Toronto-based venture studio AXL and professional services giant RSM Canada have announced a strategic collaboration designed to accelerate the commercialization of Canadian artificial intelligence innovation and bolster the country’s digital economy.
Under the agreement, RSM will serve as AXL’s exclusive provider of accounting, tax, and consulting services—supporting both the venture studio and its growing portfolio of AI-focused startups. In turn, RSM will gain preferred access to emerging AI technologies being developed and validated through AXL’s applied research and commercialization pipeline.
The partnership also extends to AXL’s AI Catalyst program, a corporate partnership initiative designed to validate high-potential AI applications based on real market demand. By connecting world-class academic research with the immediate needs of industry, the program seeks to ensure Canadian-born innovations scale at home rather than being exported before their full value is realized.
“Canada doesn’t have an innovation gap, it has a commercialization gap,” said Dr. Daniel Wigdor, co-founder and CEO of AXL. “With RSM, we’re taking demand signals from the market and moving fast to turn that into scalable, enterprise-ready solutions. This is execution over hype. This is how Canada leads—not just in ideas, but in outcomes.”
While Canada remains a global leader in AI research, it continues to lag in transforming that academic strength into economic impact. According to the OECD, fewer than 20% of mid-sized Canadian companies have adopted AI technologies, citing limited talent, high implementation costs, and uncertain ROI. RSM’s own 2025 Middle Market AI Survey echoed those concerns, underscoring the need for practical, accessible AI solutions tailored to the middle market.
Adding urgency to the challenge: nearly 75% of AI patents from Canada’s leading institutions are acquired by foreign tech companies, and only 7% stay in Canada. A recent UN report further noted that fewer than half of top Canadian AI innovations are ever patented at all.
“We’re seeing incredible momentum around AI and the value it can unlock,” said Harry Blum, national managing partner at RSM Canada. “With AXL as a strategic collaborator, we’re accelerating innovation—helping businesses move beyond legacy models and positioning them to grow, compete and thrive in a future-ready economy.”
RSM recently committed US$1 billion globally to AI innovation, with a focus on enabling AI adoption among mid-market businesses. The firm’s partnership with AXL aligns closely with its goal of making AI more accessible to organizations lacking the scale or resources to deploy advanced solutions independently.
Together, AXL and RSM aim to catalyze 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.
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