Stories of Innovation

INNOVATE™ Estonia

7SENSE

TELEHAPTIC TECHNOLOGY: REDEFINING SIGHT THROUGH A REMOTE SENSE OF TOUCH

7Sense is a deep-tech and life science start-up developing telehaptic technology for the blind. It allows users to feel their surrounding environment through a sense of touch on the forehead. In simple words, the user feels surrounding objects—their shape, size, motion, speed, and distance. Traditionally, haptics has meant small vibrating...

INNOVATE™ Estonia

UP CATALYST

TURNING CO2 INTO ENERGY STORAGE: UP CATALYST REDEFINES BATTERY RAW MATERIALS

UP Catalyst is a European deep tech company headquartered in Estonia that produces climate-neutral carbon materials—such as battery-grade graphite and carbon nanotubes—directly from industrial CO2 emissions. Founded in 2019 by Dr. Gary Urb, Dr. Sander Ratso, Dr. Kätlin Kaare and Dr. Ivar Kruusenberg, the company is on a mission to...

INNOVATE® South Carolina

BIORN GROUP CYBER

TECHNOLOGISTS ASPIRING THROUGH SERVANT LEADERSHIP (TASL)

In 2019, the vision for Technologists Aspiring Through Servant Leadership (TASL), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, was established in Charleston, SC. Founded by Khanh Tran, TASL’s core mission was to address a critical need: preparing aspiring technologists, especially veterans and individuals from non-traditional backgrounds, for successful careers in the global digital...

INNOVATE® New Jersey Vol.2

TERRACYCLE

ON A MISSION TO ELIMINATE THE IDEA OF WASTE

TerraCycle is an international leader in innovative sustainability solutions, creating and operating first-of-their-kind platforms in recycling, recycled materials, and reuse. Through collaboration and innovation, we’ve developed the world’s first solutions in everything from recycling to reuse. Businesses, government entities, and consumers work with us globally to keep trash out of...

INNOVATE™ Alberta

BOW VALLEY COLLEGE

TRANSFORMING THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE THROUGH DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY

Bow Valley College has been an access college since 1965, earning a reputation for fast-paced programs that quickly respond to the practical needs of adult students and our economy. On May 16, 2023, the College launched a new Digital Strategy, which outlines how technology will enhance the student experience, improve...

INNOVATE® Chicago Vol.1

INSTASHIELD

INSTASHIELD-Invention and Entrepreneurship Run in the Family

Invention and Entrepreneurship Run in the Family

INSTASHIELD FILLS PPE SHORTAGE, DONATES 1 MILLION SHIELDS TO PEOPLE IN NEED InstaShield™ is a new kind of face shield that ships flat and is folded to fit over a cap or visor. The company was founded in March 2020 by Dan Brown Jr. to help fill the nation’s PPE...

INNOVATE™ Estonia

FIBENOL

DEFOSSILIZING THE FUTURE OF MATERIALS AND CHEMICALS

In Estonia, where wood has shaped livelihoods for centuries, one company is reimagining its potential for the next industrial era. Fibenol is transforming undervalued hardwood and plywood industry residues into high-purity biomaterials that offer sustainable alternatives to fossil-based inputs. Its mission is both simple and bold: To help industries defossilize...

Global Innovation Spotlight

Can Online Mapping Software Beat Traditional GIS?

Reviewing 4 Platforms

Can Online Mapping Software Beat Traditional GIS? Reviewing 4 Platforms Geographic information systems used to belong to specialists. You needed a license, a training course, and a workstation that could handle the processing load. That was the cost of doing spatial analysis for a long time, and plenty of organizations...

INNOVATE™ Curitiba

DATAPROM

SMART SOLUTIONS FOR MOBILITY

DATAPROM is a Brazilian company, headquartered in Curitiba/PR and has nine branch offices in Brazil, Colombia, and Peru. We were born in August 1988 from the creativity of engineers Marcos Olandoski, Alberto Abujamra and Carlos Perufo, who came together to develop innovative systems, capable of combining applicability and technology. At...

INNOVATION Quebec

CIRADD

CCTT D’INNOVATION SOCIALE EN DÉVELOPPEMENT DURABLE

Fondé en 2006, le CIRADD est depuis 2010 un CCTT en pratiques sociales novatrices spécialisé en développement territorial durable. Situé en Gaspésie, le centre fait partie du Réseau des CCTT. La mission du CIRADD est de soutenir et d’accompagner les organismes, les entreprises et les collectivités vers le développement durable...

