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TradeSource (PGC): the Nice-based deeptech platform set to transform SMEs’ international trade through blockchain

From the Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolis, the deeptech platform TradeSource (PGC) is taking shape with a structuring ambition: to design a European digital infrastructure dedicated to SMEs’ international trade.

The TradeSource platform leverages blockchain, international commercial law, and logistics to structure trade flows that are smoother, more secure, and more accessible—driven by a European vision with global reach.

Interview with Raphaël Dayan, co-founder and CEO of TradeSource/PGC (pictured).

What is the origin of the TradeSource ?

TradeSource emerged from my professional background in international trade across Asia, Africa and Europe. For more than thirty-five years, I have worked in environments where international trade is built on highly structured value chains involving many specialised stakeholders.

These organisations have enabled global trade to grow, but they also make market access more complex for SMEs—especially in terms of timeframes, coordination and document management.

Blockchain appeared as a technology capable of bringing greater fluidity, traceability and trust to these exchanges.

TradeSource was founded in 2025, at the intersection of hands-on field experience and now-mature technology, with the goal of putting this infrastructure at the service of SMEs.

What ambition do you have for SMEs with TradeSource?

TradeSource’s ambition is to enable producing and distributing SMEs to access international trade more directly by providing tools aligned with their operational realities.

Many SMEs manufacture goods for export or seek reliable supply sources without necessarily having the networks or expertise required to structure complex international transactions.

TradeSource provides them with a digital infrastructure that frames the entire transaction: matching, contracting, transfer of ownership, payment and delivery.

The objective is to make these exchanges more accessible, clearer and more efficient, while remaining fully compliant with existing legal frameworks.

How does the TradeSource infrastructure work in practice?

TradeSource is based on a blockchain infrastructure that supports the full transaction cycle. A good is first validated by a trusted local logistics provider and then made visible on an exchange platform.

The buyer can consult the offer, negotiate the terms, complete the transaction and become the owner of the goods. These different steps are automated through smart contracts, which orchestrate actions and generate the required documents.

These documents are based on international commercial law standards defined by UNCITRAL, including digital warehouse receipts and Ricardian contracts. They exist both as digital records on the blockchain and in a readable, legally enforceable form, ensuring full continuity between the digital layer and the physical reality of trade.

What specific added value does blockchain bring to international trade?

Blockchain brings structuring value in terms of traceability, documentary consistency and coordination between stakeholders.

The issued ownership documents are unique, traceable and tamper-proof. They can only be held by one actor at a time, ensuring clarity and continuity in the transfer of ownership.

Process automation and end-to-end traceability help streamline exchanges, reduce delays and establish a shared framework of trust, without making the user experience more complex.

What is TradeSource’s business model?

TradeSource’s business model relies on a simple and transparent principle: value creation is directly linked to the use of the infrastructure.

Registration on the platform is free of charge, subject to applicable regulatory checks (KYC, compliance of actors and funds). Once these steps are validated, users can operate autonomously in their transactions.

TradeSource does not act at any time as a commercial intermediary. The infrastructure does not become the owner of goods nor the holder of exchanged funds. Transactions are executed automatically through smart contracts, which also ensure the collection of a commission per transaction.

This commission is embedded in an overall model in which users improve the terms of trade. By streamlining the intermediation chain, TradeSource enables an average improvement of 30% to 40% in economic conditions for both the seller and the buyer.

Payments are carried out mainly in stablecoins, enabling fast, secure settlements without banking friction. The seller benefits from immediate payment, while the buyer pays when becoming the owner of the goods—thereby improving cash flow management for both parties.

Why did you choose Nice Côte d’Azur as TradeSource’s home base?

Nice Côte d’Azur naturally emerged as our base territory. After more than twenty years living abroad, I chose to develop TradeSource in France—more specifically, in Nice.

The Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolis and the Région Sud – Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur have built a high-quality digital and technological ecosystem, bringing together research, innovation, and international openness. It offers strong technical skills, renowned academic stakeholders, and an environment conducive to developing complex deeptech projects.

The quality of exchanges with institutional and economic players, their accessibility and their understanding of international issues constitute a real lever to structure an ambitious project from this territory.

What role do the local ecosystem and Team Nice Côte d’Azur play in TradeSource’s development?

TradeSource is supported by the Provence Côte d’Azur incubator, which plays a key role in its structuring and development. The platform also relies on collaborations with laboratories such as CNRS and Inria, particularly on the legal and scientific aspects of digital documents.

We are also members of ZeBox, the innovation ecosystem backed by the CMA CGM Group, which enables us to test our approach against the real-world challenges of international supply chains.

Team Nice Côte d’Azur joue un rôle central en matière de visibilité, de mise en réseau et de partenariats stratégiques, dont ceux noués avec Nice Start(s) Up et la French Tech Côte d’Azur.

TradeSource has also benefited from the support of Bpifrance, which helped fund the first proof of concept and validate the technical feasibility of the infrastructure.

What are the next steps in your development roadmap?

TradeSource is now entering a key phase of development. After the technical validation of the proof of concept, the goal is to move to a pre-industrial stage.

The next steps are clearly identified: finalising the operational exchange platform, fully validating the legal chain, launching the first pilot corridors between Southeast Asia and West Africa, onboarding the first users and executing the first real transactions.

An early-stage fundraising round is being prepared to support this scaling phase, with the goal of delivering—by the first half of 2026—a fully operational platform adopted by its first users.

More information about TradeSource