Most B2B sourcing workflows still begin with a supplier list. That makes sense for a traditional directory marketplace: the buyer searches, opens many profiles, compares factory claims, sends repeated messages, and slowly discovers which suppliers are actually relevant. But for AI-assisted sourcing, that starting point is too late. The useful signal is not only "which suppliers exist." The useful signal is whether a buyer's request can be translated into structured intent, matched against supplier capability, and explained clearly enough for both sides to act. That is the direction MapleBridge is taking: AI-to-AI supplier search for China sourcing, especially for North America buyers who already know their product, MOQ, compliance, channel, and delivery constraints. Supplier search is not the same as supplier matching A search result can show a buyer many possible factories. A match should answer a narrower question: Can this supplier satisfy this buyer's actual sourcing intent?…