Celebrating 10 Years of OXO Innovation

A lot can happen in a decade. For OXO Innovation, the past 10 years have seen it evolve from an ambitious start-up to a global content partner for clients in the most diverse industries all around the world.

It’s been a journey characterized by growth. From the outset, OXO’s founders placed a high value on innovation. This forward-looking approach powers the company to this day as it constantly searches out new opportunities to learn, grow, and better serve its clients.

A high-octane beginning that fuelled rapid growth

OXO’s story began with Laurent Chevette and Charles Lespérance. Childhood friends, the pair shared an entrepreneurial dream of providing top-quality language services to the Quebec market. In 2013, they made that dream a reality with the founding of OXO Translations.

For Charles, it was a step outside his comfort zone. As a fresh member of the Quebec bar, he was carving out a successful career in international tax law when he was bitten by the entrepreneurial bug.

“While my law career was fulfilling, I wanted to explore my passion for doing business across borders. We saw an opportunity in the market for a forward-thinking language solutions partner with global reach and outlook, and I grabbed it.”
– Charles Lespérance, Partner & Chief Executive Officer, OXO Innovation

While OXO co-founder Laurent left to pursue new challenges, Charles stayed and helped the company reach its first milestone in 2015 — five full-time employees.

Charles Lespérance and first team members, Margaret Sankey and Sophia Dias

During this time, OXO became a full-fledged language service provider, expanding its service offerings to include localization and more. Doubling sales every year, it wasn’t long before OXO began to look for new opportunities worldwide.

“At that point we were growing steadily, establishing our brand and gaining a reputation for service excellence and innovation. Going global was the next logical step. We pride ourselves on being a company that evolves alongside our clients, nimbly responding to industry needs and trends. We have ambitious plans for the next stage of OXO’s journey—being at the forefront of this dynamic industry is incredibly exciting!”
– Charles Lespérance

Transformation into global content agency

With its merger with Ccaps Translation and Localization in 2018, OXO added a global presence to enhance its core business. The owner and Managing Director of Ccaps, Fabiano Cid, became a partner in the company as well as its Chief Operating Officer.

Ccaps was founded in Brazil in 1999, and had established a sprawling customer base in Latin America prior to merging with OXO. In 2019, a third office was launched in Morocco to serve as a base of operations for Europe and the Middle East, cementing OXO’s global presence.

“Looking back, it’s clear that merging with OXO was the right move. We brought our human talent and the almost twenty years of experience in Latin America to combine with the fast-paced approach OXO had and the opportunities offered by the Canadian market. A match made in localization heavens, which added the Innovation factor to the group.”
– Fabiano Cid, Partner & Chief Operating Officer, OXO Innovation

Canadian acquisitions grow client base and expertise

Excited with the success of its first merger, OXO continued its M&A activities and in 2019 acquired Quebec-based translation company Communications Transcript, a key player in the Canadian market.

“Joining forces with OXO gave us greater scope to fulfill our shared vision of helping clients communicate more effectively. After working independently for the last four years, we are ready for a full-scale integration, which will allow us to pool our talent and provide a more personalized service to new and existing clients.”
– Claudine Lalonde, Director of Operations, Communications Transcript

Claudine Lalonde and Transcript colleagues

As a company with a 25-year history, Communications Transcript brought seasoned employees and major accounts in the banking, finance and railway sectors to add to the portfolio. This landmark acquisition, coupled with OXO’s rapid growth, saw its employee headcount increase to 65. It also allowed the company to ramp up its French translation capacity and take on larger projects for Canadian clients.

Investing in growth at home

Just a year after the acquisition of Communications Transcript, OXO was again eyeing the Canadian market. In 2020 the company acquired another firm, adding three employees and a major fast food account to its growing operations.

The following year, a close partnership gave rise to another opportunity for growth. In 2021, Montreal-based translation company Vinkit was looking for a buyer. Having worked with the firm since its inception, OXO was the logical choice to take over Vinkit’s portfolio.

All such moves were instrumental in taking OXO from a local translation provider to a full-service global content partner. The industry took note and in 2021, OXO was listed as one of the world’s top boutique language service providers on the Slator Language Service Provider Index. In the following year, OXO was one of the fastest-growing LSPs in the industry and positioned itself as number three in the Canadian market, according to CSA Research. Today, OXO has just over 90 employees — more than the founders could have imagined in such a short period of time.

Full speed ahead as OXO plans for the future

It may have begun as a shared dream, but OXO has grown even beyond its founders’ expectations, becoming one of the largest LSPs in Canada and serving clients across four continents.

Ten years in business is a milestone worth celebrating, and OXO did it in style. The company hosted a lavish anniversary party for employees, clients, partners, and all who’ve supported the business throughout the decade. The event took place in September at the Hilton Garden Inn in Montreal’s midtown and was a night to remember as the OXO family came together to celebrate its success and excitedly plan for the future.

“The company is always facing forward, looking ahead to expand its offerings into new markets and to consolidate its reputation as a premier global content partner. Over the years, throughout the milestones, mergers and acquisitions, OXO’s core values have remained unchanged — to help companies stay ahead of the curve, empower its talented employees, and innovate to better communicate. With our talented team of over 90 employees, we stand ready to serve clients in Canada and abroad. ”
– Charles Lespérance