How did a few young entrepreneurs, without major funding or flashy promises, build a company that is not only still standing 10 years later—but more ambitious than ever?
It wasn’t a matter of perfect timing or a stroke of genius. It was a clear vision and a product designed to simply do things well. Here’s the story.
2015: The Unlikely Bet
In 2015, employee scheduling was still dominated by rigid and clunky tools. Agendrix chose to look at things differently.
What if those outdated systems could be replaced by a modern, cloud-based solution that was simple to use and mobile-friendly?
While others offered complex platforms, the co-founders saw a clear opportunity: to build an intuitive tool for frontline team managers. A tool that truly simplified their daily tasks—and improved their teams’ well-being.
Betting Everything on One Idea
Agendrix’s story began with tremendous risk. André Gauthier, an experienced entrepreneur and former restaurant owner, approached Mathieu, Charles, and Samuel with an ambitious idea. The three co-founders quickly saw its potential—and invested all their time and their savings.
For two years, they took minimal salaries and worked tirelessly, far beyond full time. Every dollar counted. It took two and a half years to reach $10,000 in monthly recurring revenue, or $120,000 annually. And it wasn’t until 2018 that the business reached its first million in annual revenue.
Getting there took a long time, but that milestone meant more than just a number. It proved that their risky bet was paying off.
It remains one of the most significant moments in Agendrix’s history.
Closed Doors Didn’t Dim the Vision
Securing funding wasn’t easy either. The team once pitched the project to a room full of investors—no one even looked up. The business model was still new, and revenue was minimal. Their vision wasn’t picked up that day, nor the next. But it became just another reason to persevere.
First Offices, First Real Foundations
Agendrix started out as a few guys in a basement, a handful of clients, and big ideas. The small team quickly moved into a tiny office—and the momentum picked up.
2016–2017: Transformation Begins
In 2016, the business model was revised, marking a key turning point. That same year, Sébastien and Adam officially joined the original trio, forming a six-person founding team fully committed to the vision.
A Leap of Faith
When Adam and Sébastien joined full-time, they left well-paying jobs to go all in. It was a true leap of faith. Sébastien even moved from Montreal back into his parents’ basement in Sherbrooke to cut expenses and give Agendrix his all.
At the time, everyone wore multiple hats. The six of them rotated customer support shifts, including evenings and weekends.
They did it all—development, sales, customer support, strategy.
A Cabin and a Module
Charles, now CTO, once joked that a weekend alone at a cabin was all it would take to build a punch clock module. That’s all it took. He isolated himself for 7 days—fed, housed, focused—and built the first version of the Time & Attendance module.
Those two changes—the new business model and that module—gave Agendrix the momentum it needed to thrive.
2018–2019: Scaling the Vision
In 2018, things ramped up. The company increased hiring, invested more in advertising, and created more content. Growth accelerated—but stayed remarkably steady.
Agendrix’s branding was completely overhauled, giving rise to the identity we know today. The mission and values were also updated, providing the team with a deeper sense of purpose: putting people at the heart of workforce management.
The team kept growing. By 2019, they were about 15 employees strong.
2020: Adapting, Not Retreating
Pandemic, labor shortages, inflation… 2020 didn’t spare anyone. But rather than retreat, Agendrix chose innovation. No layoffs—just a collective decision for everyone to temporarily reduce hours so no one had to leave.
The company pivoted to fast-growing sectors like pharmacies and adapted the product to meet urgent new needs.
During lockdowns, the executive team held daily virtual check-ins. These reinforced cohesion, accelerated decision-making, and kept morale high in uncertain times.
Agility and innovation drove every move. And it paid off. During this period, monthly recurring revenue grew by over 50%.
Culture First, Always
Agendrix also took action internally: embracing remote work, reducing the standard workweek from 40 to 35 hours, and establishing a $50,000 minimum wage. These decisions reflected the same values embedded in the product: people first.
2021: The Five Take the Reins
In June 2021, a $4.2 million investment from BDC Capital and Desjardins Capital marked a turning point. Mathieu, Charles, Samuel, Adam, and Sébastien bought out the founding partner, André—ready for retirement—and other minority shareholders.
As CEO Mathieu Allaire put it:
This transaction marks a major step in pursuing our growth and mission of inspiring more human management. We’re building Agendrix for the long term and want to continue creating meaningful impact for our clients and employees. This structure gives us the freedom to do just that—with partners who share our values.
The five became majority shareholders, fully in control of Agendrix’s future.
2022: Momentum Builds
In 2022, Agendrix hit 100,000 users across more than 10,000 workplaces.
The year also brought five major product launches—including four HR modules: onboarding, high fives, surveys, and HR data. A revamped mobile app and new scheduling tools followed.
Listening First, Then Building
Most features were born directly from the field. These HR modules weren’t random—they came from client feedback and real-life needs. At Agendrix, listening leads the way.
2023–2024: Becoming an All-in-One Solution
Agendrix stayed on course in 2023 with weekly templates, HR document tools, and a comprehensive HR dashboard.
The vision: become a true all-in-one solution for managing frontline teams.
- In 2024, Agendrix launched electronic signatures and reached 200,000 users. The company also celebrated major milestones:
- Digital Company of the Year (Estrie Awards, 2023)
- ISO 27001 and 27701 certifications (2023)
- 274% 3-year growth, ranking 175th nationally (Canada’s Fastest-Growing Companies 2023)
- 32nd in Québec’s growth leaderboard (L’Actualité, 2023)
- Great Place to Work certified every year since 2020—ranked #1 in Canada in 2024
A New Chapter with The Citation Group
In 2024, Agendrix joined forces with The Citation Group—opening a new chapter with expanded resources and global reach, without losing the company’s local culture.
At this milestone, the team counts nearly 60 people across three Canadian provinces, working in both French and English.
2025 and Beyond: Ambition Without Compromise
Our vision for the future? Remain a human-scale company with global ambition.
Stay true to the spirit of 2015—the boldness, closeness, and drive to do better—while growing with integrity.
And prove, once again, that it’s possible to build something great without losing what matters most: people.
