Mechelen-based startup Customs4trade (C4T) has developed a comprehensive SaaS customs and trade compliance platform called CAS. The platform enables companies to centralise, automate, and manage both regional and worldwide customs and trade compliance. With unrest in world markets following the threat of trade wars between the US and China and Brexit, C4T has drawn investor attention for its innovative solution to automate customs compliance.
The startup has just raised a Series A round of €2 million from European tech investor 42CAP, along with the 10x Group. Previously, the company was funded by a seed round led by its founders Pieter Haesaert and Ilse Vermeersch, who have also invested a stake in the Series A financing round. The funding will be used to grow C4T’s product team, further develop its software functionality, and invest in sales and marketing.
CAS is a collaborative platform, designed to manage regional and worldwide customs and trade compliance quickly and accurately. By automating all import and export processes, C4T clients are able to experience faster time to market, eliminate customs duty and administration costs, and gain visibility into their customs operations.
Pieter Haesaert, CEO of Customs4trade, said: “The obstacles for companies to structurally deal with customs and trade compliance and effectively manage this domain exposes them to great vulnerability, and the topic has become a key agenda item in the boardroom. CAS is designed to empower the customs manager and his or her team to gain visibility and be in control of their processes and flows instead of constantly putting out fires. Enterprises understand very well that customs compliance should be an integral part of business administration but struggle to find solutions that fit their organisation.”
Alex Meyer, investor and partner at 42CAP, said: “Customs4trade has developed a software solution that is unique to the marketplace and fills a defined need. We see great potential for global expansion and are excited to support their growth.”