INNOVATE™ Curitiba

LINK MONITORAMENTO

DRIVING SUCCESS: CELEBRATING 15 YEARS OF INNOVATION WITH LINK MONITORAMENTO

Founded in Curitiba, a city known for its innovation and entrepreneurship, Link Monitoramento is a pioneer in the Brazilian market for advanced monitoring and telematics, operating as the first franchisor in the sector. In 2024, the company celebrates its 15th anniversary, marking a milestone in its history of innovation and...

INNOVATE™ Estonia

bikeep

ESTONIA’S SMART SOLUTION FOR GLOBAL MICRO-MOBILITY

ESTONIA’S SMART SOLUTION FOR GLOBAL MICRO-MOBILITY The story of Bikeep begins with a painfully familiar urban problem—bike theft. As the story goes, a group of mechanical engineers, Kustas Kõiv, Meelis Haidak, Ott Reinhold, and Mikk Moses, experienced the frustration of having their bikes stolen. In response, they set out to...

INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports

FEMME GAMING

FEMME GAMING-#TheFutureIsFemme

#TheFutureIsFemme

Our mission is simple: to shake the foundations of the gaming industry, one empowered woman at a time by providing a safe space for female gamers to play and showcase their talents. While we’re not the first to recognize the stigma of women in video games, we’re one of the...

INNOVATE® Nashville

SUPERWISE

AI That Works for the Real World

SUPERWISE® is leading the next evolution in AI – making intelligent technology work for real-world industries, not just research labs. With practical, scalable, and low-friction tools, SUPERWISE empowers organizations to use AI to increase efficiency, improve decision-making, and transform how work gets done – from the executive suite to the...

INNOVATION Quebec

MYCÉLIUM

Is Quebec City’s incubator-accelerator dedicated to food manufacturing companies looking to improve the existing food supply with an innovative product or process that has a positive and lasting impact on health, the economy, society or on the environment

MYCÉLIUM boasts an innovative incubation model enhanced by the involvement of the regional business network, stakeholders’ expertise and access to the talent of several scientists from the Institut sur la nutrition et les aliments fonctionnels de l’Université Laval (INAF), the largest research centre in Canada dedicated to food and nutrition....

INNOVATION Quebec

CQMF

LE CENTRE QUÉBÉCOIS SUR LES MATÉRIAUX FONCTIONNELS (CQMF) EST UN REGROUPEMENT STRATÉGIQUE DU FRQNT1 QUI RASSEMBLE PLUS DE 100 GROUPES DE RECHERCHE UNIVERSITAIRES ET COLLÉGIAUX, AINSI QUE PLUSIEURS PLATEFORMES SCIENTIFIQUES. Le CQMF adresse les grands défis de société par le biais des matériaux ayant des fonctionnalités avancées2 développés en étroite...

INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition

CAPITAL WORKFORCE INNOVATION CONSORTIUM

Empowering D.C.’s Future Through Workforce Innovation

The InnovationFounded in 2024, the Capital Workforce Innovation Consortium is a Next Generation Sector Partnership formed by the District of Columbia Department of Employment Services (DOES) and convened by BuildWithin. This initiative serves as an engine for aligning local talent with market demands through robust public-private partnerships, particularly in the...

INNOVATE™ Flanders

RIVER CLEANUP

From a 10-minute cleanup to 1000 plastic-free rivers

From a 10-minute cleanup to 1000 plastic-free rivers River Cleanup is a Belgium-based organization with one clear goal: making rivers plastic-free. The non-profit started with manual cleanup actions and evolved into a pioneer in the field of river protection, with mentions in Forbes, De Tijd, The Economist and many more....

INNOVATE™ Bristol & Bath

FOURTH FLOOR

FOURTH FLOOR-We Bring Brands And Influencers Together

We Bring Brands And Influencers Together, To Make Content That Engages Audiences And Builds Emotional Connections

Back in 2017 the nascent practice of influencer marketing had problems. Stuck on the idea of a quick buck, agencies seemed to lack a real understanding of online content creators or their audiences, or the power available to branded content campaigns when done well.   Put simply, not enough care...

