Belfast tech entrepreneur Jerry Staple has teamed up with trade compliance specialist Mark Fluke to launch ChainMill – a new platform designed to simplify steel procurement, automate compliance, and support net zero goals.
ChainMill blends artificial intelligence, blockchain and automated compliance tools to give buyers and suppliers of steel the transparency, traceability, and confidence they need to operate across borders.
Staple, who also founded AI company IntrinsicAi, and Fluke, an experienced trade and logistics consultant, met at an industry event in 2024.
A casual conversation between Staple and Fluke about the challenges of the EU’s carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM) and safeguarding/anti-dumping duties quickly evolved into a shared realisation: that the steel industry was facing a perfect storm of carbon compliance, trade disruption, and data fragmentation – and there was no simple tool to manage it.
ChainMill, which has been soft launched this week, aims to transform how steel is sourced, tracked, and traded, particularly in a world where emissions reporting, trade quotas, and tariff rules are tightening fast.
“At IntrinsicAi, our mission is to build AI-enabled ventures that tackle real-world complexity. ChainMill is a perfect example – a new venture born from the rising need to simplify steel trade in the face of growing carbon, tariff, and quota pressures. It gives companies a smarter way to buy and move steel: compliant by design, powered by automation, and ready for net zero,” said Staple.
“I’ve spent the better part of two decades helping companies navigate the complexity of global trade and customs compliance,” added Fluke. “Post-Brexit the landscape changed completely, and it continues to do so. The introduction of CBAM adds yet another layer to the traceability and reporting requirements of cross border trade. Quotas, duties, carbon emissions, and rules of origin are critical factors that need to be managed pro-actively. ChainMill simplifies the process and provides confidence in compliance through one digital platform that’s accessible to companies big or small.”
The company will operate under the direction of CEO Duncan Emery.
“ChainMill is about reducing friction and increasing trust,” said Emery. “We want to give the steel industry a smarter way to trade. One that combines automation, auditability and access to real-time intelligence. Our soft launch is focused on validating with early users, learning fast, and scaling into sectors like construction, aerospace and manufacturing.”
ChainMill is an AI-powered digital passport and marketplace for steel – helping buyers source the right material at the right time by optimising for price, quota timing, and market shifts, while seamlessly navigating complex rules on tariffs, customs, and carbon.
The company is currently engaging pilot partners and welcoming early adopters via a waitlist, with a full launch expected in late 2025.
To learn more or join the waitlist, visit www.chainmill.io.
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