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Navigating Geopolitical and Business Risk with AI: Hence Global Launches
President Donald Trump’s tariffs have highlighted the growing geopolitical risk confronting businesses today. As the landscape evolves with unpredictable international trade negotiations, organizations across sectors – including corporations, non-profits, consultancies, and legal practices – are facing unprecedented challenges in staying informed of rapid developments. A new AI-powered tool, Hence Global, aims to streamline risk monitoring.
“We are overwhelmed by trade updates constantly,” remarked Matthew Oresman, London managing partner at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, a global legal firm, in a discussion with TechCrunch.
Introducing Hence Global: AI for Risk Management
Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, with a diverse clientele ranging from multinational corporations to affluent individuals and companies in technology, energy, and artificial intelligence, is an early adopter of Hence AI‘s novel software, Hence Global. This innovative product leverages artificial intelligence to assist organizations in observing geopolitical and business risks effectively.
Key Features of the AI-Powered Tool
Hence Global offers two primary functions:
- Risk Tracking and Mitigation: It enables businesses of all sizes to monitor potential risks and provides actionable insights to minimize their impact.
- Enhanced Client Analysis: For service providers like consulting and law firms, it facilitates the generation of insightful analyses for their clients, improving advisory services.
Sean West, CEO and co-founder of Hence AI (formerly Hence Technologies), describes Hence Global as “an AI-powered business advisor that is readily available.” Priced at $1,500 annually for the basic version, West emphasized that Hence Global presents a significantly more economical alternative to traditional consultants.
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Democratizing Access to Risk Intelligence
“We intend to make this crucial information broadly accessible,” West explained in an exclusive interview with TechCrunch. He pointed out that many entities, such as startups and NGOs, lack the resources to frequently consult legal counsel regarding potential exposures or commit substantial funds to lengthy consulting engagements.
West further elaborated, “Large corporations are accustomed to procuring premium advisory services, and high-net-worth individuals can always consult with and compensate top experts. However, a considerable segment of the market can be effectively served through technology-driven solutions like Hence Global.”
The Team Behind Hence AI
Prior to Hence AI, West held the position of global deputy CEO at Eurasia Group, a geopolitical risk advisory firm. He also recently authored “Unruly: Fighting Back when Politics, AI, and Law Upend the Rules of Business.” His co-founder, Steve Heitkamp, is a former Palantir employee with expertise in political risk and counterterrorism.
Technology and Data Sources
Hence Global is constructed utilizing Palantir’s Foundry and Artificial Intelligence Platform. This foundation enables the startup to integrate diverse AI models to interpret, summarize, and analyze pertinent data tailored to each client’s specific needs and industry. The system aggregates data from sources including news headlines (West clarified that only headlines are used, with links to original sources), Wikipedia, Securities and Exchange Commission filings, press releases, and public datasets such as sanctions lists and World Bank information.
Practical Application: A Cryptocurrency Case Study
To illustrate the product’s practical application, West demonstrated its functionalities. Users initiate by creating a profile. For the demonstration, they configured the system as a cross-border cryptocurrency infrastructure company offering services in stablecoin payments, crypto custody, and regulatory intelligence. They instructed Hence Global to provide “continuous, forward-looking analysis of geopolitical developments that could impact our operating environment,” and specified several topics for monitoring.
The core functionality of Hence Global lies in delivering daily updates featuring relevant news and insights. In the example of the cryptocurrency firm, the software identified and highlighted news regarding market volatility triggered by trade tensions, which resulted in declines in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrency stock values.
“Essentially, it automates the tasks typically performed by a mid-level analyst in my previous organization,” West noted. He added that generating a comparable memo would consume an entire day for an analyst, whereas Hence Global produces it within minutes.
Benefits for Service Providers and Corporations
Hence Global‘s daily briefings are valuable for corporations seeking to comprehend their geopolitical and business risk exposures. Furthermore, it offers significant benefits to service-based companies that need to track this intelligence for their clients.
An important feature is the system’s capacity to differentiate the nature of monitored companies. When a user requests monitoring for a specific company, Hence Global prompts the user to categorize it as a client, competitor, or supplier. This categorization influences how the platform processes and presents information and analysis.
Streamlining Information Overload
Oresman emphasized the pressing need for such tools to effectively synthesize information: “We urgently required tools capable of synthesizing information, aiding in drafting client alerts, and providing essential insights that we can then enhance with our legal expertise. The sheer volume of available information is overwhelming. A solution like this effectively transforms it into manageable, actionable intelligence.”
Early Traction and Future Growth
Although Hence Global has only been operational for a short period, the ongoing trade disputes have already attracted new clients, complementing existing users such as TravelPerk, Diversifi Capital, and Three Crowns.
Rohitesh Dhawan, CEO of the International Council on Metals and Mining, utilizes Hence Global to track market sentiment and policy trends. He stated, “We are committed to demonstrating the feasibility of responsible mining practices. Achieving this requires staying keenly attuned to societal trends, public concerns, and pressing issues. We rely on Hence Global to assist us in this endeavor, particularly given the rapid pace of global change.”
Dhawan drew an analogy between Hence Global and Uber Eats, describing it as a tool whose necessity becomes apparent upon experiencing its ability to simplify operations. He suggested that businesses in resource-dependent sectors like agriculture, oil and gas, as well as highly regulated industries or those sensitive to public opinion, such as tech startups, stand to gain the most from Hence Global.
CEO Perspective on Impact
“This continuous monitoring capability represents a new dimension for our operations,” Dhawan stated. “Hence Global empowers me, as CEO, to quickly grasp the essential implications – the ‘So what?’”
Expanding Product Suite and Future Vision
Hence Global follows Hence Legal, the startup’s initial offering, which provides solutions for outside counsel management, matter management, and litigation management. Hence AI, with a distributed team across the U.K., Rwanda, the U.S., and the Netherlands, has secured approximately $5.2 million in funding to date. Currently, they are actively seeking further investment to support the growth of Hence Global, targeting investors who align with their mission.
When questioned about the potential for acquisition by larger research institutions, consultancies, or law firms, West indicated that he and his team are not inclined to become an in-house solution for a single organization.
“We aspire to achieve significant impact,” he concluded. “The substantial opportunity lies in serving the considerable market of global entities that currently lack access to expert advisory services. We believe this vision extends beyond the scope of a traditional corporate service provider.”