Stories of Innovation

INNOVATE® Seattle

MAVERON

BACKING TRANSFORMATIVE CONSUMERBUSINESSES FOR OVER 25 YEARS.

In the 1990s, Howard Schultz built Starbucks into one of the world’s most iconic consumer businesses. In 1998, after taking Starbucks public, Dan Levitan and Howard founded Maveron. They recognized that digital technologies would integrate into people’s lives in unprecedented ways and that great teams attacking consumer-focused problems would require...

INNOVATE™ Atlantic Canada

Atlantic Venture Forum

Igniting Innovation and Investment in Atlantic Canada

The Atlantic Venture Forum (AVF) serves as a beacon of innovation and investment in Atlantic Canada, providing a vital platform for high-potential startups to connect with investors, industry leaders, and policymakers. Atlantic Canada’s technology innovators, startups, and leaders come together at AVF to focus on: Mission & Vision The Atlantic...

INNOVATE® Puerto Rico

Grupo Ferré Rangel

A mission-driven, fourth-generation diversified family office, leading Puerto Rico and the global communities in which it operates to a sustainable and prosperous future

For generations, the family business of Grupo Ferré Rangel has been directly related to the social and economic development of Puerto Rico. Throughout its 100+ years, it has evolved and gained considerable experience in at least seven industries. Today, Grupo Ferré Rangel is a mission-driven, fourth generation diversified family office...

INNOVATE™ Toronto

REAL VENTURES

REAL VENTURES -CANADA’S MOST ACTIVE EARLY-STAGE VENTURE CAPITAL FIRM

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...

INNOVATE™ Stockholm

HOUSE OF INNOVATION

STOCKHOLM SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS

THE HOUSE OF INNOVATION (HOI) AT THE STOCKHOLM SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS (SSE) IS AN INTERDISCIPLINARY INNOVATION ENVIRONMENT COMBINING RESEARCH, EDUCATION, OUTREACH, AND VENTURING. BUILDING ON THE RICH HISTORY OF THE STOCKHOLM SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS, THE RESEARCH HOUSE AIMS TO TAKE THE SCHOOL’S BEST-IN-CLASS INTERACTION WITH BUSINESS AND SOCIETY INTO THE...

INNOVATE® Detroit

MUSIC HALL CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

Shaping Detroit’s Cultural and Educational Future

For nearly a century, the Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts has been a cornerstone of Detroit’s artistic and cultural community. Founded in 1928 by visionary philanthropist Matilda Rausch Dodge Wilson, Music Hall has played a pivotal role in enriching Detroit with performances and educational programs that reflect the...

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® New Jersey Vol.2

SYRIDEX-BIOPHARMA INVESTMENT FIRM

BIOPHARMA INVESTMENT FIRM SYRIDEX BIO ADDRESSES HEALTH EQUITY BY FUNDING R&D OF THERAPIES DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTING UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS.

BIOPHARMA INVESTMENT FIRM SYRIDEX BIO ADDRESSES HEALTH EQUITY BY FUNDING R&D OF THERAPIES DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTING UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS. Princeton-based Syridex Bio is a biopharma investment firm that makes early-stage, venture creation investments in innovative treatments that can bring transformative changes to diseases disproportionately affecting underserved communities. It is uniquely focused on...

INNOVATE™ Adelaide

NOVAFAST HOLDINGS

BEYOND PIPE DREAMS

Chev. Charles Figallo OAM OSJ is the Chief Executive Officer of the Australian-owned private equity business, Novafast Holdings, and its three subsidiaries: DSA, Novafast, and Basetec Services. Based in Kilkenny, South Australia, Novafast Holdings, through its group of companies, offer project management, engineering, design, construction and maintenance services for the...

INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports

CODE COVEN

CODE COVEN-BEWITCHINGLY DARING TO DEFY THE ODDS IN GAMING AND BEYOND

BEWITCHINGLY DARING TO DEFY THE ODDS IN GAMING AND BEYOND

The gaming community has always been full of diverse people and communities. However, the developers of games have not always reflected the same diversity. Marginalized people have not been offered many of the same opportunities as their counterparts. It’s time to move across the country, and the only person with...

