Stories of Innovation

INNOVATE™ South Africa

THE FLAMING HEART OF NANDO’S

THE FLAMING HEART OF NANDO’S -WE ARE PROUD TO COUNT OURSELVES ONE OF SOUTH AFRICA’S MOST LOVED EXPORTS

WE ARE PROUD TO COUNT OURSELVES ONE OF SOUTH AFRICA’S MOST LOVED EXPORTS

The story of Nando’s is well-known to South Africans who grew up alongside us in our relatively new democracy. In 1987 two friends shared a meal at a humble Portuguese eatery in Rosettenville, Johannesburg. Here they were inspired by the taste of the African Bird’s Eye Chilli, a spice that...

INNOVATE® Nashville

QUORE

QUORE

Is a hospitality technology company dedicated to revolutionizing how hotels operate worldwide

During your last hotel stay, if your room was clean, the in-room appliances were fully functioning and your request for extra towels was addressed quickly then that hotel was probably using Quore. Our cloud-based operations app supports hotel staff in their day-to-day for better guest experiences, which means smarter teams...

INNOVATE™ Alberta

H3ALTH TECHNOLOGIES INC

REVOLUTIONIZING HEALTHCARE THROUGH EMPOWERMENT, ACCESSIBILITY, AND AUTONOMY

The founder’s father was raised in a one-room home in the country side of a small town in Ethiopia that is unknown to most people. Tin roof, mudded walls. The founder’s mother from another town where education wasn’t supposed to be the path for women. His parents didn’t have access...

INNOVATE® New Jersey Vol.2

HAX

SOLVING HARD PROBLEMS WITH HARD TECH

SOSV’S HAX is the world’s most active early stage investor in hard tech – the difficult to build physical tech at the forefront of science and engineering in disciplines like robotics, material science, and chemistry. Many investors have shied away from hard tech, and the last 30 years of the...

INNOVATE® Nashville

RACHEL + WINFREE

In a data-driven economy, being able to use your data to make better decisions, develop better products, or better target your customer are skills that will separate businesses that thrive from those that fail

Small businesses make up 99.9% of all companies in the United States. Within a year, 20% of new small businesses fail. That number rises to 30% before the end of the second year. After five years, half of those small businesses have failed. Profits only start trickling in after 18...

INNOVATION Quebec

PROPULSION QUÉBEC

Propulsion Québec en quelques motsLa volonté de l’industrie et du gouvernement québécois d’accélérer le développement du secteur québécois des véhicules électriques et intelligents (TEI) a mené à la création de Propulsion Québec, la grappe industrielle des transports électriques et intelligents du Québec le 20 avril 2017. En tant que grappe...

INNOVATION Quebec

CCEG

CCTT EN GÉRONTOLOGIE

Le seul et unique centre de recherche collégial sur le vieillissement au Canada – Le CCEG, leader, partenaire et ambassadeur. Le Centre collégial d’expertise en gérontologie (CCEG) se préoccupe des multiples dimensions du vieillissement de la population. Il contribue ainsi activement à faire avancer la compréhension des enjeux des personnes...

INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition

The University of Maryland Institute for Health Computing - MPOWERING THE STATE

Institute for Health Computing Primed to Partner with Life Science Companies.

Institute for Health Computing Primed to Partner with Life Science Companies. The University of Maryland Institute for Health Computing (IHC) is a new academic health research institute in North Bethesda, Maryland, that serves as a hub for health computing innovation and collaboration in Montgomery County. Founded in November 2022, the...

Global Innovation Spotlight

Julia Daviy

From Solar Energy Breakthroughs to Pioneering Sustainable 3D-Printed Fashion and Redefining Innovation

Julia Daviy has revolutionized sustainable manufacturing in the high-tech fashion industry. She created the world’s first sustainable collection of wearable clothing produced entirely using large-scale industrial 3D printers. Daviy also designed the first-ever collection of 3D-printed bags, both of which debuted at New York Fashion Weeks, disrupting traditional design practices...

