AI Risk Advisor Launched Amidst Trade War Escalation

Geopolitical Risk and the Rise of AI-Powered Business Advisory Tools

The imposition of tariffs by President Donald Trump has highlighted the escalating geopolitical risks confronting businesses today. As the global landscape shifts due to unpredictable trade negotiations, organizations are finding it increasingly difficult to remain current with the constant changes.

Challenges in Monitoring Global Events

Matthew Oresman, London managing partner at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, a prominent global law firm, stated, “We are overwhelmed by the volume of trade updates received each hour, every day.”

This firm, serving a diverse clientele including multinational corporations and high-net-worth individuals in sectors like technology, energy, and artificial intelligence, is among the first to adopt Hence Global, a new software solution developed by London-based startup Hence AI.

Introducing Hence Global: An AI-Driven Risk Management Platform

The core function of Hence Global is to assist organizations in monitoring both geopolitical and business risks. Furthermore, it provides guidance on strategies to mitigate these identified risks.

The platform also serves as a valuable resource for professional service providers, such as consulting firms and legal practices, enabling them to generate insightful analyses for their clients.

Affordability and Accessibility of Geopolitical Intelligence

Sean West, co-founder of Hence AI, described Hence Global as “an AI-powered business advisor that operates alongside you.” He emphasized the product’s affordability, with the base version priced at $1,500 annually, significantly less than traditional consulting fees.

“Our goal is to broaden access to this crucial information,” West explained. He noted that startups and non-governmental organizations often lack the resources to repeatedly consult legal counsel or invest in expensive consulting contracts.

Serving an Underserved Market

West continued, “Large corporations can afford premium advice, and the wealthiest individuals will always seek expert counsel, and they will compensate accordingly. However, a substantial portion of the market can be effectively served through technological solutions.”

West brings extensive experience to Hence AI, having previously served as global deputy CEO of Eurasia Group and recently publishing the book, “Unruly: Fighting Back when Politics, AI, and Law Upend the Rules of Business.” His co-founder, Steve Heitkamp, possesses a background in political risk and counterterrorism, gained during his time at Palantir.

Leveraging Palantir Technology for Advanced Analysis

Hence Global is built upon Palantir’s Foundry and Artificial Intelligence Platform. This allows the startup to integrate various AI models to interpret, summarize, and analyze data tailored to each customer’s specific requirements and industry.

The system aggregates data from news headlines (linking directly to the source), Wikipedia, filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, press releases, and other publicly available sources, including sanctions lists and World Bank data.

Demonstrating the Product's Capabilities

West illustrated the product’s functionality with a demonstration. Customers begin by defining a “persona.” For this example, we configured the system to represent a cross-border cryptocurrency infrastructure company offering stablecoin payments, crypto custody, and regulatory intelligence.

We instructed Hence Global to provide “a continuous, forward-looking analysis of geopolitical developments that could impact our operating environment,” and specified several topics for monitoring.

Real-Time Insights and Risk Identification

The system then generates a daily update containing relevant news and information. In the case of the simulated crypto company, the software highlighted how Trump’s trade war triggered market volatility, leading to declines in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrency stocks.

“This essentially replicates the work a mid-level analyst in my previous organization would have performed,” West stated. He added that the same analyst would have required an entire day to produce a report that Hence Global generates in a matter of minutes.

Benefits for Both End-Users and Service Providers

Hence Global’s daily briefings are valuable for companies seeking to understand their own geopolitical and business risks. They are also beneficial for service companies that track this information on behalf of their clients.

Importantly, when monitoring a specific company, the system inquires whether it is a client, a competitor, or a supplier. This influences how the platform presents information and conducts its analyses.

Positive Feedback from Early Adopters

“We were in need of tools capable of synthesizing [information], assisting us in drafting client alerts, and providing a core understanding that we could then enhance with our legal expertise,” Oresman explained. “The sheer volume of information available is overwhelming. A tool like this transforms it into a manageable resource.”

Hence Global, launched just a few months ago, is already attracting new clients, including TravelPerk, Diversifi Capital, and Three Crowns.

Industry Validation and Use Cases

Rohitesh Dhawan, CEO of the International Council on Metals and Mining, shared with TechCrunch that he utilizes Hence Global to monitor market sentiment and policy developments.

“Our organization strives to demonstrate that responsible mining practices are achievable,” Dhawan said. “To do so, we must remain closely connected to societal concerns and priorities. Hence AI helps us stay informed and responsive to these evolving dynamics.”

Dhawan compared Hence Global to Uber Eats – a product that proves its value once experienced. He believes that businesses in resource-intensive industries, such as agriculture or oil and gas, and companies subject to significant regulation or public scrutiny, like tech startups, would particularly benefit from the platform.

Focus on Continuous Monitoring and Actionable Insights

“This provides the kind of continuous monitoring we weren’t previously conducting,” Dhawan said. “Hence AI helps me, as a CEO, quickly determine the ‘so what?’”

Future Plans and Expansion

Hence Global represents the startup’s second product, following Hence Legal, a solution for outside counsel management, matter management, and litigation management. Hence AI, with a team distributed across the U.K., Rwanda, the U.S., and the Netherlands, has secured approximately $5.2 million in funding and is actively seeking additional investment to support this product.

When questioned about potential acquisition by larger research firms, consultancies, or law firms, West indicated that his team is more focused on maintaining independence.

“We are aiming to achieve significant impact,” he added. “The substantial opportunity lies in reaching the market of global organizations that lack access to expert advice. I don’t believe that a large corporate service provider would necessarily prioritize this.”

Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly identified Sean West as CEO. His correct title is co-founder.