A PYMNTS Company

Panasonic Agrees To Acquire Blue Yonder

 |  April 25, 2021

Osaka, Japan-based Panasonic said on Friday, April 23, that it has agreed to acquire Blue Yonder, the end-to-end digital fulfillment platform provider. The deal, which PYMNTS reported last month, comes at a time when a surge in eCommerce has boosted demand for technology to smooth the process of moving goods from suppliers to retailers to customers.

According to a news release, Panasonic is expected to purchase 80% of shares (US$5.6 billion) of Blue Yonder. When including the payment of outstanding debt, the cost increases to US$7.1 billion. Existing shareholder New Mountain Capital will purchase the remaining shares, with funds managed by Blackstone.

With the rise of eCommerce and the proliferation of data in the wake of COVID-19, there has been a greater need for more intelligent and edge-aware software supply chains.

This acquisition builds on the two companies’ existing strategic relationship, which was established in January of 2019. In November of 2019, Panasonic and Blue Yonder formed a joint venture company in Japan. This past July, Panasonic took a 20% minority ownership and one seat on the board of directors at Blue Yonder.

Want more news? Subscribe to CPI’s free daily newsletter for more headlines and updates on antitrust developments around the world.