Redeemable convertible preferred stock and stockholders (deficit) equity - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	0 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Mar. 12, 2014	Feb. 27, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Mar. 12, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Conversion basis for reverse stock split			The Company effected a 1-for-19.2 reverse stock split
Conversion ratio of reverse stock split		0.052083	0.052083
Ownership percentage			100.00%
Accrued tax payable on preferred stock			$ 0		$ 1,797,412
Derivative liability for redemption option on preferred stock			800,206
Shares of common stock sold in IPO	4,830,000
Common stock share price per share				$ 11.00
Aggregate net proceeds received from offering	47,291,274
Underwriting discounts and commissions and offering costs	$ 5,838,726
Preferred stock, shares issued			0		0
Preferred stock, shares outstanding			0		0
AQXP Canada [Member] | Exchangeable Common Stock [Member]
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Common stock, shares outstanding	301,745			301,745
AQXP Canada [Member] | Series A Exchangeable Preferred Shares [Member]
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Redeemable convertible preferred stock, shares outstanding	791,016		0	791,016	791,016
Redeemable convertible preferred stock, shares issued			0		791,016
AQXP Canada [Member] | AQXP Canada, Series B Exchangeable Preferred Shares [Member]
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Redeemable convertible preferred stock, shares outstanding	793,617		0	793,617	793,617
Redeemable convertible preferred stock, shares issued			0		793,617
AQXP Canada [Member] | Series C Exchangeable Preferred Shares [Member]
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Redeemable convertible preferred stock, shares outstanding	378,786		0	378,786	378,786
Redeemable convertible preferred stock, shares issued			0		378,786
Aquinox USA [Member]
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Common stock, shares outstanding			10,695,022		301,745
Total number of shares authorized			55,000,000
Common stock, shares authorized			50,000,000		139,266,037
Common stock, par value			$ 0.000001		$ 0.000001
Preferred stock, shares authorized			5,000,000		0
Preferred stock, par value			$ 0.000001		$ 0.000001
Preferred stock, shares issued			0		0
Preferred stock, shares outstanding			0		0
Aquinox USA [Member] | Series A Preferred Stock [Member]
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Redeemable convertible preferred stock, shares outstanding			0		662,875
Convertible preferred stock	791,016			791,016
Redeemable convertible preferred stock, shares issued	1,453,891		0	1,453,891	662,875
Aquinox USA [Member] | Series B Preferred Stock [Member]
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Redeemable convertible preferred stock, shares outstanding			0		1,573,797
Convertible preferred stock	793,617			793,617
Redeemable convertible preferred stock, shares issued	2,367,414		0	2,367,414	1,573,797
Aquinox USA [Member] | Series C Preferred Stock [Member]
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Redeemable convertible preferred stock, shares outstanding			0		1,343,424
Convertible preferred stock	378,786			378,786
Redeemable convertible preferred stock, shares issued	1,722,210		0	1,722,210	1,343,424
Aquinox USA [Member] | Redeemable Convertible Preferred Stock [Member]
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Redeemable convertible preferred stock, shares outstanding	5,543,515			5,543,515
Over-Allotment Option [Member]
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Shares of common stock sold in IPO	630,000
Shares Transferred from AQXP Canada to Aquinox USA [Member]
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Common stock shares conversion, description			Each of the 301,745 outstanding common exchangeable shares of AQXP Canada was transferred to Aquinox USA in exchange for one share of common stock of Aquinox USA.
Preferred shares conversion, description			Each of the 791,016 outstanding Series A exchangeable preferred shares, 793,617 outstanding Series B exchangeable preferred shares and 378,786 outstanding Series C exchangeable preferred share of AQXP Canada was transferred to Aquinox USA in exchange for one share of Series A, B and C convertible preferred stock of Aquinox USA, respectively. As a result, following such exchange, there were 1,453,891 shares of Series A, 2,367,414 shares of Series B and 1,722,210 shares of Series C convertible preferred stock of Aquinox USA.
Conversion of Redeemable Convertible Preferred Stock to Common Stock [Member] | Aquinox USA [Member]
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Preferred shares conversion, description			All 5,543,515 of the outstanding shares of redeemable convertible preferred stock of Aquinox USA converted to an equivalent number of shares of common stock of Aquinox USA.
Conversion of Redeemable Convertible Preferred Stock to Common Stock [Member] | Aquinox USA [Member] | Common Stock [Member]
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Common stock shares converted	5,543,515