INNOVATE™ South Africa

BAZ ART

ART SPEAKS LOUDER THAN WORDS -BAZ-ART CREATES PUBLIC INTERACTION THROUGH URBAN ART

Co-founders Alexandre Tilmans (Sales, Marketing and Financial Director) and Melissa Cucci (Operations and Art Director) started the company in 2016 with the vision to make South Africa a flagship and main actor in the public art and marketing sector....

INNOVATE™ Adelaide

BADER AERO

PAVING THE WAY TO FLY GREEN

Bader Aero is revolutionising the way pilots learn and continue to fly by producing advanced zero emissions aircraft. As a proud South Australian based company, Bader Aero is building safe, sustainable and environmentally friendly light aircraft. They are a leader in the fastpaced aviation industry with their light aircraft platforms,...

INNOVATION Quebec

C2MI

THE LARGEST ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTRE IN CANADA

WE’VE BEEN SHAPING QUEBEC’S DIGITAL LANDSCAPE FOR 10 YEARS.Born from a collaboration between the Université de Sherbrooke, Teledyne DALSA, and IBM Canada, inaugurated in July 2012, the MiQro Innovation Collaborative Centre is the largest world-class microelectronics research centre in Canada. THE KEY ROLE OF MARKETDRIVEN RESEARCH AND WORKFORCE TRAININGSimulated research...

INNOVATION Quebec

UQAT - NOUVEAUX MÉDIAS

CREATION AND NEW MEDIA

A pioneer in university teaching in video games, digital creation and 3D creation, UQAT’s Creation and New Media Teaching and Research Unit has been contributing to the development of the digital and cultural industries for over 20-years. The expertise of the teaching team, based in Montreal and Rouyn-Noranda, is internationally...

INNOVATE™ Adelaide

WOMEN IN INNOVATION

Innovation without limitation

Women in Innovation (WINN) is a not-for-profit initiative that exists solely to support female innovators in South Australia. We champion all women bucking trends, disrupting status quos, attempting the new and making changes to the old, wherever they work. Then, we bring them together. Across every sector, for all types...

INNOVATE® Philadelphia: 250 Years of Innovation

AUM BioTech

An AI-native biotech, helping scientists understand the causes of disease.

DESIGNED IN PHILADELPHIA. MADE IN USA. SHIPPED WORLDWIDE. Founded in Philadelphia in 2015 by an immigrant biomedical researcher, AUM BioTech now designs the precision compounds that scientists in nearly forty countries use to study how genes function, and understand what goes wrong in disease. In 2009, Veenu Aishwarya arrived in...

INNOVATE™ Estonia

KIUD

TURNING TEXTILE WASTE INTO REUSABLE PACKAGING

The Estonian material technology company KIUD, founded in 2022, is addressing two major global waste problems simultaneously: textile waste and packaging waste. The company has developed a patented mechanical process to transform synthetic and mixed textile waste into rigid, reusable packaging — offering a sustainable alternative to cardboard and plastic....

INNOVATE™ Stockholm

CAPIO

CHANGE AS A RESPONSE TO HEALTHCARE CHALLENGES

Swedish healthcare is in the midst of profound change. An ageing population, rising demand for care, and persistent staff shortages mean that resources must be used differently. For the system to remain sustainable, both new organisational models and more efficient ways of working are needed. Capio, one of Sweden’s largest...

INNOVATION Quebec

CHAIRE DE RECHERCHE EN PRÉVENTION DE LA CYBERCRIMINALITÉ – UNIVERSITÉ DE MONTRÉAL

COMPRENDRE COMMENT PRÉVENIR LA CYBERCRIMINALITÉ, ET PROTÉGER SES VICTIMES CONTRE LES DOMMAGES QU’ELLE LEUR CAUSE

La Chaire de recherche en prévention de la cybercriminalité a été lancée en septembre 2018 à l’initiative de l’Université de Montréal, de Desjardins et de la Banque Nationale du Canada. Elle est dirigée par Benoît Dupont, professeur de criminologie et chercheur au Centre international de criminologie comparée de l’Université de...