INNOVATION Quebec

LA GUILDE DU JEU VIDÉO DU QUÉBEC

A MAJOR PLAYER IN THE INDUSTRY

La Guilde du jeu vidéo du Québec, born from the merger between the Alliance numérique and La Guilde des développeurs de jeux indépendants du Québec, is a Cooperative which brings together video game studios, academic institutions and entrepreneurs from related fields established in Quebec. With more than 300 members, the...

INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition

So Kids SOAR (SKS)

What is one thing shared by all of the innovators within these pages?

THEIR DESIRE TO IMPACT THIS WORLD. One of the most fulfilling ways to feel that impact is by watching the beneficiaries of that impact excel in their lives—and making their own ripple of change in the world. Like a successful rocket launch into space, So Kids SOAR (Formerly Dreams For...

INNOVATE™ Antwerp Vol.2

NOBI

NOBI -FUTURE-ORIENTED SMART LAMP ‘NOBI’ HELPS ELDERLY CARE TO PREPARE FOR THE SILVER TSUNAMI

FUTURE-ORIENTED SMART LAMP ‘NOBI’ HELPS ELDERLY CARE TO PREPARE FOR THE SILVER TSUNAMI

Meet NobiAn Antwerp scale-up known for its AI-driven smart lamps, used for fall detection, fall prevention and lifestyle monitoring. When founding their company, Roeland Pelgrims, Stijn Verrept and Bert De Haes believed that everyone on this planet deserves to grow old in a dignified, safe and happy manner. Pretty ambitious...

INNOVATE® Georgia

R2 LABS

SOLUTIONS ALLOW ANY MODERN SOFTWARE ENGINEER TO CONTROL EQUIPMENT THROUGH CODE ALONE.

R2 Labs builds robotic control and monitoring systems to help companies address skilled worker shortages, increase operational efficiency, and decrease time-to-market for newly introduced equipment. Their disruptive technology and tailor-made turnkey solution development services empower businesses to solve the most demanding robotics applications. HISTORY R2 was founded in 2021 by...

Global Innovation Spotlight

4 Innovative Methods Redefining Market Research for Companies in the US

The U.S business marketplace is extremely competitive, which may be a strength of the national economy, but it poses critical challenges for individual companies trying to stand out. As customer preferences shift and industry trends disrupt the status quo, keeping a pulse on the wider market and your target audience...

INNOVATE™ Botswana Vol.1

DIGITAL NATIVES

DIGITAL NATIVES LEADING THE CHANGE

LEADING THE CHANGE

Digital Natives is a 100% youth and citizen-owned, multi-award-winning software and disruptive agency with the founder, Mthabisi Bokete, being Standard Bank Africa Group’s youngest Board Member in the history of Stanbic Bank, both locally & globally. Digital Natives won the regional 2020 SADC Innovation and Investment Competition with their remarkable...

INNOVATE® Nashville

CATWALK CONSULTING

GROUNDED IN RESEARCH, EXPERIENCE AND CULTURAL FLUENCY

Catwalk Consulting Group is a strategic marketing and communications firm specializing in the entertainment industry. We are known for innovative, future-focused approaches to positioning artists, executives, brands and organizations for what’s next. Our work centers on customized positioning and intentional audience development designed to elevate visibility, relevance and long-term impact....

INNOVATE™ Curitiba

GENIALNET

INNOVATION IN FOOD SERVICE MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGY

Founded in Curitiba, PR, Brazil, in 1997, Genialnet, a technology company specializing in food service management, has been standing out in the market by offering innovative solutions that help businesses improve efficiency and productivity in their daily operations. The founder, José Emilio Starepravo, a computer engineer with over 30 years...

