Software engineering is entering a period of consolidation.
Today, proven delivery capabilities matter more than ambitious promises.
During a recent appearance on Paroles d'Entreprises, hosted by Vincent Touraine on BFM Business, I shared our perspective on these changes.
My first appearance on the programme was in 2021. Returning in 2025 offered an opportunity to reflect on how far Novity has come, clarify our positioning as a technology and product engineering partner, and review the development of our business.
From engineering to entrepreneurship: How we built the Novity model
Fifteen years of engineering excellence in financial infrastructure
Novity was built on more than 25 years of hands-on industry experience.
I spent the first fifteen years of my career in the European financial sector, including at Clearstream, where I worked as a Software Engineer, Team Leader and later Head of Unit.
This experience instilled a rigorous approach to designing highly available, cloud-native architectures. It also gave me a deep understanding of managing secure transaction flows within demanding regulatory environments.
Ten years leading technology teams at software companies
I then spent ten years as CTO of three software companies operating in the MarTech (marketing technology) sector for retail: Perigee, Wiser Solutions (formerly Work IT) and Kolsquare.
During this period, I built engineering teams from the ground up across France, Europe and the Indian Ocean region.
Together, we developed and secured data-driven platforms serving thousands of users.
These experiences reinforced a fundamental principle: successful technology delivery depends as much on the quality of the team and its organisation as it does on the underlying architecture.
Founding Novity in 2019
As a CTO, I found myself spending too much time sourcing talent and managing administrative responsibilities, whether for internal employees, external service providers or freelancers.
This increasingly came at the expense of product vision and technology strategy.
I founded Novity in 2019 to create the alternative I had been looking for: a company capable of advising technology leaders while supporting the technical execution of their product roadmaps.
The business grew organically, beginning within the last company where I served as CTO.
That first client continues to work with us today.
Four areas of expertise built around real-world engineering needs
A clear focus: Consulting, Product, Software, Data / AI
Technology needs are evolving, and we experience these changes directly through our clients' projects.
In 2026, we are formally structuring our positioning around four areas of expertise:
- Consulting
- Product
- Software
- Data / AI
This is not a reinvention of our business. These capabilities have been part of our day-to-day work since 2019.
We are simply making our expertise and the work our engineers already deliver more visible.
Today, Novity acts as a strong bridge between talent and technology companies, connecting France with Mauritius and Madagascar.
Scaling our Data Engineering & AI Practice
As part of this evolution, we are structuring our Data Engineering & AI practice.
This decision directly reflects the changing technology architectures and requirements of our clients.
For several years, artificial intelligence and data-driven capabilities have naturally become part of the projects we support, from business applications and SaaS platforms to cloud infrastructure and business intelligence tools.
The formal establishment of this practice in 2026 is not an opportunistic response to the AI boom.
It is a natural extension of our expertise in Product and Software Engineering.
Our work focuses on practical challenges that directly affect business performance:
- Improving the reliability and usability of business data.
- Integrating AI capabilities into existing technology architectures.
- Ensuring the resilience of business-critical systems.
- Supporting high-impact business decisions through technology and data.
Looking to strengthen your data or AI capabilities?
Let's move beyond theoretical discussions and talk about your projects.
→ Explore Novity's expertise
Our industry expertise in numbers
Our business has grown by supporting organisations facing demanding challenges around scale, security and regulatory compliance.
The distribution of our clients reflects the strength of our model: senior engineers who understand both technology and the business implications of the industries they serve.
- 32% — FinTech
Our FinTech clients operate across financing, insurance, banking and payment solutions.
We support French and European companies in developing secure, scalable solutions that address regulatory requirements while improving the customer experience.
- 30% — Retail
Our retail expertise spans specialist retail, supply chains, franchise networks and e-commerce.
We help retailers and technology companies modernise their platforms and business applications, streamline customer journeys and make better use of their data.
- 18% — B2B Services
We work with founders, technology leaders and corporate digital factories.
Our engineers strengthen technology and product teams throughout the software lifecycle, from initial design to the modernisation of business applications, SaaS solutions and web platforms.
This helps organisations standardise business processes, develop differentiated features and accelerate time to market.
Integrated engineering teams: Our model and what sets us apart
In 2026, traditional approaches based on freelancers, IT services companies and software development agencies are increasingly revealing their limitations.
To address these challenges, Novity provides integrated engineering teams that work as part of our clients' organisations.
The distinction between internal and external engineers becomes less important. What matters is the quality of execution, shared accountability and the ability to deliver.
This approach has already proved its value with more than 80 French technology companies.
Integrated engineering teams: The Novity approach vs traditional IT Services
Sources
- BFM Business, interview de Xavier Lernould dans Paroles d’entreprise - Novity, partenaire des entreprises tech
- LinkedIn Xavier Lernould - Dans notre métier, la distance physique n'est rien quand la confiance est là