INNOVATE® Georgia

AFLAC

REIMAGINING THE WORKPLACE OF THE FUTURE

Aflac’s vision is to create a world in which people are better prepared for the expected — and unexpected — with benefits primary health insurance doesn’t cover. For nearly 70 years, Aflac supplemental insurance has provided millions of people worldwide the opportunity to focus on recovery instead of financial stress,...

INNOVATE™ Alberta

EVOLUTION VN

Making exercise convenient, inclusive, and accessible regardless of experience, skill, and ability.

EvolutionVN is the home of a proprietary piece of exercise equipment, the Evolution Training System. As their flagship product, the Evolution is a compact, versatile, and functional piece of equipment that makes exercise and rehabilitation more practical, effective, and sustainable. It was designed to fit any space and to have...

INNOVATE® Maryland

Upace

Revolutionizing How Members Engage with Recreation Centers

In 2014, Rachel Koretsky founded Upace, which has since skyrocketed to become the top mobile app engagement and reservation platform, supporting over one million members of community recreation centers across the US and Canada. Her journey started at American University, driven by a mission to make going to a recreation...

INNOVATE® Seattle

Turkish Delight

NO FRILLS, JUST VERY TASTY FOOD PREPARED AND SERVED WITH LOTS OF LOVE.

NO FRILLS, JUST VERY TASTY FOOD PREPARED AND SERVED WITH LOTS OF LOVE. Turkish Delight Turkish Delight was established in 1982, and with Ahmet and Semra’s dedication, it has become a cherished tradition with locals and also a delectable experience for visitors. A foodie delight with a spectacular view tucked...

INNOVATE™ Adelaide

LOT FOURTEEN

DEFINED BY INNOVATION POWERED BY COLLABORATION

Lot Fourteen is Adelaide’s globally connected innovation district and home to world-leading organisations including Amazon Web Services, Google and Microsoft. At Lot Fourteen, the community shares the capacity to be curious, leading to new realisations. By embracing this new era of progress across space, defence, cyber, hi-tech and creative industries...

INNOVATE® Seattle

MAVERON

BACKING TRANSFORMATIVE CONSUMERBUSINESSES FOR OVER 25 YEARS.

In the 1990s, Howard Schultz built Starbucks into one of the world’s most iconic consumer businesses. In 1998, after taking Starbucks public, Dan Levitan and Howard founded Maveron. They recognized that digital technologies would integrate into people’s lives in unprecedented ways and that great teams attacking consumer-focused problems would require...

INNOVATE™ Atlantic Canada

Atlantic Venture Forum

Igniting Innovation and Investment in Atlantic Canada

The Atlantic Venture Forum (AVF) serves as a beacon of innovation and investment in Atlantic Canada, providing a vital platform for high-potential startups to connect with investors, industry leaders, and policymakers. Atlantic Canada’s technology innovators, startups, and leaders come together at AVF to focus on: Mission & Vision The Atlantic...

INNOVATE® Puerto Rico

Grupo Ferré Rangel

A mission-driven, fourth-generation diversified family office, leading Puerto Rico and the global communities in which it operates to a sustainable and prosperous future

For generations, the family business of Grupo Ferré Rangel has been directly related to the social and economic development of Puerto Rico. Throughout its 100+ years, it has evolved and gained considerable experience in at least seven industries. Today, Grupo Ferré Rangel is a mission-driven, fourth generation diversified family office...

INNOVATE™ Toronto

REAL VENTURES

REAL VENTURES -CANADA’S MOST ACTIVE EARLY-STAGE VENTURE CAPITAL FIRM

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...

INNOVATE™ Stockholm

HOUSE OF INNOVATION

STOCKHOLM SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS

THE HOUSE OF INNOVATION (HOI) AT THE STOCKHOLM SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS (SSE) IS AN INTERDISCIPLINARY INNOVATION ENVIRONMENT COMBINING RESEARCH, EDUCATION, OUTREACH, AND VENTURING. BUILDING ON THE RICH HISTORY OF THE STOCKHOLM SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS, THE RESEARCH HOUSE AIMS TO TAKE THE SCHOOL’S BEST-IN-CLASS INTERACTION WITH BUSINESS AND SOCIETY INTO THE...