INNOVATION Quebec

CATALIS Québec

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

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® Seattle

coinme

THE WORLD’S TRUSTED GATEWAY TO DIGITAL CURRENCIES AND A BETTER FINANCIAL FUTURE

THE WORLD’S TRUSTED GATEWAY TO DIGITAL CURRENCIESAND A BETTER FINANCIAL FUTURE Capitalizing on the Promise of Bitcoin Coinme was founded in 2014 with a mission to be the world’s trusted gateway to digital currency and a better financial future. CEO and co-founder Neil Bergquist saw bitcoin’s potential to provide access...

INNOVATION Quebec

MEDTEQ+

SUPPORTING AND ACCELERATING THE DEVELOPMENT AND COMMERCIALIZATION OF HEALTHCARE TECHNOLOGIES

How can we ensure that the healthcare technologies we develop are robust enough to break into different markets? How can we support, and coach Quebec entrepreneurs as well as help stimulate the innovation ecosystem? This is the mission of MEDTEQ+ , a panCanadian consortium for industrial research and innovation in...

INNOVATE™ Antwerp Vol.2

IBEVE

IBEVE BETTER MEASUREMENT FOR BETTER PREVENTION – HOW IBEVE REINFORCES ITS MISSION THROUGH INNOVATION

BETTER MEASUREMENT FOR BETTER PREVENTION – HOW IBEVE REINFORCES ITS MISSION THROUGH INNOVATION

Thanks to our Scanning Electron Microscope and the Nano Harmony Project, we will be able to advise companies even more effectively on healthy working environments. To measure is to know – a law that applies to IBEVE’s objectives more than most. As a consultancy firm, it specialises in providing advice...

INNOVATE® Nashville

MOTUS DRIVE

PRACTICAL MOBILITY SOLUTIONS

Motus Drive was founded by Ferhan Jemal after seeing firsthand the challenges his uncle faced due to limited mobility and the high costs associated with powered wheelchairs. Motivated by this experience, Ferhan spent eight years studying the wheelchair market, talking with industry experts, prototyping, and gathering direct feedback from wheelchair...

INNOVATE™ Estonia

7SENSE

TELEHAPTIC TECHNOLOGY: REDEFINING SIGHT THROUGH A REMOTE SENSE OF TOUCH

7Sense is a deep-tech and life science start-up developing telehaptic technology for the blind. It allows users to feel their surrounding environment through a sense of touch on the forehead. In simple words, the user feels surrounding objects—their shape, size, motion, speed, and distance. Traditionally, haptics has meant small vibrating...

INNOVATE™ Estonia

UP CATALYST

TURNING CO2 INTO ENERGY STORAGE: UP CATALYST REDEFINES BATTERY RAW MATERIALS

UP Catalyst is a European deep tech company headquartered in Estonia that produces climate-neutral carbon materials—such as battery-grade graphite and carbon nanotubes—directly from industrial CO2 emissions. Founded in 2019 by Dr. Gary Urb, Dr. Sander Ratso, Dr. Kätlin Kaare and Dr. Ivar Kruusenberg, the company is on a mission to...

INNOVATE® South Carolina

BIORN GROUP CYBER

TECHNOLOGISTS ASPIRING THROUGH SERVANT LEADERSHIP (TASL)

In 2019, the vision for Technologists Aspiring Through Servant Leadership (TASL), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, was established in Charleston, SC. Founded by Khanh Tran, TASL’s core mission was to address a critical need: preparing aspiring technologists, especially veterans and individuals from non-traditional backgrounds, for successful careers in the global digital...

INNOVATE® New Jersey Vol.2

TERRACYCLE

ON A MISSION TO ELIMINATE THE IDEA OF WASTE

TerraCycle is an international leader in innovative sustainability solutions, creating and operating first-of-their-kind platforms in recycling, recycled materials, and reuse. Through collaboration and innovation, we’ve developed the world’s first solutions in everything from recycling to reuse. Businesses, government entities, and consumers work with us globally to keep trash out of...

INNOVATE™ Alberta

BOW VALLEY COLLEGE

TRANSFORMING THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE THROUGH DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY

Bow Valley College has been an access college since 1965, earning a reputation for fast-paced programs that quickly respond to the practical needs of adult students and our economy. On May 16, 2023, the College launched a new Digital Strategy, which outlines how technology will enhance the student experience, improve...