AI Québec

IA QUÉBEC

RETAIL INNOVATION LAB- AT THE BENSADOUN SCHOOL OF RETAIL MANAGEMENT

LE LABORATOIRE D’INNOVATION EN COMMERCE AU DÉTAIL À L’ÉCOLE BENSADOUN DE COMMERCE AU DÉTAIL DE L’UNIVERSITÉ MCGILL

L’École Bensadoun de commerce au détail de l’Université McGill a récemment lancé un laboratoire d’innovation en commerce au détail, fruit d’une collaboration entre l’Université McGill et Alimentation Couche-Tard inc. (ACT). Situé sur le campus de l’Université McGill, le laboratoire est à la fois un dépanneur et un laboratoire vivant, et...

INNOVATE® Milwaukee

RAPID RADICALS

UNLEASHING INNOVATION: RAPID RADICALS’ TORRENTIAL TRIUMPH

In July 2010, nine inches of rain fell in a very short amount of time, filling the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District’s (MMSD) service area pipes with some 64 billion gallons of water. A storm of this severity is only likely to occur once every 500 years, but the frequency is...

INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports

HELICONNFT

HELICONNFT-OUR MISSION IS TO DELIVER A SUSTAINABLE NFT GLOBAL MARKETPLACE

OUR MISSION IS TO DELIVER A SUSTAINABLE NFT GLOBAL MARKETPLACE, WHERE SAVING THE METAVERSE ALSO SAVES THE PLANET IN REAL-LIFE

HeliconNFT is a new online universe, combining a gaming metaverse with a NFT buying & trading platform that provides real rewards where you can play, mine and earn to become the master of a new market. Ultimately, HeliconNFT bridges the gap between centralised games and decentralized NFTs for a true...

INNOVATE™ Estonia

SHORELINK

POWERING THE FUTURE; SHORELINK’S ROLE IN DECARBONIZING GLOBAL PORTS FROM ESTONIA

As the global maritime industry advances toward cleaner, more sustainable operations, Estonia has emerged as a hub of innovation in the decarbonisation of ports. ShoreLink, an Estonian company, has become a trusted provider of advanced shore power and charging solutions for ports and shipping terminals across the world. Shore power...

INNOVATION Quebec

LAVAL INNOV

LAVAL INNOV-Founded in 2018 at the instigation of visionary Laval residents and benefiting from the financial support of the Ministry of Economy and Innovation (MEI) and the city of Laval

Founded in 2018 at the instigation of visionary Laval residents and benefiting from the financial support of the Ministry of Economy and Innovation (MEI) and the city of Laval, Laval Innov aims to make innovation an essential lever for the sustainable development of Laval

As a Regional Space for Acceleration and Growth (ERAC) in Laval, it aims to stimulate and enhance the appropriation and integration of innovation in the territory, whether through its activities with companies or through the implementation of important structuring projects with a regional scope. Innovate in LavalStrategically positioned north of...

INNOVATION Quebec

CRISPESH

CCTT EN INCLUSION DES PERSONNES EN SITUATION DE HANDICAP

SpécialisationLe Centre de recherche pour l’inclusion des personnes en situation de handicap (CRISPESH) est un centre collégial de recherche appliquée et de transfert (CCTT) en pratiques sociales novatrices affilié au cégep du Vieux Montréal et au collège Dawson. Ses champs d’expertises sont l’inclusion scolaire, professionnelle et sociale des personnes en...

INNOVATE™ Antwerp Vol.2

THOMAS MORE EXPERIENCE HUB

THOMAS MORE EXPERIENCE HUB-MAKES DIGITAL INNOVATION ACCESSIBLE TO ALL

MAKES DIGITAL INNOVATION ACCESSIBLE TO ALL

DISCOVER, CREATE, RESEARCH AND EVALUATE The Experience Hub is the innovation and inspiration hotspot for AR and VR solutions and digital experiences, located at Thomas More University of Applied Sciences in Mechelen and Antwerp.   We are committed to meaningful digital innovation: no gimmicks, but solutions that really improve and...