INNOVATE® Detroit

MUSIC HALL CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

Shaping Detroit’s Cultural and Educational Future

For nearly a century, the Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts has been a cornerstone of Detroit’s artistic and cultural community. Founded in 1928 by visionary philanthropist Matilda Rausch Dodge Wilson, Music Hall has played a pivotal role in enriching Detroit with performances and educational programs that reflect the...

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® New Jersey Vol.2

SYRIDEX-BIOPHARMA INVESTMENT FIRM

BIOPHARMA INVESTMENT FIRM SYRIDEX BIO ADDRESSES HEALTH EQUITY BY FUNDING R&D OF THERAPIES DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTING UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS.

BIOPHARMA INVESTMENT FIRM SYRIDEX BIO ADDRESSES HEALTH EQUITY BY FUNDING R&D OF THERAPIES DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTING UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS. Princeton-based Syridex Bio is a biopharma investment firm that makes early-stage, venture creation investments in innovative treatments that can bring transformative changes to diseases disproportionately affecting underserved communities. It is uniquely focused on...

INNOVATE™ Adelaide

NOVAFAST HOLDINGS

BEYOND PIPE DREAMS

Chev. Charles Figallo OAM OSJ is the Chief Executive Officer of the Australian-owned private equity business, Novafast Holdings, and its three subsidiaries: DSA, Novafast, and Basetec Services. Based in Kilkenny, South Australia, Novafast Holdings, through its group of companies, offer project management, engineering, design, construction and maintenance services for the...

INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports

CODE COVEN

CODE COVEN-BEWITCHINGLY DARING TO DEFY THE ODDS IN GAMING AND BEYOND

BEWITCHINGLY DARING TO DEFY THE ODDS IN GAMING AND BEYOND

The gaming community has always been full of diverse people and communities. However, the developers of games have not always reflected the same diversity. Marginalized people have not been offered many of the same opportunities as their counterparts. It’s time to move across the country, and the only person with...

INNOVATE™ South Africa

BAZ ART

ART SPEAKS LOUDER THAN WORDS -BAZ-ART CREATES PUBLIC INTERACTION THROUGH URBAN ART

Co-founders Alexandre Tilmans (Sales, Marketing and Financial Director) and Melissa Cucci (Operations and Art Director) started the company in 2016 with the vision to make South Africa a flagship and main actor in the public art and marketing sector....

INNOVATE™ Adelaide

BADER AERO

PAVING THE WAY TO FLY GREEN

Bader Aero is revolutionising the way pilots learn and continue to fly by producing advanced zero emissions aircraft. As a proud South Australian based company, Bader Aero is building safe, sustainable and environmentally friendly light aircraft. They are a leader in the fastpaced aviation industry with their light aircraft platforms,...

INNOVATION Quebec

C2MI

THE LARGEST ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTRE IN CANADA

WE’VE BEEN SHAPING QUEBEC’S DIGITAL LANDSCAPE FOR 10 YEARS.Born from a collaboration between the Université de Sherbrooke, Teledyne DALSA, and IBM Canada, inaugurated in July 2012, the MiQro Innovation Collaborative Centre is the largest world-class microelectronics research centre in Canada. THE KEY ROLE OF MARKETDRIVEN RESEARCH AND WORKFORCE TRAININGSimulated research...

INNOVATION Quebec

UQAT - NOUVEAUX MÉDIAS

CREATION AND NEW MEDIA

A pioneer in university teaching in video games, digital creation and 3D creation, UQAT’s Creation and New Media Teaching and Research Unit has been contributing to the development of the digital and cultural industries for over 20-years. The expertise of the teaching team, based in Montreal and Rouyn-Noranda, is internationally...

INNOVATE™ Adelaide

WOMEN IN INNOVATION

Innovation without limitation

Women in Innovation (WINN) is a not-for-profit initiative that exists solely to support female innovators in South Australia. We champion all women bucking trends, disrupting status quos, attempting the new and making changes to the old, wherever they work. Then, we bring them together. Across every sector, for all types...

