La Presse: From Notebook to Artificial Intelligence

Axya featured in La Presse news! 🇨🇦

In the latest article published by La Presse, discover the story and origins of Axya, co-founded by Félix Bélisle Dockrill, Yacine Mahdid, Nicolas Gauthier and Karim Besbes in February 2019.

👉 Read the article written by Marie-France Létourneau from La Presse (originally in French).

PHOTO DENIS GERMAIN, SPECIAL COLLABORATION
Félix Bélisle-Dockrill, CEO and co-founder of Axya

The Montreal-based SME Axya has developed management software, powered by artificial intelligence (AI), to facilitate and accelerate the procurement process in the manufacturing sector. This new tool has been adopted by several players in the aerospace industry, including Airbus.

Axya, in which nearly 10 million dollars have been invested by various partners, was co-founded in 2019 by Félix Bélisle-Dockrill to address what he saw as a contradictory situation. At the time, he held a position in supplier quality control at Bombardier.

The company's products were cutting-edge technology, but in his eyes, the information management and collaboration tools with suppliers were not.

An opportunity for innovation

"My best tool was a paper notepad," says the mechanical engineering graduate from the École de technologie supérieure, still amazed. "A lot of it was done over the phone. I would call suppliers, follow up... I didn't feel like I was using my skills. I was chasing after information, updates, PDFs, and even faxes."

Félix Bélisle-Dockrill and his friend and AI researcher, Yacine Mahdid, who both participated in programming competitions on weekends, didn't waste time seeing it as an opportunity for innovation.

The duo joined the Centech technology accelerator in Montreal with the aim of developing a supply chain optimization tool for manufacturing companies.Nicolas Gauthier and Karim Besbes joined the Axya co-founders along the way.And the technology developed by the young company did not go unnoticed.

The SME of 30 employees, who work largely remotely, was crowned "Quebec AI Startup of the Year in 2023" at C2MTL.

Airbus and others

The quartet of entrepreneurs behind Axya hadn't planned it this way, but the pandemic, with its labor and supply chain issues, accelerated the deployment of its management software to businesses.

Airbus Canada is currently the largest client of the SME.

"We have hundreds of suppliers working with Airbus through the platform," says Félix Bélisle-Dockrill. "It not only propelled us, but it also gave us credibility."Axya also counts GE Aviation and Pratt & Whitney among its clients.

Purchasing teams are under high pressure. But by automating tasks that add no value, the software increases team productivity. What used to take them from a few hours to a few days is now done in just a few clicks." - Félix Bélisle-Dockrill, CEO and co-founder of Axya

According to Félix Bélisle-Dockrill, the various features of the platform allow for more informed decisions, which ultimately can result in better delivery times and savings.The platform is used, to varying degrees, by 48,000 companies, mainly in North America.

Aerospace is its preferred sector, but Axya is also present in transportation (BRP, Lion Electric, Tremcar) and industrial equipment (Rio Tinto).Supplier registration on the platform is free.

However, the company now earns revenue, which exceeds one million, from services offered to major clients and purchasing teams.Eventually, the SME aims to contribute, through its platform, to achieving the aerospace industry's goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2050, says Félix Bélisle-Dockrill. Research projects in this direction are underway."

Article written by Marie-France Létourneau from La Presse and translated from French by Elsa Souchet.