What Clientis does

Clientis is a privately held Canadian B2B market development firm founded in 2001 in Longueuil, Quebec, by Sébastien Roy, who continues to serve as Founder, President, and CEO. The company supports Canadian SMEs, manufacturers, and exporters in international expansion across seven vertical markets — Tourism & Hospitality, Agri-Food, Cosmetics, Manufacturing, Public Institutions, Craft & Design, and SMEs & Startups — through an integrated portfolio of professional services rather than proprietary technology products.

The firm's core service portfolio comprises seven horizontal capabilities: Business Missions (outbound and inbound trade missions with partner selection and logistics coordination), Sales Representation & Prospecting (outsourced commercial agents acting as on-the-ground ambassadors), Coaching & Export Strategy (export performance evaluation and intercultural negotiation training), Events & Go-to-Market Strategy (webinars, trade shows, country days, tastings), International Expansion Services (foreign subsidiary setup including market selection, legal structuring, and local recruitment), Export Communication (labeling compliance, translation, marketing adaptation), and Technical & Logistics Services (tender management and technical documentation). Service delivery relies on standard business intelligence, market analysis, CRM, and professional networking platforms. Per the company's published claims, 200+ companies have been supported across 30+ trade missions spanning four continents, with an average claimed economic impact above $1M per mission.

Clientis operates a sales-led, direct-engagement go-to-market model anchored on field sales representatives and trade-mission-based event marketing, with revenue generated from professional services fees — retainer relationships, project-based mission pricing, performance-based compensation, and consulting engagements — under a quote-based custom-pricing structure (no standardized tiers are disclosed). Distribution is exclusively direct, with strategic hubs in Canada (headquarters), Morocco (active from 2025), and Dubai (planned for 2026) intended to connect Africa, the Middle East, and North America. The company is founder-owned with no disclosed institutional investment, M&A activity, or external funding; headcount is reported in the 11–50 employee range.

Name

Clientis

Legal name

Clientis

Website

https://clientis.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Clientis is a Canadian B2B market development firm founded in 2001 that helps SMEs and manufacturers expand internationally through trade missions, sales representation, export coaching, and market-entry services, operating hubs in Canada, Morocco, and Dubai.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Trade Development Services

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161), Marketing Consulting Services (541613), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

B2B Channel Partners & Referral Agencies (Cross-Industry Referral) (FSAEAMAN)

Keywords

• International trade missions
• Export coaching services
• Sales representation
• Market entry consulting
• B2B business development

Headquarters

HQ city

Longueuil

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Trade Mission Organization: Clientis organizes customized B2B trade missions for Canadian companies seeking international expansion. These missions include trip organization, partner qualification, logistics coordination, and strategic support before, during, and after each mission. Revenue is generated through service fees for mission planning and execution.
2. Sales Representation & Prospecting: The company provides delegated sales agents and outsourced sales forces that act as on-the-ground ambassadors for client companies in target markets. Clients gain immediate access to established market networks and qualified prospects. Revenue derives from retainer fees and/or performance-based compensation.
3. Export Coaching & Strategy: Clientis offers export performance evaluation, trade show preparation, and intercultural negotiation coaching. These consulting engagements help companies build data-driven export strategies and improve their international business capabilities. Revenue is generated through coaching fees and consulting retainers.
4. Export Communication Services: Services include product labeling compliance, professional translation, and marketing material adaptation for international markets. This ensures clients' brands communicate effectively across different regulatory environments and cultural contexts.
5. International Expansion Support: End-to-end support for foreign subsidiary setup including market selection, business model validation, legal structuring, local recruitment, and official launch. Clientis coordinates the entire process acting as single point of contact.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Clientis is a B2B market development firm that helps Canadian companies expand internationally through organized trade missions, outsourced sales representation, export coaching and strategy, and end-to-end foreign subsidiary setup. The firm also provides export communication services (labeling, translation, marketing adaptation) and technical/logistics support for international tenders, operating across strategic hubs in Canada, Morocco, and Dubai.

