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illuminem summarises for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on The Wall Street Journal or enjoy below:
🗞️ Driving the news: Australian logistics software firm WiseTech Global has announced a $2.1 billion acquisition of U.S.-listed e2open, in what marks the company’s largest deal to date
• The transaction — backed by shareholders controlling over 50% of voting rights — is set to significantly enhance WiseTech’s capabilities, customer base, and global reach
🔭 The context: WiseTech has been aggressively scaling through acquisitions, spending $1.2 billion on 55 deals over the past decade to build its global logistics platform
• E2open, a major cloud-based supply-chain optimization provider, handles over 18 billion transactions annually and connects a network of 500,000 partners across manufacturing, logistics, and distribution sectors
🌍 Why it matters for the planet: The integration of e2open’s data-rich supply chain platform with WiseTech’s logistics software could drive improved operational efficiency and emissions tracking across the freight and logistics sector
• Reducing inefficiencies in global trade workflows can significantly cut carbon output, particularly from high-emission segments like freight forwarding and intermodal transport
⏭️ What's next: WiseTech will finance the acquisition with a newly secured $3 billion syndicated debt facility and aims to close the deal within the second half of 2025
• The company anticipates at least $50 million in annual cost synergies within two years and plans to streamline operations through supplier consolidation and reduction of overlapping systems
The deal is expected to nearly double WiseTech’s revenue base but with initial margin dilution, which the company aims to offset through cost efficiencies
💬 One quote: “This is a step up in capability, a step up in global reach, a step up in adjacent areas that we would have had to get to over a long time for a lot of money in a high-risk environment.” — Richard White, Executive Chair, WiseTech
📈 One stat: WiseTech’s revenue in the last fiscal year was $683.7 million, while e2open reported $607.7 million — together, the combined entity approaches a $1.3 billion revenue scale
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