# Evan Smith

> Evan Smith is the co-founder and CEO of Altana, a New York company that turns the world's public and non-public trade data into a shared, AI-driven model of the global supply chain. Under his leadership Altana reached a $1 billion valuation in 2024 on a $200 million Series C, and its platform is now used by enterprises like Maersk and BASF and by government agencies including U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Smith frames the work as building 'Globalization 2.0' - rebuilding global commerce to be more resilient, secure, and fair rather than retreating from it.

- **Role:** Co-Founder and CEO at Altana
- **Organizations:** Altana, Panjiva, IMBU Technologies
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** B.A., Economics, Yale University
- **Known for:** Built Altana into a $1 billion unicorn within six years of founding., Raised approximately $323 million in total funding from GV (Google Ventures), US Innovative Technology Fund, Salesforce Ventures, March Capital, Generation Investment Management, Activate Capital, OMERS Ventures and others., Secured U.S. Customs and Border Protection as a customer for forced-labor enforcement, counternarcotics, and Product Passports.

## Career timeline

- **pre-2018** — Co-managed a private equity partnership under a family office sponsor and served as CEO of IMBU Technologies, a textile supply chain automation software company.
- **pre-2018** — Led enterprise solutions and strategic partnerships at Panjiva, a trade data science company, alongside future co-founders Peter Swartz and Raphael Tehranian.
- **2018** — Co-founded Altana with CTO Peter Swartz and COO Raphael Tehranian to build a trusted, shared model of the global supply chain.
- **2022** — Published the 'Globalization 2.0' manifesto, arguing for rebuilding global commerce around trusted networks.
- **2023** — U.S. Customs and Border Protection selected Altana to help implement the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act.
- **2024** — Closed a $200 million Series C led by the US Innovative Technology Fund, reaching a $1 billion valuation and unicorn status.
- **2025** — CBP selected Altana's AI-powered Product Passports for next-generation supply chain traceability and trade enforcement.

## Achievements

- Built Altana into a $1 billion unicorn within six years of founding.
- Raised approximately $323 million in total funding from GV (Google Ventures), US Innovative Technology Fund, Salesforce Ventures, March Capital, Generation Investment Management, Activate Capital, OMERS Ventures and others.
- Secured U.S. Customs and Border Protection as a customer for forced-labor enforcement, counternarcotics, and Product Passports.
- Pioneered the use of federated machine learning to model global supply chains without centralizing sensitive customer data.
- Grew Altana to roughly 240 employees serving enterprises including Maersk, BASF, and L.L. Bean.

## Latest updates

- **2025-10** — U.S. Customs and Border Protection selected Altana's AI-powered Product Passports for supply chain traceability and trusted trade, with partners including BASF, L.L. Bean, and Maersk.
- **2024-07** — Altana closed a $200 million Series C led by the US Innovative Technology Fund, reaching a $1 billion valuation and unicorn status.

## Links

- Website: https://altana.ai
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/evan-smith-39516b8
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/altana_ai

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/evan-smith
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-06-04