INNOVATE® Chicago Vol.1

INSTASHIELD

INSTASHIELD-Invention and Entrepreneurship Run in the Family

Invention and Entrepreneurship Run in the Family

INSTASHIELD FILLS PPE SHORTAGE, DONATES 1 MILLION SHIELDS TO PEOPLE IN NEED InstaShield™ is a new kind of face shield that ships flat and is folded to fit over a cap or visor. The company was founded in March 2020 by Dan Brown Jr. to help fill the nation’s PPE...

INNOVATE™ Estonia

FIBENOL

DEFOSSILIZING THE FUTURE OF MATERIALS AND CHEMICALS

In Estonia, where wood has shaped livelihoods for centuries, one company is reimagining its potential for the next industrial era. Fibenol is transforming undervalued hardwood and plywood industry residues into high-purity biomaterials that offer sustainable alternatives to fossil-based inputs. Its mission is both simple and bold: To help industries defossilize...

Global Innovation Spotlight

Can Online Mapping Software Beat Traditional GIS?

Reviewing 4 Platforms

Can Online Mapping Software Beat Traditional GIS? Reviewing 4 Platforms Geographic information systems used to belong to specialists. You needed a license, a training course, and a workstation that could handle the processing load. That was the cost of doing spatial analysis for a long time, and plenty of organizations...

INNOVATE™ Curitiba

DATAPROM

SMART SOLUTIONS FOR MOBILITY

DATAPROM is a Brazilian company, headquartered in Curitiba/PR and has nine branch offices in Brazil, Colombia, and Peru. We were born in August 1988 from the creativity of engineers Marcos Olandoski, Alberto Abujamra and Carlos Perufo, who came together to develop innovative systems, capable of combining applicability and technology. At...

INNOVATION Quebec

CIRADD

CCTT D’INNOVATION SOCIALE EN DÉVELOPPEMENT DURABLE

Fondé en 2006, le CIRADD est depuis 2010 un CCTT en pratiques sociales novatrices spécialisé en développement territorial durable. Situé en Gaspésie, le centre fait partie du Réseau des CCTT. La mission du CIRADD est de soutenir et d’accompagner les organismes, les entreprises et les collectivités vers le développement durable...

INNOVATE™ Curitiba

LINK MONITORAMENTO

DRIVING SUCCESS: CELEBRATING 15 YEARS OF INNOVATION WITH LINK MONITORAMENTO

Founded in Curitiba, a city known for its innovation and entrepreneurship, Link Monitoramento is a pioneer in the Brazilian market for advanced monitoring and telematics, operating as the first franchisor in the sector. In 2024, the company celebrates its 15th anniversary, marking a milestone in its history of innovation and...

INNOVATE™ Estonia

bikeep

ESTONIA’S SMART SOLUTION FOR GLOBAL MICRO-MOBILITY

ESTONIA’S SMART SOLUTION FOR GLOBAL MICRO-MOBILITY The story of Bikeep begins with a painfully familiar urban problem—bike theft. As the story goes, a group of mechanical engineers, Kustas Kõiv, Meelis Haidak, Ott Reinhold, and Mikk Moses, experienced the frustration of having their bikes stolen. In response, they set out to...

INNOVATE® Gaming & Esports

FEMME GAMING

FEMME GAMING-#TheFutureIsFemme

#TheFutureIsFemme

Our mission is simple: to shake the foundations of the gaming industry, one empowered woman at a time by providing a safe space for female gamers to play and showcase their talents. While we’re not the first to recognize the stigma of women in video games, we’re one of the...

INNOVATE® Nashville

SUPERWISE

AI That Works for the Real World

SUPERWISE® is leading the next evolution in AI – making intelligent technology work for real-world industries, not just research labs. With practical, scalable, and low-friction tools, SUPERWISE empowers organizations to use AI to increase efficiency, improve decision-making, and transform how work gets done – from the executive suite to the...

INNOVATION Quebec

MYCÉLIUM

Is Quebec City’s incubator-accelerator dedicated to food manufacturing companies looking to improve the existing food supply with an innovative product or process that has a positive and lasting impact on health, the economy, society or on the environment

MYCÉLIUM boasts an innovative incubation model enhanced by the involvement of the regional business network, stakeholders’ expertise and access to the talent of several scientists from the Institut sur la nutrition et les aliments fonctionnels de l’Université Laval (INAF), the largest research centre in Canada dedicated to food and nutrition....

