Decoder with Nilay Patel · Monday, July 27, 2026
Altana has acquired Survey AI, a company with an AI platform designed to handle customs brokerage. Smith sees this as a way to address the increased paperwork and complexity in international trade, potentially automating processes for border compliance.
“You know, you just acquired a company called Survey AI, right? I think today, like literally as we speak, the press release is dated today.”
“And they make an AI platform to solve customs brokerage. Which in earlier versions of globalization was not a problem, right? The, the trade just was flowing and products were moving across borders. And now all the walls are up and everyone has to do more paperwork. And here's Altana being like, we see an opportunity. We're buying an AI platform that literally fills out paperwork at borders.”