INNOVATE™ South Africa

THE FLAMING HEART OF NANDO’S

THE FLAMING HEART OF NANDO’S -WE ARE PROUD TO COUNT OURSELVES ONE OF SOUTH AFRICA’S MOST LOVED EXPORTS

WE ARE PROUD TO COUNT OURSELVES ONE OF SOUTH AFRICA’S MOST LOVED EXPORTS

The story of Nando’s is well-known to South Africans who grew up alongside us in our relatively new democracy. In 1987 two friends shared a meal at a humble Portuguese eatery in Rosettenville, Johannesburg. Here they were inspired by the taste of the African Bird’s Eye Chilli, a spice that...

INNOVATE® Nashville

QUORE

QUORE

Is a hospitality technology company dedicated to revolutionizing how hotels operate worldwide

During your last hotel stay, if your room was clean, the in-room appliances were fully functioning and your request for extra towels was addressed quickly then that hotel was probably using Quore. Our cloud-based operations app supports hotel staff in their day-to-day for better guest experiences, which means smarter teams...

INNOVATE™ Alberta

H3ALTH TECHNOLOGIES INC

REVOLUTIONIZING HEALTHCARE THROUGH EMPOWERMENT, ACCESSIBILITY, AND AUTONOMY

The founder’s father was raised in a one-room home in the country side of a small town in Ethiopia that is unknown to most people. Tin roof, mudded walls. The founder’s mother from another town where education wasn’t supposed to be the path for women. His parents didn’t have access...

INNOVATE® New Jersey Vol.2

HAX

SOLVING HARD PROBLEMS WITH HARD TECH

SOSV’S HAX is the world’s most active early stage investor in hard tech – the difficult to build physical tech at the forefront of science and engineering in disciplines like robotics, material science, and chemistry. Many investors have shied away from hard tech, and the last 30 years of the...

INNOVATE® Nashville

RACHEL + WINFREE

In a data-driven economy, being able to use your data to make better decisions, develop better products, or better target your customer are skills that will separate businesses that thrive from those that fail

Small businesses make up 99.9% of all companies in the United States. Within a year, 20% of new small businesses fail. That number rises to 30% before the end of the second year. After five years, half of those small businesses have failed. Profits only start trickling in after 18...

INNOVATION Quebec

PROPULSION QUÉBEC

Propulsion Québec en quelques motsLa volonté de l’industrie et du gouvernement québécois d’accélérer le développement du secteur québécois des véhicules électriques et intelligents (TEI) a mené à la création de Propulsion Québec, la grappe industrielle des transports électriques et intelligents du Québec le 20 avril 2017. En tant que grappe...

INNOVATION Quebec

CCEG

CCTT EN GÉRONTOLOGIE

Le seul et unique centre de recherche collégial sur le vieillissement au Canada – Le CCEG, leader, partenaire et ambassadeur. Le Centre collégial d’expertise en gérontologie (CCEG) se préoccupe des multiples dimensions du vieillissement de la population. Il contribue ainsi activement à faire avancer la compréhension des enjeux des personnes...

INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition

The University of Maryland Institute for Health Computing - MPOWERING THE STATE

Institute for Health Computing Primed to Partner with Life Science Companies.

Institute for Health Computing Primed to Partner with Life Science Companies. The University of Maryland Institute for Health Computing (IHC) is a new academic health research institute in North Bethesda, Maryland, that serves as a hub for health computing innovation and collaboration in Montgomery County. Founded in November 2022, the...

Global Innovation Spotlight

Julia Daviy

From Solar Energy Breakthroughs to Pioneering Sustainable 3D-Printed Fashion and Redefining Innovation

Julia Daviy has revolutionized sustainable manufacturing in the high-tech fashion industry. She created the world’s first sustainable collection of wearable clothing produced entirely using large-scale industrial 3D printers. Daviy also designed the first-ever collection of 3D-printed bags, both of which debuted at New York Fashion Weeks, disrupting traditional design practices...