INNOVATION Quebec

CQMF

LE CENTRE QUÉBÉCOIS SUR LES MATÉRIAUX FONCTIONNELS (CQMF) EST UN REGROUPEMENT STRATÉGIQUE DU FRQNT1 QUI RASSEMBLE PLUS DE 100 GROUPES DE RECHERCHE UNIVERSITAIRES ET COLLÉGIAUX, AINSI QUE PLUSIEURS PLATEFORMES SCIENTIFIQUES. Le CQMF adresse les grands défis de société par le biais des matériaux ayant des fonctionnalités avancées2 développés en étroite...

INNOVATE® Washington DMV Edition

CAPITAL WORKFORCE INNOVATION CONSORTIUM

Empowering D.C.’s Future Through Workforce Innovation

The InnovationFounded in 2024, the Capital Workforce Innovation Consortium is a Next Generation Sector Partnership formed by the District of Columbia Department of Employment Services (DOES) and convened by BuildWithin. This initiative serves as an engine for aligning local talent with market demands through robust public-private partnerships, particularly in the...

INNOVATE™ Flanders

RIVER CLEANUP

From a 10-minute cleanup to 1000 plastic-free rivers

From a 10-minute cleanup to 1000 plastic-free rivers River Cleanup is a Belgium-based organization with one clear goal: making rivers plastic-free. The non-profit started with manual cleanup actions and evolved into a pioneer in the field of river protection, with mentions in Forbes, De Tijd, The Economist and many more....

INNOVATE™ Bristol & Bath

FOURTH FLOOR

FOURTH FLOOR-We Bring Brands And Influencers Together

We Bring Brands And Influencers Together, To Make Content That Engages Audiences And Builds Emotional Connections

Back in 2017 the nascent practice of influencer marketing had problems. Stuck on the idea of a quick buck, agencies seemed to lack a real understanding of online content creators or their audiences, or the power available to branded content campaigns when done well.   Put simply, not enough care...

INNOVATION Quebec

CATALIS Québec

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

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® Seattle

coinme

THE WORLD’S TRUSTED GATEWAY TO DIGITAL CURRENCIES AND A BETTER FINANCIAL FUTURE

THE WORLD’S TRUSTED GATEWAY TO DIGITAL CURRENCIESAND A BETTER FINANCIAL FUTURE Capitalizing on the Promise of Bitcoin Coinme was founded in 2014 with a mission to be the world’s trusted gateway to digital currency and a better financial future. CEO and co-founder Neil Bergquist saw bitcoin’s potential to provide access...

INNOVATION Quebec

MEDTEQ+

SUPPORTING AND ACCELERATING THE DEVELOPMENT AND COMMERCIALIZATION OF HEALTHCARE TECHNOLOGIES

How can we ensure that the healthcare technologies we develop are robust enough to break into different markets? How can we support, and coach Quebec entrepreneurs as well as help stimulate the innovation ecosystem? This is the mission of MEDTEQ+ , a panCanadian consortium for industrial research and innovation in...

INNOVATE™ Antwerp Vol.2

IBEVE

IBEVE BETTER MEASUREMENT FOR BETTER PREVENTION – HOW IBEVE REINFORCES ITS MISSION THROUGH INNOVATION

BETTER MEASUREMENT FOR BETTER PREVENTION – HOW IBEVE REINFORCES ITS MISSION THROUGH INNOVATION

Thanks to our Scanning Electron Microscope and the Nano Harmony Project, we will be able to advise companies even more effectively on healthy working environments. To measure is to know – a law that applies to IBEVE’s objectives more than most. As a consultancy firm, it specialises in providing advice...

INNOVATE® Nashville

MOTUS DRIVE

PRACTICAL MOBILITY SOLUTIONS

Motus Drive was founded by Ferhan Jemal after seeing firsthand the challenges his uncle faced due to limited mobility and the high costs associated with powered wheelchairs. Motivated by this experience, Ferhan spent eight years studying the wheelchair market, talking with industry experts, prototyping, and gathering direct feedback from wheelchair...

Ecosystems