energy prices soared, and the need for energy independence became critical. Enn Õunpuu, who had helped establish the Estonian Power...

INNOVATION Quebec

CENTRE PHI

Fondé en 2012, le Centre PHI se consacre à l’innovation aux frontières de la production créative et encourage la conception, le développement, la production et la présentation d’une grande variété de disciplines et de formes, avec un accent sur les technologies numériques et les nouveaux médias. Ses programmes et son...

INNOVATE® Detroit

Detroit Opera

Setting the Scene for Opera's Future

Over the last half-century, Detroit Opera—formerly Michigan Opera Theatre—has become a deeply rooted cultural force in a city of innovation and diverse perspectives, presenting programs that resonate with people of all ages and backgrounds while positively impacting the local economy. Appointed as the company’s second-ever Artistic Director in 2020, Yuval...

INNOVATION Quebec

STIQ (SOUS-TRAITANCE INDUSTRIELLE QUÉBEC)

INCONTOURNABLE DANS L’ÉCOSYSTÈME MANUFACTURIER QUÉBÉCOIS

STIQ est une association multisectorielle d’entreprises québécoises qui a pour mission de développer les relations d’affaires et améliorer la compétitivité des entreprises manufacturières afin de favoriser l’essor de l’économie québécoise. Depuis sa fondation en 1987, STIQ agit comme activateur de performance en créant des maillages fructueux et en déployant des...

INNOVATE® Jacksonville

Bluewave Technologies Inc.

Bluewave Technologies Inc. - A health-tech startup that started out of the University of Florida’s innovation hub

A health-tech startup that started out of the University of Florida’s innovation hub

Created in 2015 company, BLUEWAVE Technologies is a health-tech startup that started out of the University of Florida’s Innovation Hub. Innovation Hub. BLUEWAVE Technologies is a health-tech startup and the creator of the BLUEWAVE, a device that can deodorize items with its proprietary ozone infusion technology in as little as...

INNOVATE™ Toronto

AMPLIFY CAPITAL

TARGETING QUANTITATIVE IMPACT OUTCOMES; DELIVERING DOUBLE BOTTOM LINE RETURNS

Amplify Capital is a Canadian-based investment fund that provides early-stage companies long-term equity solutions and strategic support to develop their business to solve challenges affecting our future. Led by veteran private equity executive Kathryn Wortsman, Amplify Capital invests exclusively in impact ventures that demonstrate significant, measurable impact alongside market-rate returns....

INNOVATE® New Jersey Vol.2

Konica Minolta

KONICA MINOLTA

Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. (Konica Minolta) has been operating out of its U.S. headquarters in Ramsey, NJ since the 1970s. Across the country, more than 5,000 employees work together to reshape and revolutionize the workplace to achieve true connectivity through the Intelligent Connected Workplace. The company guides and...

Global Innovation Spotlight

ZORROSIGN

ZORROSIGN-BRINGS BLOCKCHAIN TO DUBAI FOR DIGITAL PRIVACY & SECURITY

BRINGS BLOCKCHAIN TO DUBAI FOR DIGITAL PRIVACY & SECURITY

ZorroSign, Inc. is a global technology company with deep roots in the United Arab Emirates. Co-founded by a third-generation member of the Hadi family who have called Dubai their home for the last 55 years, the company uses blockchain technology for digital signatures to ensure superior privacy and security. ZorroSign...

INNOVATE™ Toronto

SENSO

SENSO-TRANSFORMING THE BORROWER EXPERIENCE FROM REACTIVE TO PROACTIVE

TRANSFORMING THE BORROWER EXPERIENCE FROM REACTIVE TO PROACTIVE

Senso is a leading intelligence and engagement platform designed to help mortgage lenders increase interest income growth and lifetime value by proactively engaging borrowers leading up to their next home purchase or refinance transaction. How It All Came Together Founded in the heart of Toronto’s innovation ecosystem in 2017, founders...

