TrusTrace pushes its US expansion with new hire

Swedish traceability specialist TrusTrace has made its first hire in the US, naming Apurva Bhargava as head of US operations with the remit of accelerating stateside growth.

Before joining TrusTrace, Bhargava held various roles in the technology sector, having most recently served as a regional sales director at industrial software and tech company HCL America.

He joins TrusTrace as the company saw sales in North America rise 223% in the last quarter, setting it on course to account for a third of global revenue by the end of the year – up from around 13% last year.

The company focuses on fashion supply chain traceability, providing more than 50 fashion and retail brands with verified data in real-time, as materials and finished goods move through the supply chain.

TrusTrace has gained traction among larger fashion brands who are trying to meet environmental, social and governance (ESG) targets, while reducing risk and ensuring compliance in their large, global and often highly complex supply chains. More than 8,000 suppliers, 250,000 products and over $18bn worth of goods are tracked on its platform.

That includes for example meeting the requirements of the Uyghur Forced Labour Prevention Act (UFLPA), signed into law by President Biden on in December 2021, which prohibits any goods entering the US that are made in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China.

Since the UFLPA was enacted, more than 420 shipments have been denied entry into the US by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) after being deemed to have contravened the UFLPA and therefore under suspicion of being produced using forced labour.

“My presence in the local geography will allow me to immerse myself in relevant local events and conferences to spread the word about what brands are able to achieve with TrusTrace,” commented Bhargava.

“I am eager to further TrusTrace’s mission to build more ethical and sustainable supply chains using [artificial intelligence] and blockchain technologies.”

The company says it works with four of the top 10 largest global footwear brands, three of the top 10 global apparel brands, and one of the top 10 global luxury fashion brands.

The new appointment comes a few months after it appointed tech industry veteran Jorgen Smidt as chair of its board, another hire designed to push its international expansion.