Altana CEO Evan Smith explains how his company uses AI-driven software to navigate increasingly complex global supply chains amid rising geopolitical tensions and shifting international trade policies.

Key Points

• Altana provides a shared digital map of global supply chains, connecting government agencies, logistics providers, and Fortune 1,000 companies to improve trade transparency.
• The company recently acquired Cervo AI to automate customs brokerage and paperwork, addressing the growing friction caused by new trade barriers and import regulations.
• Despite aggressive tariff policies, Altana’s data shows that manufacturing jobs have not returned to the U.S. in significant numbers, with many Chinese goods simply being rerouted through third-party countries.
• Altana is currently scaling its operations to nearly 300 employees while integrating agentic AI to accelerate product development and decision-making processes.
• The company emphasizes a federated data model, allowing organizations to maintain control over sensitive information while benefiting from network-wide intelligence and risk-monitoring capabilities.

Why it Matters

As global trade shifts from a focus on efficiency to a priority on national security and economic resilience, businesses and governments face unprecedented logistical complexity. Altana’s software aims to provide the visibility needed to manage these risks, offering a potential path toward more stable trade relations even as geopolitical competition intensifies.