Simpro Group Expands into Canada with new AI R&D centre in Montréal

The Montréal team will define the foundations of the company’s AI operating system, Simpro Group’s Lightning – from the orchestration to the planning and runtime layers that allow AI agents to reason and act autonomously across all the job functions that field service trades businesses need. The work pushes the frontier of applied AI in vertical SaaS, moving to an operating model in which autonomous agents become the primary interface between field service trade businesses, their operations and their customers.

“Our expansion into Montréal marks a pivotal milestone in Simpro Group’s journey to revolutionize the field service trades industry. We are investing tens of millions of dollars into this new R&D centre because we believe Montréal is the premier destination for the world-class applied AI talent we need to scale our vision,” said Fred Voccola, Chairman and CEO of Simpro Group. “This strategic move allows us to build cutting-edge, high-velocity solutions that put breakthrough innovation directly into the hands of our 130,000+ users worldwide.”

Simpro Group’s Lightning is a purpose-built, AI-native operating platform for the field service trades, designed to increase profitability and boost efficiency without multiplying headcount. Unlike typical AI offerings from competitors, Lightning was architected from the ground up to serve a foundational, unified AI-first operating layer across three of the company’s field service management solutions: Simpro Lightning (Australia, New Zealand, North America), AroFlo Lightning (Australia and New Zealand) and Big Change Lightning (UK and Europe).

Montréal was selected for its deep pool of world-class applied AI talent and its concentration of leading research institutions. The city’s diversity and global outlook also provide an ideal environment to develop intelligent, adaptable AI solutions across a wide range of verticals and operational contexts.

“Montréal is a premier hub for world-class applied AI talent, and standing up our agentic platform team here is the most strategic investment we can make for our customers,” said Raffi Tchakmakjian, Chief Product and Business Development Officer of Simpro Group. “The Montréal team is building the core intelligence of our operating platform, autonomous agents that eliminate administrative friction and redefine profitability for the field service trades.”

Tchakmakjian, an accomplished software executive and entrepreneur with multiple exits in deep tech and a proud alumnus of Polytechnique Montréal and McGill University, will lead Montréal strategy and operations.

“I’ve built companies from Montréal with international success throughout my career and have been involved in the AI community here for the last 10 years. The talent and the environment here are second to none, especially for bringing challenging new solutions from concept to market with high velocity,” added Tchakmakjian. “I’m also looking forward to building strong partnerships with local AI and tech institutions in Montréal and bringing some of the most talented applied AI engineers into our team.”

Montréal International, the city’s economic promotion agency, supports this project.

“We are proud to support an innovative company that meets the needs of our local trades sector while delivering a market-ready AI solution to users worldwide. Simpro Group’s new R&D centre is yet another compelling example of the capacity of Montréal’s AI ecosystem to attract strategic, high-impact investments,” said Mark Maclean, Vice President, Foreign Invesment at Montréal International.