527: Automate Global Freight, with Cervo AI
Troy Shen is the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Cervo AI, with a background as a software engineer at Google X and an early investor in AI startups. Inspired by the fragility of global trade revealed during the 2018 U.S.-China trade war and his family's immigrant story, he co-founded Cervo AI to apply his expertise to the logistics industry. Shen advocates for a deep partnership with clients, combining technical expertise with a thorough understanding of their operational workflows. He believes AI's role is not to replace humans but to enhance their judgment, allowing them to focus on higher-value tasks like exception handling and relationship management.
Today I’m joined by a company that’s helping automate global freight: Cervo AI.
Cervo help customers unlock 10x operational efficiency across the international shipment lifecycle, from automated custom entry summaries to shipment operations.
Today, Troy Shen, Co-Founder and Co-CEO at Cervo AI, joins me to talk all about Cervo AI and what they do; simplifying complex customs and shifting tariffs; leveraging AI so your team can stop drowning in emails; and how Cervo is changing the narrative for tech startups.
Guest bio:
Troy is the co-founder of Cervo AI and has spent his career at the intersection of artificial intelligence and global trade. He started working in AI back in 2017, first as a software engineer at Google X and later as an early investor in AI startups that have since raised hundreds of millions. His connection to the forwarding world began during the 2018 U.S.–China trade war—an event that hit close to home for him as a Chinese-American and sparked a deeper interest in how global trade actually works. That led him to create a course examining the economic impact of U.S.–China relations, and ultimately inspired him to build Cervo AI. Troy holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Stanford University.
An introduction to Troy, his background, and how the U.S.-China trade war – and the power and fragility of global trade – ultimately inspired him to build Cervo AI.
Why logisticians are tired of being burned by tech start-ups, the impact on trust across the industry, and what sets Cervo apart.
The range of business ecosystems across the industry, from digital-first to manual and paper-based.
An overview of Cervo AI – who they are, what they do, and how they help their customers.
The ideal customer for Cervo AI.
What the current customs landscape means for forwarders and brokers and, from tariffs to compliance, the biggest challenges making an impact right now.
How Cervo AI are helping to give control back to their customers in this complex, changeable landscape.
The balance between people and technology as AI replaces manual work, what the human side of logistics is going to look like, and the Japanese principle that guides the team at Cervo.
The problem with change management, and Troy’s advice for leaders looking to drive change and build AI-enhanced operations that actually make an impact.
A case study detailing how Cervo AI helped a key customer achieve over 80% reduction in manual processing time with over 95% accuracy and position for a longer-term transformation, and why AI is a service enhancer not a detractor.
What the integration and onboarding process looks like with Cervo AI, for both technology and operations.
Cervo’s predictions and focus areas for 2026.