INNOVATION Quebec

LA GUILDE DU JEU VIDÉO DU QUÉBEC

A MAJOR PLAYER IN THE INDUSTRY

La Guilde du jeu vidéo du Québec, born from the merger between the Alliance numérique and La Guilde des développeurs de jeux indépendants du Québec, is a Cooperative which brings together video game studios, academic institutions and entrepreneurs from related fields established in Quebec. With more than 300 members, the...

INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition

So Kids SOAR (SKS)

What is one thing shared by all of the innovators within these pages?

THEIR DESIRE TO IMPACT THIS WORLD. One of the most fulfilling ways to feel that impact is by watching the beneficiaries of that impact excel in their lives—and making their own ripple of change in the world. Like a successful rocket launch into space, So Kids SOAR (Formerly Dreams For...

INNOVATE™ Antwerp Vol.2

NOBI

NOBI -FUTURE-ORIENTED SMART LAMP ‘NOBI’ HELPS ELDERLY CARE TO PREPARE FOR THE SILVER TSUNAMI

FUTURE-ORIENTED SMART LAMP ‘NOBI’ HELPS ELDERLY CARE TO PREPARE FOR THE SILVER TSUNAMI

Meet NobiAn Antwerp scale-up known for its AI-driven smart lamps, used for fall detection, fall prevention and lifestyle monitoring. When founding their company, Roeland Pelgrims, Stijn Verrept and Bert De Haes believed that everyone on this planet deserves to grow old in a dignified, safe and happy manner. Pretty ambitious...

INNOVATE® Georgia

R2 LABS

SOLUTIONS ALLOW ANY MODERN SOFTWARE ENGINEER TO CONTROL EQUIPMENT THROUGH CODE ALONE.

R2 Labs builds robotic control and monitoring systems to help companies address skilled worker shortages, increase operational efficiency, and decrease time-to-market for newly introduced equipment. Their disruptive technology and tailor-made turnkey solution development services empower businesses to solve the most demanding robotics applications. HISTORY R2 was founded in 2021 by...

Global Innovation Spotlight

4 Innovative Methods Redefining Market Research for Companies in the US

The U.S business marketplace is extremely competitive, which may be a strength of the national economy, but it poses critical challenges for individual companies trying to stand out. As customer preferences shift and industry trends disrupt the status quo, keeping a pulse on the wider market and your target audience...

INNOVATE™ Botswana Vol.1

DIGITAL NATIVES

DIGITAL NATIVES LEADING THE CHANGE

LEADING THE CHANGE

Digital Natives is a 100% youth and citizen-owned, multi-award-winning software and disruptive agency with the founder, Mthabisi Bokete, being Standard Bank Africa Group’s youngest Board Member in the history of Stanbic Bank, both locally & globally. Digital Natives won the regional 2020 SADC Innovation and Investment Competition with their remarkable...

INNOVATE® Nashville

CATWALK CONSULTING

GROUNDED IN RESEARCH, EXPERIENCE AND CULTURAL FLUENCY

Catwalk Consulting Group is a strategic marketing and communications firm specializing in the entertainment industry. We are known for innovative, future-focused approaches to positioning artists, executives, brands and organizations for what’s next. Our work centers on customized positioning and intentional audience development designed to elevate visibility, relevance and long-term impact....

INNOVATE™ Curitiba

GENIALNET

INNOVATION IN FOOD SERVICE MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGY

Founded in Curitiba, PR, Brazil, in 1997, Genialnet, a technology company specializing in food service management, has been standing out in the market by offering innovative solutions that help businesses improve efficiency and productivity in their daily operations. The founder, José Emilio Starepravo, a computer engineer with over 30 years...