INNOVATE™ Flanders

MOTRAC

SUSTAINABLE INTRALOGISTICS AND CLEANING, IN EVERY POSSIBLE SENSE

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM MOTRACSimply put: whether you’re a small starter company or an industry giant, you can expect Motrac to offer tailor-made solutions in the fields of intralogistics and cleaning. As an Antwerp-based products & services provider with over 50 years of experience, they use their expertise to assist...

INNOVATE® Detroit

METALBUILT

Forming the Future of Mobility

Metalbuilt understands the importance of leveraging generations of manufacturing wisdom to shape the future of mobility in our world. When walking through their Metro Detroit facility, one will see a synchronized dance of large metal stamping presses cycling up and down, sparks flying behind welding curtains, and high-tech lasers cutting...

INNOVATE® Kansas City

AXIOFORCE

MAKING REVOLUTIONARY SMART MATERIALS TO BRING FORCE SENSING TO APPLICATIONS PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT IMPOSSIBLE.

MAKING REVOLUTIONARY SMART MATERIALS TO BRING FORCE SENSING TO APPLICATIONS PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT IMPOSSIBLE. Axioforce is a sensor company based on a smart materials breakthrough made by Drs. Cory Berkland and Jonathan Miller at the University of Kansas. The two were working on a DoE sponsored project developing cushions that leverage...

INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports

FRUITLAB

FRUITLAB-IS A COMMUNITY PLATFORM FOR THE BILLIONS OF PEOPLE IN THE WORLD THAT ENJOY SMILING OR GAMING OR SMILING AND GAMING

IS A COMMUNITY PLATFORM FOR THE BILLIONS OF PEOPLE IN THE WORLD THAT ENJOY SMILING OR GAMING OR SMILING AND GAMING

Imagine a social platform built especially for gamers that enabled users to earn cryptocurrency from their content and from playing their favourite games. Now imagine being able to use that cryptocurrency to buy games and in-game upgrades, purchase NFTs of content from top Content creators or to compete against other...

INNOVATE™ Stockholm

SCHOOLTRY

BUILDING A SINGLE DIGITAL BACKBONE FOR EDUCATION WORLDWIDE

As education systems around the world shift rapidly toward digital operations, one company is quietly standing out. SchoolTry, a Stockholm-based tech company, has created a cloud-based platform that brings school management, digital learning, and career readiness together in one seamless system. Founded by software engineer Ismail Eleburuike, SchoolTry tackles a...

INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition

PROXY FOODS INC.

Feeding the Future

Washington, D.C., is a bustling food and beverage innovation hub. Proxy Foods Inc. stands out for its groundbreaking technology and profound mission to reshape how we think about and create food. Founded by Panos Kostopoulos, a visionary who migrated from Athens, Greece, with a dream to revolutionize food systems through...

INNOVATE™ Toronto

ALTUS ASSESSMENTS

ALTUS ASSESSMENTS-USING DATA AND TECH TO BRING THE HUMAN SIDE OF HEALTH CARE EDUCATION BACK INTO FOCUS

USING DATA AND TECH TO BRING THE HUMAN SIDE OF HEALTH CARE EDUCATION BACK INTO FOCUS

Over 33,000 Canadians have died of Covid-19, most of whom were alone in the hospital or in long-term care homes known for poor conditions and mistreatment of residents. Against the backdrop of a long-existing labour shortage, health care workers’ resilience and compassion are being tested, and many are quitting. It’s...

INNOVATE® Blockchain

MISSION IMPACT

MISSION IMPACT-DRIVING IMPACT IN THE METAVERSE AND IN THE REAL WORLD

DRIVING IMPACT IN THE METAVERSE AND IN THE REAL WORLD

Users can shape the metaverse. Unlike any other internet technology before it, Web 3.0 has the potential to be a deep space to  , explore, and unleash our creativity. The metaverse can do good in the real world; it can have an immense social impact.   Mission Impact is empowering...

INNOVATE® South Carolina

Southeastern Freight Lines

Serving the Sunbelt since 1950

Southeastern Freight Lines, a privately-owned company, has been a trusted name in South Carolina’s business community since its founding in 1950. Established in Columbia by W.T. Cassels, Sr., the company began with 14 trucks, 20 associates, and a $5,000 loan. From the very beginning, Cassels emphasized a simple yet powerful...

