Innova: A Brief History on the Brand’s Inventive Origins

As an Amazon associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

It takes a lot of work to become one of the biggest and most trusted tool brands in the world. Innova has over 30 years of combined innovation in the automotive diagnostics tools and data field. It also holds 110 patents and is trusted by more than seven million mechanics and DIYers. Those are some massive numbers. Even more impressive is that Innova boasts 412,000 R&D hours and 325,000 testing hours, specifically working with diagnostic technologies. But the company didn’t just pop up out of nowhere recently; it has a long and storied history in the automotive world, and that tale is actually pretty darn interesting.

Originally known as Equus and founded in 1982, the company became renowned for its testing equipment and gauges right from the very start. In 1983, it was even certified by FMC Defense as a NATO Alliance supplier of military replacement gauges. That same year, Equus also became an official retail partner of Walmart, which would start selling branded OBD2 scanners in stores. Eventually, Innova Electronics Corporation, as it is named now, was established in 1990 as a means for the research and development of new products.

But the tale is far from over.

Establishing Innovation for All

Imagine, entering the world of automotive development and innovation, a relatively fresh market at the time, trying to build oneself up as the ultimate authority in universal vehicle repairs and guidance. It’s a tough gig.

Today, Innova is recognized for its work with ASE master technicians, factory-trained and certified to shape the development of cutting-edge technologies. ASE certification points to official recognition from the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE). Innova meticulously researches, designs and builds solutions that are based on real-world uses — our teams have a deep understanding of what technicians and vehicle enthusiasts are looking for in these tools. Collectively, that expertise was earned over time as more and more professionals joined the cause.

It wasn’t until 1997 that Equus and Innova could boast the employment of all ASE certified technicians. We began training and hiring established professionals, ensuring that we had team members who understand the inner workings of modern vehicles, but also know the common pain points and necessary maintenance tasks to keep them optimal. Every vehicle is different, and just like the vehicles of today, each new model to the market introduced unique requirements and considerations as to the internal systems. To be an expert, you had to keep up with the changing technologies — you still do today.

From there, in 1999, the company began exploring ways to create a fix-centric database for auto diagnostic measures. We wanted to establish a reference point for all, creating a universal resource that could significantly improve the repairs process. Between 1999 and 2000 the team actually began building that database, but technology was lacking, which meant most of the work was done manually, old-school with paper and pencil.

The First Scanners Launch

In 2001, Innova earned the ISO 9001 certification, a globally recognized standard that helps organizations define and maintain quality management standards. It’s a testament to the quality of the products that Equus and Innova were producing. Other well-known companies that are also certified include Microsoft, IBM, Samsung Electronics, and even Coca-Cola.

That same year, Innova launched its very first diagnostics scanner to market, the Innova 3100, which became a top seller and offered a variety of state-of-the-art features, for the time. It employed a remarkably similar handheld design to the scanners you see now.

A few years later, in 2005, Innova established Fix Logic, the database meant to empower the information for brands like FixDB, CarMD, CanOBD2, and OBDFix, developed at the time by a master ASE tech named Keith Andreasen and later expanded upon by Metafuse. FixDB focused on the distribution of repair solutions, standardizing opportunities, with CanOBD2 meant for the DIY automotive community and ODBFix geared towards professional technicians. Altogether, they revolutionized the community approach to vehicle fixes, connecting everyone that mattered through widely accessible databases.

Growing the RepairSolutions Program

Building on the successes of its original databases, Innova released the first RepairSolutions program in 2006, alongside the 3100c scanner launch. This set the foundation for what would come later, and what we have today in the RepairSolutions2 mobile app. Of course, the original launch came packaged on a good old-fashioned compact disc, and the thought of running the software on a mobile phone was but a twinkle in some software engineer’s eye.

The mobile verson was launched in 2010, which marked the true start of the digital diagnostics age. At the time, Innova owned over 80% of the OBD2 diagnostics scanner market.

That same year, CarMD won the Edison Award for Best New Product. It’s an elite accolade that honors and highlights excellent product ideas and solutions in the spirit of marketing and innovation.

More Milestones In Innova’s History

The rest, as they say, is history. But altogether, Innova had more milestones that occurred in the years following, with highlights such as:

• In 2012, Innova moved its official headquarters to Irvine, California. All logistics and shipping are handled within company-owned warehouses.
• In 2013, Innova’s 3100 scanned reached one million sold, more than any other comparable products in the United States.
• In 2019, Innova products accumulated over 100 million vehicle scans, as it launched the latest 5000 series products, including the Innova 5610.

Today, the company continues to test and collect diagnostic data, performing state-of-the-art research, as it always has, while delivering a breadth of products spanning diagnostic scanners to inspection cameras, timing lights, electrical testers, and beyond. Known as one of the top diagnostic tool brands in the world, we’ve also earned a huge collection of awards and accolades from AutoZone, the AutoCare Association, Sherwin Williams, the PTEN Innovation Awards, and much, much more.

With new vehicle technologies advancing at alarming rates, Innova’s dedication will continue alongside that growth as we build upon our robust, decades-long foundation.

Back to Blog Academy