We're building Incoclyse, a SaaS that analyzes commercial invoices with AI and flags incorrect Incoterms® — the ICC rules that determine who pays for shipping, who bears the risk, and who handles customs in international trade.
Here's why we built it and what we learned.
The problem nobody talks about
In international trade, every invoice should mention an Incoterms® rule (like FCA, FOB, or DAP). This three-letter code determines the entire split of costs, risks, and customs obligations between seller and buyer.
The reality for French SMEs: most invoices either omit the rule entirely, or use the wrong one. The most common mistake is FOB on containerized shipments. The ICC explicitly discourages this — FOB is designed for bulk cargo loaded directly onto a vessel, not containers sitting in a terminal for days before boarding.
This creates a liability gray zone. We've seen disputes over damaged cargo drag on for months because nobody could determine when the risk transferred. One case: 6 200 EUR in damaged valves, 4 months to resolve, because the invoice said "FOB Le Havre" on a 20-foot container.
With the correct rule (FCA), the risk transfer point is clear: the moment the goods are handed to the carrier at the terminal. No ambiguity.
Why existing tools don't solve this
ERPs have an Incoterms® field, but it's declarative. The user picks a code, the system records it. No validation, no error detection.
Freight forwarders handle logistics, not invoice compliance.
Training courses teach the theory (€600-1,500 for 2 days), but nobody checks the invoices afterward.
Consultants audit your flows once, leave, and the old habits come back within months.
We wanted something that checks every invoice, every time, automatically.
What we built
Incoclyse takes a commercial invoice (PDF or image), extracts the data with OCR + AI, and runs it against ICC 2020 rules. It flags:
FOB/CIF/CFR used on containerized goods (should be FCA/CIP/CPT)
Missing Incoterms® entirely (what we call "phantom Incoterms®")
Inconsistency between the rule and the transport mode
EXW on French exports (VAT proof-of-export risk)
CBAM-eligible goods from non-EU origins
The output is a recommendation with the ICC source reference, a confidence score, and an exportable PDF report.
The stack (high level)
Next.js 14 with App Router and TypeScript
Clerk for auth and plan management
Supabase for the database
Stripe for billing
Vercel for deployment
AI model for OCR and analysis (we tested several before finding the right accuracy/cost balance)
The hardest engineering challenge wasn't the AI — it was the regulatory accuracy. Trade compliance is unforgiving. One wrong recommendation and a client faces a customs dispute or a VAT reassessment. We spent more time on validation rules and edge cases than on the ML pipeline.
What surprised us
SMEs don't know they have a problem. Most export managers assume FOB is correct because they've always used it. The "aha moment" comes when we show them the ICC 2020 text that explicitly says FOB is not appropriate for containers. That one sentence changes the conversation.
The content angle works. We publish articles on Incoterms® mistakes with real (anonymized) case studies. These articles bring organic traffic from people who just discovered they might be exposed — and they try the tool.
CBAM is the accelerator. The EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (Regulation 2023/956) creates new compliance obligations for importers of steel, aluminum, cement, and fertilizers from non-EU countries. Incoclyse detects CBAM-eligible goods on invoices automatically. This feature alone opens doors with import managers who hadn't considered Incoterms® compliance before.
Pricing
We kept it simple:
Starter: free forever (manual calculator)
Pro: €29/month (50 AI analyses)
Business: €69/month (150 AI analyses)
Try it
If you're dealing with international trade invoices, you can try Incoclyse for free. Upload an invoice and see what the AI finds.
We're two co-founders based in France. If you have questions about the build or the trade compliance space, happy to chat in the comments.
Incoclyse is not affiliated with the ICC. Built in France, because we got tired of seeing FOB on every container shipment.
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