INNOVATE™ Kitchener Waterloo

LABSCUBED

FROM LABS BOTTLENECKS TO AUTOMATED BREAKTHROUGHS: LABSCUBED BUILDS THE FUTURE OF MATERIALS TESTING

Materials shape the world we live in. They make car tires safer on icy winter roads, help batteries run longer in electric vehicles, and enable lighter, stronger, and more sustainable plastics in everyday products. Every breakthrough material begins its life in a laboratory, where it istested, pushed to its limits,...

Global Innovation Spotlight

How Soft2Bet Uses Data and Analytics for Product Development

Soft2Bet is an international B2B technology company that develops software solutions and digital platforms for the iGaming industry. Creating in-demand digital services requires effective management of information flows and data. Soft2Bet uses analytical approaches to the collection, processing, and interpretation of information, helping to improve digital products and user experience....

Global Innovation Spotlight

65% of Progressive Jackpots Are Now Won on Phones, Yet the Tech World Is Looking to Smart Glasses. Is the Timing Right?

The image was created by us with AI, specifically for this article. The next platform debate is already moving past the phone. In May 2025, Reuters reported that Apple was aiming for smart glasses by the end of 2026. Around the same time, Apple services chief Eddy Cue said, “You...

INNOVATE® Philadelphia

Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC)

Driving Growth to Every Corner of Philadelphia

PIDC is Philadelphia’s public-private economic development corporation founded by the City of Philadelphia and the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia in 1958. Its mission is to create quality jobs and grow a global economy through economic development that ultimately achieves a high quality of life for all who live...

United Nations Lesotho

UNITED NATIONS LESOTHO

MESSAGE BY THE RESIDENT COORDINATOR

Ka lebelo la Ntšoekhe – With the speed of Ntšoekhe and aligned to the call by UN Member States to accelerate the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, this Cooperation Framework (CF) calls for accelerated pace in decision making, delivering and coordinating of development priorities, while leveraging all available resources,...

INNOVATE® Chicago Vol.1

ROOMII

ROOMII’S MISSION IS TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO ASPIRATIONAL FURNITURE FOR EVERY ROOM IN YOUR HOME

Roomii is an online marketplace that lets you lease out your furniture to people who don’t want to own it. Our platform lets you earn a return on your furniture investment while helping people furnish their space short-term with quality pre-owned furniture. Roomii’s story began in the spring of 2020....

INNOVATE™ Estonia

ELCOGEN

HIGHLY EFFICIENT SOLID OXIDE CELLS AND STACKS FOR FUEL CELL SYSTEMS AND ELECTROLYSERS

Elcogen’s roots trace back to Estonia’s post-independence period in the early 1990s. With the country newly liberated from Soviet rule, Estonia faced a major challenge in reorganizing its energy infrastructure. Energy prices soared, and the need for energy independence became critical. Enn Õunpuu, who had helped establish the Estonian Power...

INNOVATION Quebec

CENTRE PHI

Fondé en 2012, le Centre PHI se consacre à l’innovation aux frontières de la production créative et encourage la conception, le développement, la production et la présentation d’une grande variété de disciplines et de formes, avec un accent sur les technologies numériques et les nouveaux médias. Ses programmes et son...

INNOVATE® Detroit

Detroit Opera

Setting the Scene for Opera's Future

Over the last half-century, Detroit Opera—formerly Michigan Opera Theatre—has become a deeply rooted cultural force in a city of innovation and diverse perspectives, presenting programs that resonate with people of all ages and backgrounds while positively impacting the local economy. Appointed as the company’s second-ever Artistic Director in 2020, Yuval...

INNOVATION Quebec

STIQ (SOUS-TRAITANCE INDUSTRIELLE QUÉBEC)

INCONTOURNABLE DANS L’ÉCOSYSTÈME MANUFACTURIER QUÉBÉCOIS

STIQ est une association multisectorielle d’entreprises québécoises qui a pour mission de développer les relations d’affaires et améliorer la compétitivité des entreprises manufacturières afin de favoriser l’essor de l’économie québécoise. Depuis sa fondation en 1987, STIQ agit comme activateur de performance en créant des maillages fructueux et en déployant des...

