Amid widespread concern about the rising costs of craft shipping, French shipping company Convelio has just closed a new financing round led by one of the country’s business generations. This investment will allow the company to accelerate along two key axes: expand its global network of specialized art galleries—from two sites to five—and develop its AI capabilities.
The company emerged out of frustration with the ineffectiveness of traditional craft supplies, co-founder Eduard Gouin told the Observer. “We felt it didn’t make sense that shipping from New York to Hong Kong required completely different suppliers than shipping within Europe. So we thought: why not create a one-stop shop where anyone can access competitive shipping quickly across a wide area and track it easily?” Coming from a technical background, he and co-founder Clément Ouizille were surprised by the slow quote change times, invisible prices and lack of modern tracking. Together, the two have developed a platform with faster pricing, global reach and enhanced transparency.
In its first phase after its launch in 2017, the company distinguished itself through its high-tech approach and global partner network that allows it to operate in more than 200 countries without a physical infrastructure. “Technology brings efficiency, which allows us to offer better prices,” said Gouin. “It also allows us to deliver a better client experience.” In addition, the company collaborates with companies in the art industry that face major transportation challenges. For example, with auction house Phillips, they created a “smart booking link” that allows collectors to manage shipping and storage in one place. It worked so well that the company appointed Convelio as its official global logistics provider.
However, their initial technical model proved limiting when it came to handling high-value artworks, leading to a strategic shift to direct assembly. “We didn’t have the physical infrastructure – we didn’t have a truck, we didn’t have warehouses, we didn’t have experts. We didn’t have the money for that, so we focused on technology and we built a network of partners,” said Gouin. “Then in 2023, we made the first purchase, we got technicians, trucks and equipment. That marked a change in managing the physical infrastructure.”
Convelio has since developed a material management software that allows customers to track works of art in all storage areas and easily import data using AI “Our goal is to create an ecosystem: a single login that gives clients access to shipping, storage and collection tools,” explained Gouin, adding that it was that ability to work in the entire value chain—from storage and storage to its digital shipment of Phillipoth sure—logistics.
That said, Gouin stressed, continuous innovation is built into the company’s model. In the long run, innovation is not enough—you have to keep building. We continue to add features, solve problems and expand what we can offer.” Although there is controversy in the art world, artificial intelligence is a key part of it. Recently, Convelio developed and implemented AI agents that automatically process quote requests received via email. “The system can read a request, extract information, generate a quote and respond automatically—sometimes within a minute,” Gouin said. Previously, the team spent about 25 percent of its time responding to thousands of quotes; The new system enabled greater responsiveness.
However, while technology has been central to Convelio’s growth, it cannot solve all the problems art collectors, dealers and institutions face when consigning works. The integration of AI, for example, can improve operations—routing, packaging and communication—but cannot ignore the impact of geopolitical issues, such as unrest in the Middle East, which can increase fuel costs and reduce aircraft availability. “That is beyond our control. Our strategy is to do everything else to solve those problems,” said Gouin. It’s part of why the company hasn’t reduced its human support offering. Gouin emphasized the importance of human involvement, given the often sensitive nature of transported artworks and the need for creativity. “In our industry, you still need people. What we move is different and often emotional. If something goes wrong, you lose the client. Technology will not replace this human supervision—at least not yet.”
In an industry where human expertise and technical efficiency are often seen as opposing forces, Convelio chose early on to harmonize the two, combining technology that directs processes with the involvement of professionals who work directly with works of art, end to end. This latest investment round will allow the company to continue to consolidate and expand its physical infrastructure, focusing on key markets. Expansion plans include additional locations around the world, with a major focus on the US market. “We have warehouses in Paris and London, next we will launch in New York. Then we plan at least three more locations in the coming years,” said Gouin. As for Asia, the current focus is on cooperative expansion rather than direct infrastructure investment. “In Hong Kong, for example, we aim to deliver the same level of service through our local partners,” he added.
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