Product overview

Clientis is a B2B market development firm offering a integrated suite of services for international expansion. Its core portfolio includes five main service lines: Business Missions (organizing outbound/inbound trade missions), Sales Representation & Prospecting (outsourced commercial teams), Coaching & Export Strategy (performance evaluation and intercultural negotiation training), Events & Go-to-Market Strategy (webinars, conferences, trade shows), International Expansion Services (foreign subsidiary setup), Export Communication (labeling and translation), and Technical & Logistics Services (tender management and documentation). The company also operates specialized vertical practices serving Tourism & Hospitality, Agri-Food, Cosmetics, Manufacturing, Public Institutions, Craft & Design, and SMEs/Startups. Services are delivered through strategic hubs in Canada, Morocco (from 2025), and Dubai (from 2026).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Business Missions Tailor-made outbound (Canada to international) and inbound (international to Canada) trade missions providing full trip organization, partner selection, logistics coordination, and strategic support before, during, and after each mission for companies seeking international expansion.
• Sales Representation & Prospecting Outsourced commercial agents and delegated sales teams who act as on-the-ground brand ambassadors for client companies, generating qualified leads, negotiating agreements, and managing follow-ups in target international markets.
• Coaching & Export Strategy Export performance evaluation, trade show preparation, and intercultural negotiation coaching delivered to help client companies build international capabilities and conquer new markets with confidence.
• Events & Go-to-Market Strategy Creation and execution of business experiences including webinars, conferences, country days, trade shows, tastings, and live demonstrations designed to position client brands in front of key international decision-makers.
• International Expansion Services End-to-end guidance for companies establishing foreign subsidiaries, including market selection, business model validation, legal and administrative structuring, local recruitment, and execution of market entry strategy.
• Export Communication Compliant product labeling, professional translation, and marketing material adaptation services that enable client brands to communicate effectively across different regulatory environments and cultural contexts.
• Technical & Logistics Services Support for international tender management and technical documentation, including bid specification analysis, proposal structuring, compliance verification, and creation of export materials such as technical sheets, certifications, and manuals.
• Tourism & Hospitality Development Hotel and tourism business development services including sales delegate replacement, corporate client development, lead generation, and B2B revenue optimization for hospitality properties in Quebec and Canada.
• Agri-Food & Gourmet Products Export Export support for producers, processors, and distributors of food and gourmet products, including compliance guidance, packaging and labeling adaptation, distribution channel development, and trade mission organization.
• Cosmetics & Wellness Export International expansion acceleration for beauty, cosmetics, and wellness brands through regulatory compliance support, distributor connections, prospecting missions, and positioning in natural beauty and wellness segments.
• Manufacturing Export Support Market access acceleration, distributor and importer prospecting, trade mission organization, and post-mission follow-up to convert contacts into business opportunities for industrial manufacturing companies.
• Public Institutions & Export Federations Support Structured B2B matchmaking, trade show support, and international event organization for public institutions, industry associations, and export federations seeking to strengthen their member export programs.
• Craft & Design Export Connections for artisans, designers, studios, and creative businesses with international buyers, galleries, concept stores, and cultural networks through trade missions tailored to the creative industries.
• SMEs & Startups Export Support Targeted prospecting, direct decision-maker introductions, trade mission organization, and structured post-mission follow-up designed to accelerate international expansion for small and medium enterprises and startups.

Quantifiable outcome

• 200+ companies supported in international expansion
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Trade Commissioner Service of Canada: Government of Canada's network of trade commissioners that assists Canadian businesses with international market access, matchmaking, and intelligence. Closest large-scale counterpart to Clientis's trade-mission and B2B matchmaking services, but delivered as a free public service rather than private paid engagements.
• Export Development Canada (EDC): Canada's federal export credit agency that helps Canadian companies go global with financing, insurance, and market-intelligence services. Overlaps with Clientis in helping SMEs navigate international expansion, though EDC operates at much larger scale and through financial instruments rather than bespoke missions.
• Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC): Crown corporation providing financing, advisory, and growth services to Canadian SMEs, including export readiness support. Comparable in serving the same Canadian SME growth audience, though BDC's core offering is capital and advisory rather than mission-based market access.

Direct peers

• TransPerfect: Global provider of translation, localization, and business services. Comparable to Clientis's Export Communication service line (translation, labeling compliance, marketing adaptation for international markets) and shares the cross-border B2B professional services model.
• RWS Group: UK-headquartered language, localization, and IP services firm (formed via the SDL plc acquisition). Overlaps with Clientis in cross-border content adaptation, regulatory translation, and helping brands communicate compliantly across regulated international markets.
• TFO Canada: Canadian non-profit trade facilitation organization connecting SMEs in developing countries with Canadian suppliers and partners. Most closely comparable private/non-profit peer in B2B trade facilitation and matchmaking, with similar SME-focused trade mission programming.

Regional players

• Investissement Québec: Quebec's provincial investment and export agency supporting Quebec-based businesses in international markets. Highly comparable to Clientis in target geography (Quebec) and SME export focus, but operates with public-sector mandate and subsidies.
• Montréal International: Greater Montreal economic promotion agency supporting international business attraction and exporter support. Comparable in Quebec-based international business development focus, though mission is broader (FDI plus export) and publicly funded.
• Québec International: Greater Quebec City economic promotion agency supporting exporters and attracting foreign investment. Similar Quebec-anchored B2B market development mandate as Clientis, but non-profit and publicly funded.

Others

• Federation of Canadian Municipalities - Trade and Export Programs: Public-institution export and trade capacity programs targeting associations and member companies. Comparable in serving the Public Institutions & Associations client segment that Clientis explicitly lists, though operating as a membership organization rather than a private consultancy.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ClientisQuebec
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/clientis
• Xx.com/clientis

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Clientis