Canadian businesses AXL and RSM partner for expedited development and marketing of artificial intelligence technologies.
Toronto-based venture studio AXL has entered into a strategic collaboration with RSM Canada, a leading accounting, tax, and consulting firm. The partnership aims to address Canada's AI commercialization gap by accelerating the transformation of Canadian AI research into scalable, enterprise-ready business solutions.
The focus is on the underserved middle market, a sector that has been slow to adopt AI technologies. The lack of adoption is often attributed to limited talent, high implementation costs, and uncertain returns on investment. This partnership seeks to create accessible AI applications tailored for middle market businesses, thereby strengthening Canada's position as a leader in AI commercial outcomes.
RSM Canada will serve as AXL’s exclusive provider of professional services, offering strategic guidance, compliance expertise, and growth planning. In return, RSM gains preferred access to emerging AI technologies, enabling a feedback loop that connects market needs with AI development.
The collaboration includes AXL's AI Catalyst program, a corporate partnership initiative to validate high-potential AI applications. This program aims to connect world-class academic research with the immediate needs of industry, fast-tracking AI adoption in Canadian businesses.
The partnership aligns with RSM's goal of enabling AI adoption among mid-market businesses. Recently, RSM committed US$1 billion globally to AI innovation, with a focus on making practical, accessible AI solutions tailored to this market.
The goal is to ensure Canadian-born innovations scale domestically rather than being exported prematurely. Canada lags in transforming AI research into economic impact, with fewer than 20% of mid-sized companies adopting AI technologies. Nearly 75% of AI patents from Canada's leading institutions are acquired by foreign tech companies, and only 7% stay in Canada.
Harry Blum, national managing partner at RSM Canada, stated, "With AXL as a strategic collaborator, we are accelerating innovation, helping businesses move beyond legacy models, and positioning them to grow, compete, and thrive in a future-ready economy."
Dr. Daniel Wigdor, co-founder and CEO of AXL, added, "The partnership is about execution over hype and leading in outcomes, not just ideas." The goal is to catalyse a new generation of AI-powered companies and ensure Canada's leadership in the digital economy is measured not only by its research, but also by the value it delivers to businesses, workers, and the broader economy.
This collaboration is part of RSM's global commitment to AI innovation and echoes the need for practical, accessible AI solutions highlighted in RSM's 2025 Middle Market AI Survey. The survey underscored the need for AI solutions tailored to the middle market, a sector that has been slow to adopt AI technologies due to practical barriers such as limited AI talent and high implementation costs.
In conclusion, the partnership between AXL and RSM Canada is a significant step towards bridging the AI commercialization gap in Canada. By focusing on execution and creating market-ready solutions, the partnership aims to boost the country's digital economy and close the gap between innovation and economic impact.
Artificial intelligence (AI) will be integrated into the strategies provided by RSM Canada, as they serve as the exclusive provider of professional services for AXL's AI Catalyst program. The goal is to develop AI applications that are accessible and tailored for middle market businesses, thereby promoting AI adoption and enhancing Canada's digital economy.
The partnership between AXL and RSM Canada seeks to execute practical AI solutions, leading to a new generation of AI-powered companies in Canada, and ensuring the country's leadership in the digital economy is measured by the value delivered, not just its research.
