Nabu raises 3 million euros for digital customs clearance in Europe

The French start-up Nabu (not to be confused with the Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union) has completed a financing round of 3 million euros. The aim is to drive expansion in Europe and establish itself as a standard solution for digital customs clearance.

Getlink, among others, is participating in the round, joining as an investor for the first time. Existing investors such as Maersk Growth are reaffirming their commitment. Nabu had already concluded pre-seed financing with Maersk Growth, Techstars and international business angels in 2022.

Customs clearance is a growing bottleneck

The increasing complexity of international trade, exacerbated by geopolitical tensions and new trade barriers under Donald Trump, is bringing customs processes back into focus. For companies, the digitalization of these processes is increasingly becoming a prerequisite for efficient work.

Nabu's platform uses artificial intelligence to automatically convert documents and instructions into completed customs declarations. This significantly reduces manual processes.

Efficiency gains through automation

According to Nabu, there are benefits for freight forwarders, customs agents and importing and exporting companies. Customs declarations can be processed up to 90 percent faster, error rates are significantly reduced and employees gain time for more value-adding activities. The aim of the start-up is to minimize administrative friction in international trade and make cross-border processes more efficient and reliable.

Growth beyond France

The platform is already being used diligently by everything from independent customs agencies to large international logistics companies. Around half of the processes handled via Nabu now take place outside France.

This trend is set to accelerate further in 2026 as the company intensifies its expansion within Europe. Getlink is a key partner in this process: The company initially used the platform itself before joining as an investor. Efficient customs clearance is becoming increasingly important for the movement of goods between the UK and Europe, particularly in the context of Brexit.

Capital for expansion and product development

Nabu plans to use the fresh capital to consolidate its market position in existing countries and open up new European markets. At the same time, the platform is to be further developed technologically - particularly with regard to automation, performance and user-friendliness.

In the long term, Nabu also wants to expand its offering to other cross-border administrative processes that go beyond traditional customs formalities. CEO and founder Arnaud Doly describes the company's ambition as simplifying the complex bureaucracy behind every cross-border flow of goods and making it manageable worldwide in a standardized way.

The start-up, which was founded in 2022 and has offices in Paris and Strasbourg, is positioning itself as a central building block for digitalized supply chains in Europe.