INNOVATE® Jacksonville

Bluewave Technologies Inc.

Bluewave Technologies Inc. - A health-tech startup that started out of the University of Florida’s innovation hub

A health-tech startup that started out of the University of Florida’s innovation hub

Created in 2015 company, BLUEWAVE Technologies is a health-tech startup that started out of the University of Florida’s Innovation Hub. Innovation Hub. BLUEWAVE Technologies is a health-tech startup and the creator of the BLUEWAVE, a device that can deodorize items with its proprietary ozone infusion technology in as little as...

INNOVATE™ Toronto

AMPLIFY CAPITAL

TARGETING QUANTITATIVE IMPACT OUTCOMES; DELIVERING DOUBLE BOTTOM LINE RETURNS

Amplify Capital is a Canadian-based investment fund that provides early-stage companies long-term equity solutions and strategic support to develop their business to solve challenges affecting our future. Led by veteran private equity executive Kathryn Wortsman, Amplify Capital invests exclusively in impact ventures that demonstrate significant, measurable impact alongside market-rate returns....

INNOVATE® New Jersey Vol.2

Konica Minolta

KONICA MINOLTA

Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. (Konica Minolta) has been operating out of its U.S. headquarters in Ramsey, NJ since the 1970s. Across the country, more than 5,000 employees work together to reshape and revolutionize the workplace to achieve true connectivity through the Intelligent Connected Workplace. The company guides and...

Global Innovation Spotlight

ZORROSIGN

ZORROSIGN-BRINGS BLOCKCHAIN TO DUBAI FOR DIGITAL PRIVACY & SECURITY

BRINGS BLOCKCHAIN TO DUBAI FOR DIGITAL PRIVACY & SECURITY

ZorroSign, Inc. is a global technology company with deep roots in the United Arab Emirates. Co-founded by a third-generation member of the Hadi family who have called Dubai their home for the last 55 years, the company uses blockchain technology for digital signatures to ensure superior privacy and security. ZorroSign...

INNOVATE™ Toronto

SENSO

SENSO-TRANSFORMING THE BORROWER EXPERIENCE FROM REACTIVE TO PROACTIVE

TRANSFORMING THE BORROWER EXPERIENCE FROM REACTIVE TO PROACTIVE

Senso is a leading intelligence and engagement platform designed to help mortgage lenders increase interest income growth and lifetime value by proactively engaging borrowers leading up to their next home purchase or refinance transaction. How It All Came Together Founded in the heart of Toronto’s innovation ecosystem in 2017, founders...

INNOVATE™ Flanders

MOTRAC

SUSTAINABLE INTRALOGISTICS AND CLEANING, IN EVERY POSSIBLE SENSE

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM MOTRACSimply put: whether you’re a small starter company or an industry giant, you can expect Motrac to offer tailor-made solutions in the fields of intralogistics and cleaning. As an Antwerp-based products & services provider with over 50 years of experience, they use their expertise to assist...

INNOVATE® Detroit

METALBUILT

Forming the Future of Mobility

Metalbuilt understands the importance of leveraging generations of manufacturing wisdom to shape the future of mobility in our world. When walking through their Metro Detroit facility, one will see a synchronized dance of large metal stamping presses cycling up and down, sparks flying behind welding curtains, and high-tech lasers cutting...

INNOVATE® Kansas City

AXIOFORCE

MAKING REVOLUTIONARY SMART MATERIALS TO BRING FORCE SENSING TO APPLICATIONS PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT IMPOSSIBLE.

MAKING REVOLUTIONARY SMART MATERIALS TO BRING FORCE SENSING TO APPLICATIONS PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT IMPOSSIBLE. Axioforce is a sensor company based on a smart materials breakthrough made by Drs. Cory Berkland and Jonathan Miller at the University of Kansas. The two were working on a DoE sponsored project developing cushions that leverage...

INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports

FRUITLAB

FRUITLAB-IS A COMMUNITY PLATFORM FOR THE BILLIONS OF PEOPLE IN THE WORLD THAT ENJOY SMILING OR GAMING OR SMILING AND GAMING

IS A COMMUNITY PLATFORM FOR THE BILLIONS OF PEOPLE IN THE WORLD THAT ENJOY SMILING OR GAMING OR SMILING AND GAMING

Imagine a social platform built especially for gamers that enabled users to earn cryptocurrency from their content and from playing their favourite games. Now imagine being able to use that cryptocurrency to buy games and in-game upgrades, purchase NFTs of content from top Content creators or to compete against other...

INNOVATE™ Stockholm

SCHOOLTRY

BUILDING A SINGLE DIGITAL BACKBONE FOR EDUCATION WORLDWIDE

As education systems around the world shift rapidly toward digital operations, one company is quietly standing out. SchoolTry, a Stockholm-based tech company, has created a cloud-based platform that brings school management, digital learning, and career readiness together in one seamless system. Founded by software engineer Ismail Eleburuike, SchoolTry tackles a...

INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition

PROXY FOODS INC.

Feeding the Future

Washington, D.C., is a bustling food and beverage innovation hub. Proxy Foods Inc. stands out for its groundbreaking technology and profound mission to reshape how we think about and create food. Founded by Panos Kostopoulos, a visionary who migrated from Athens, Greece, with a dream to revolutionize food systems through...

INNOVATE™ Toronto

ALTUS ASSESSMENTS

ALTUS ASSESSMENTS-USING DATA AND TECH TO BRING THE HUMAN SIDE OF HEALTH CARE EDUCATION BACK INTO FOCUS

USING DATA AND TECH TO BRING THE HUMAN SIDE OF HEALTH CARE EDUCATION BACK INTO FOCUS

Over 33,000 Canadians have died of Covid-19, most of whom were alone in the hospital or in long-term care homes known for poor conditions and mistreatment of residents. Against the backdrop of a long-existing labour shortage, health care workers’ resilience and compassion are being tested, and many are quitting. It’s...

INNOVATE® Blockchain

MISSION IMPACT

MISSION IMPACT-DRIVING IMPACT IN THE METAVERSE AND IN THE REAL WORLD

DRIVING IMPACT IN THE METAVERSE AND IN THE REAL WORLD

Users can shape the metaverse. Unlike any other internet technology before it, Web 3.0 has the potential to be a deep space to  , explore, and unleash our creativity. The metaverse can do good in the real world; it can have an immense social impact.   Mission Impact is empowering...

INNOVATE® South Carolina

Southeastern Freight Lines

Serving the Sunbelt since 1950

Southeastern Freight Lines, a privately-owned company, has been a trusted name in South Carolina’s business community since its founding in 1950. Established in Columbia by W.T. Cassels, Sr., the company began with 14 trucks, 20 associates, and a $5,000 loan. From the very beginning, Cassels emphasized a simple yet powerful...

INNOVATE™ Kitchener Waterloo

LABSCUBED

FROM LABS BOTTLENECKS TO AUTOMATED BREAKTHROUGHS: LABSCUBED BUILDS THE FUTURE OF MATERIALS TESTING

Materials shape the world we live in. They make car tires safer on icy winter roads, help batteries run longer in electric vehicles, and enable lighter, stronger, and more sustainable plastics in everyday products. Every breakthrough material begins its life in a laboratory, where it istested, pushed to its limits,...

Global Innovation Spotlight

How Soft2Bet Uses Data and Analytics for Product Development

Soft2Bet is an international B2B technology company that develops software solutions and digital platforms for the iGaming industry. Creating in-demand digital services requires effective management of information flows and data. Soft2Bet uses analytical approaches to the collection, processing, and interpretation of information, helping to improve digital products and user experience....

Global Innovation Spotlight

65% of Progressive Jackpots Are Now Won on Phones, Yet the Tech World Is Looking to Smart Glasses. Is the Timing Right?

The image was created by us with AI, specifically for this article. The next platform debate is already moving past the phone. In May 2025, Reuters reported that Apple was aiming for smart glasses by the end of 2026. Around the same time, Apple services chief Eddy Cue said, “You...

Ecosystems