AI Québec

IA QUÉBEC

RETAIL INNOVATION LAB- AT THE BENSADOUN SCHOOL OF RETAIL MANAGEMENT

LE LABORATOIRE D’INNOVATION EN COMMERCE AU DÉTAIL À L’ÉCOLE BENSADOUN DE COMMERCE AU DÉTAIL DE L’UNIVERSITÉ MCGILL

L’École Bensadoun de commerce au détail de l’Université McGill a récemment lancé un laboratoire d’innovation en commerce au détail, fruit d’une collaboration entre l’Université McGill et Alimentation Couche-Tard inc. (ACT). Situé sur le campus de l’Université McGill, le laboratoire est à la fois un dépanneur et un laboratoire vivant, et...

INNOVATE® Milwaukee

RAPID RADICALS

UNLEASHING INNOVATION: RAPID RADICALS’ TORRENTIAL TRIUMPH

In July 2010, nine inches of rain fell in a very short amount of time, filling the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District’s (MMSD) service area pipes with some 64 billion gallons of water. A storm of this severity is only likely to occur once every 500 years, but the frequency is...

INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports

HELICONNFT

HELICONNFT-OUR MISSION IS TO DELIVER A SUSTAINABLE NFT GLOBAL MARKETPLACE

OUR MISSION IS TO DELIVER A SUSTAINABLE NFT GLOBAL MARKETPLACE, WHERE SAVING THE METAVERSE ALSO SAVES THE PLANET IN REAL-LIFE

HeliconNFT is a new online universe, combining a gaming metaverse with a NFT buying & trading platform that provides real rewards where you can play, mine and earn to become the master of a new market. Ultimately, HeliconNFT bridges the gap between centralised games and decentralized NFTs for a true...

INNOVATE™ Estonia

SHORELINK

POWERING THE FUTURE; SHORELINK’S ROLE IN DECARBONIZING GLOBAL PORTS FROM ESTONIA

As the global maritime industry advances toward cleaner, more sustainable operations, Estonia has emerged as a hub of innovation in the decarbonisation of ports. ShoreLink, an Estonian company, has become a trusted provider of advanced shore power and charging solutions for ports and shipping terminals across the world. Shore power...

INNOVATION Quebec

LAVAL INNOV

LAVAL INNOV-Founded in 2018 at the instigation of visionary Laval residents and benefiting from the financial support of the Ministry of Economy and Innovation (MEI) and the city of Laval

Founded in 2018 at the instigation of visionary Laval residents and benefiting from the financial support of the Ministry of Economy and Innovation (MEI) and the city of Laval, Laval Innov aims to make innovation an essential lever for the sustainable development of Laval

As a Regional Space for Acceleration and Growth (ERAC) in Laval, it aims to stimulate and enhance the appropriation and integration of innovation in the territory, whether through its activities with companies or through the implementation of important structuring projects with a regional scope. Innovate in LavalStrategically positioned north of...

INNOVATION Quebec

CRISPESH

CCTT EN INCLUSION DES PERSONNES EN SITUATION DE HANDICAP

SpécialisationLe Centre de recherche pour l’inclusion des personnes en situation de handicap (CRISPESH) est un centre collégial de recherche appliquée et de transfert (CCTT) en pratiques sociales novatrices affilié au cégep du Vieux Montréal et au collège Dawson. Ses champs d’expertises sont l’inclusion scolaire, professionnelle et sociale des personnes en...

INNOVATE™ Antwerp Vol.2

THOMAS MORE EXPERIENCE HUB

THOMAS MORE EXPERIENCE HUB-MAKES DIGITAL INNOVATION ACCESSIBLE TO ALL

MAKES DIGITAL INNOVATION ACCESSIBLE TO ALL

DISCOVER, CREATE, RESEARCH AND EVALUATE The Experience Hub is the innovation and inspiration hotspot for AR and VR solutions and digital experiences, located at Thomas More University of Applied Sciences in Mechelen and Antwerp.   We are committed to meaningful digital innovation: no gimmicks, but solutions that really improve and...

Ecosystems