INNOVATE® Philadelphia: 250 Years of Innovation

AUM BioTech

An AI-native biotech, helping scientists understand the causes of disease.

DESIGNED IN PHILADELPHIA. MADE IN USA. SHIPPED WORLDWIDE. Founded in Philadelphia in 2015 by an immigrant biomedical researcher, AUM BioTech now designs the precision compounds that scientists in nearly forty countries use to study how genes function, and understand what goes wrong in disease. In 2009, Veenu Aishwarya arrived in...

INNOVATE™ Estonia

KIUD

TURNING TEXTILE WASTE INTO REUSABLE PACKAGING

The Estonian material technology company KIUD, founded in 2022, is addressing two major global waste problems simultaneously: textile waste and packaging waste. The company has developed a patented mechanical process to transform synthetic and mixed textile waste into rigid, reusable packaging — offering a sustainable alternative to cardboard and plastic....

INNOVATE™ Stockholm

CAPIO

CHANGE AS A RESPONSE TO HEALTHCARE CHALLENGES

Swedish healthcare is in the midst of profound change. An ageing population, rising demand for care, and persistent staff shortages mean that resources must be used differently. For the system to remain sustainable, both new organisational models and more efficient ways of working are needed. Capio, one of Sweden’s largest...

INNOVATION Quebec

CHAIRE DE RECHERCHE EN PRÉVENTION DE LA CYBERCRIMINALITÉ – UNIVERSITÉ DE MONTRÉAL

COMPRENDRE COMMENT PRÉVENIR LA CYBERCRIMINALITÉ, ET PROTÉGER SES VICTIMES CONTRE LES DOMMAGES QU’ELLE LEUR CAUSE

La Chaire de recherche en prévention de la cybercriminalité a été lancée en septembre 2018 à l’initiative de l’Université de Montréal, de Desjardins et de la Banque Nationale du Canada. Elle est dirigée par Benoît Dupont, professeur de criminologie et chercheur au Centre international de criminologie comparée de l’Université de...

INNOVATE® Georgia

AFLAC

REIMAGINING THE WORKPLACE OF THE FUTURE

Aflac’s vision is to create a world in which people are better prepared for the expected — and unexpected — with benefits primary health insurance doesn’t cover. For nearly 70 years, Aflac supplemental insurance has provided millions of people worldwide the opportunity to focus on recovery instead of financial stress,...

INNOVATE™ Alberta

EVOLUTION VN

Making exercise convenient, inclusive, and accessible regardless of experience, skill, and ability.

EvolutionVN is the home of a proprietary piece of exercise equipment, the Evolution Training System. As their flagship product, the Evolution is a compact, versatile, and functional piece of equipment that makes exercise and rehabilitation more practical, effective, and sustainable. It was designed to fit any space and to have...

INNOVATE® Maryland

Upace

Revolutionizing How Members Engage with Recreation Centers

In 2014, Rachel Koretsky founded Upace, which has since skyrocketed to become the top mobile app engagement and reservation platform, supporting over one million members of community recreation centers across the US and Canada. Her journey started at American University, driven by a mission to make going to a recreation...

INNOVATE® Seattle

Turkish Delight

NO FRILLS, JUST VERY TASTY FOOD PREPARED AND SERVED WITH LOTS OF LOVE.

NO FRILLS, JUST VERY TASTY FOOD PREPARED AND SERVED WITH LOTS OF LOVE. Turkish Delight Turkish Delight was established in 1982, and with Ahmet and Semra’s dedication, it has become a cherished tradition with locals and also a delectable experience for visitors. A foodie delight with a spectacular view tucked...

INNOVATE™ Adelaide

LOT FOURTEEN

DEFINED BY INNOVATION POWERED BY COLLABORATION

Lot Fourteen is Adelaide’s globally connected innovation district and home to world-leading organisations including Amazon Web Services, Google and Microsoft. At Lot Fourteen, the community shares the capacity to be curious, leading to new realisations. By embracing this new era of progress across space, defence, cyber, hi-tech and creative industries...

Ecosystems