Who is XDI anyway? Where are you from? (Part 1 )

It’s a question our loyal subscribers often ask us, so here’s a quick explanation.

Back in 2020, the company was originally called Nextcube.IO. It was created byPierre Marc (CEO XDI) and Sébastien, 2 “veterans” of 3D CAD.

Sébastien and his brother Lenny (also an XDI shareholder) founded AvenAo (SOLIDWORKS integrator) in 2002. Sébastien and Lenny sold AvenAo to the Prodways group 4 years ago. Fascinated by engineering (Sébastien holds a DEA in mechanics and simulation from the Ecole Normale Supérieure, Lenny an engineering degree from ESILV), new business models and entrepreneurship, Sébastien and Lenny proposed to Prodways that they join forces to create the “new generation” 3D software integrator. It will be Nextcube.IO XD Innovation. Rather like Orange with Sosh, or Volkswagen with Porsche, the Prodways group will have 2 brands to integrate the best design and innovation tools: AvenAo and XDI. Each brand has its own DNA, its own characteristics, its own “Persona”. XDI’s DNA will be made up of cloud, SAAS, new uses, services for industrial startups, innovation… The idea is to start afresh, reinvent, and (Re)ask questions. And that’s good!

Pierre Marc, an INSA engineer, was one of Sébastien and Lenny’s first AvenAo colleagues. He joined AvenAo as an intern over 10 years ago, and has never left :). Product engineer, salesman, agency manager, director, COO, he’s done it all at AvenAo, before embracing the ultimate challenge: becoming CEO of a startup! Bam! Pierre Marc is passionate about entrepreneurship and innovation. He is in charge of XDI’s day-to-day operations, strategy, customers and finances. It’s the big boss :)

So, as we said, we started out as Nextcube.IO. but why change the name after 15 days? Well, because Pierre Marc and Sébastien met a great entrepreneur, Soufiane, based in the US, in Denver, and who since 2017 has launched
XD INNOVATION US
. This company was the first to “twin” on the integration of 3DEXPERIENCE, in particular around CATIA technologies. XD Innovation US, for example, looks after the world’s biggest 3DEXPERIENCE Full Cloud customer: Canoo. XD Innovation US employs some 30 of the world’s leading engineers specializing in 3DEXPERIENCE integration. XD Innovation has received numerous Dassault Systèmes Awards ( Best US Integrator, Platinum partner …)

Soufiane, Pierre Marc and Sébastien decided to combine their destinies to create a world leader in the integration of the new 3DEXPERIENCE “Full Cloud” solutions: CATIA, SOLIDWORKS, DELAMIA… Nextcube.IO will henceforth be known as XD INNOVATION EUROPE. The idea is to combine strengths, skills and energy to boost the startup.

So far, so good… that was just a few days before the pandemic, the lockdown… XDI Europe had still not launched its business, and had not recruited its first employees…

To be continued :)

February 27, 2020: First working meeting in Barcelona with Dassault Systèmes teams. Over these 2 days, more than 1,500 companies will be contacted to present 3DEXPERIENCE, test the pitch, and document the initial arguments for SAAS and the Cloud in the Dassault Systèmes universe. In this photo: Pierre Marc (2nd from right) and Sébastien (1st from right) from XDI, and the Dassault Systèmes Barcelona team.