DocUnlock wants to solve a customs bottleneck

When goods enter the U.S., they must be declared to U.S. customs so that the importer can be charged the correct taxes. This applies to everything from individual consumers ordering clothes from overseas brands to every item on a massive container ship.

The process of commercial importing involves a lot of manual and tedious paperwork. Large importers often develop their own internal systems or hire customs brokers to handle this. However, DocUnlock is working to automate this process.

DocUnlock is a platform designed to help customs brokers streamline the process of filling out necessary import documents. By integrating with a customs broker's email system, DocUnlock automatically forwards relevant emails and documents to its platform. Here, AI technology aggregates the necessary unstructured data to fill out these forms, making the process more efficient. Customs brokers then take over to finalize the documentation.

“We highlight key details for them, significantly simplifying their work and boosting efficiency,” said Sepehr Fakour, co-founder of DocUnlock. “This allows them to focus on their expertise, ensuring compliance with customs regulations and proper classification, rather than spending hours on manual data entry.”

Ned Cartmell, Fakour’s co-founder, shared with TechCrunch that he faced this issue firsthand while at Flexport. He explained that they tried various solutions, from developing custom software to manual data handling and seeking external help.

“We improved the process at Flexport, but we didn't eliminate the problem as we hoped,” Cartmell said. “That experience really got me hooked on solving this issue.”

With the rise of AI technologies in 2022, Cartmell and Fakour saw a chance to make a difference. They consulted with numerous customs brokers and confirmed that their experiences mirrored Cartmell’s at Flexport.

“The first broker we spoke to was almost pleading with us to do something about it,” Fakour recalled. “It was a clear sign that we were onto something important.”

Founded in 2023, DocUnlock began with a basic version of their product. This was enough to attract initial customers, prompting further development. The company has since experienced significant growth, boasting a 100% customer retention rate and substantial word-of-mouth expansion. While DocUnlock did not disclose specifics about its customer base, the growth speaks volumes.

Recently, the company secured $3 million in pre-seed funding from a mix of venture capitalists, including GTMFund and Barrel Ventures, and angel investors such as Nicolas Dessaigne and Julien Lemoine, co-founders of Algolia—where Fakour previously worked—and early Flexport employees.

In 2024, the U.S. imported goods worth over $4.1 trillion. Fakour noted that the customs broker market is vast and diverse, encompassing thousands of companies in the U.S., from small family businesses to large organizations, as well as international brokers. This presents a significant and varied market for DocUnlock to address.

DocUnlock aims to automate the repetitive parts of a customs broker's job, allowing them to leverage their expertise in navigating the ever-evolving customs landscape.

“Most people are unaware of the customs process,” Cartmell said. “It’s behind-the-scenes work, but it impacts everything. Every time goods cross borders, this process is in play.”