Panasonic Corporation acquires Blue Yonder—a global leader in end-to-end digital supply chain solutions. Panasonic had already acquired 20 % of Blue Yonder’s shares in July 2020 and is now acquiring the remaining 80 % of the company’s shares. In total, the acquisition will cost Panasonic 8.5 billion USD, which values Blue Yonder at approximately 72 billion kronor. The sellers are Mountain Capital and Blackstone.
With this acquisition, Panasonic is strengthening its position in supply chain technology solutions supported by AI/ML and IoT to enable companies to better anticipate and proactively respond to events in the supply chain. In a press release, the two companies state that together they will be able to offer businesses a unique opportunity to automate their supply chains and increase access to vital real-time information, resulting in both greater efficiency and sustainability, thereby accelerating their shared vision of the autonomous supply chain.
The acquisition is the result of a partnership that the two companies began as early as 2019 and that led to the formation of a joint venture in Japan later that same year. In the summer of 2020, Panasonic acquired 20% of Blue Yonder and secured a seat on the company’s board of directors; now, the entire business is being acquired. Blue Yonder will become part of the Panasonic Connected Solutions business unit but will retain its own brand.
AI/ML-Driven Supply Chain
Blue Yonder (formerly known as JDA Software) offers an end-to-end platform powered by artificial intelligence and machine learning that serves as an intelligence hub for global companies in retail, manufacturing, and logistics. The cloud-based platform—Luminate—seamlessly manages supply chain planning and execution, all integrated into a single platform.
– I am pleased to announce that Blue Yonder is now becoming part of Panasonic. This merger is the result of three years of collaboration, during which Panasonic was first our client and then our partner. We have developed mutual trust and share a common vision for an autonomous supply chain that contributes to both a better life and a more sustainable world,” says Girish Rishi, CEO of Blue Yonder.
