Panasonic Scoops Up Blue Yonder to Accelerate the Autonomous Supply Chain

Panasonic Corporation has announced its agreement to acquire Blue Yonder, the end-to-end, digital fulfillment platform provider. Panasonic will purchase the remaining 80% of shares (for USD5.6 billion) of Blue Yonder, adding to the 20% which Panasonic acquired in July 2020. Including repayment of outstanding debt, the additional investment totals USD7.1 billion, valuing Blue Yonder at USD8.5 billion. An agreement to purchase the remaining shares of Blue Yonder was reached between Panasonic and the existing shareholders New Mountain Capital and funds managed by Blackstone.

The need for more intelligent, autonomous and edge-aware supply chains has been dramatically heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic, the rise of e-commerce and the proliferation of data. This acquisition is expected to strengthen Panasonic’s portfolio and accelerate the companies’ shared Autonomous Supply Chain mission, empowering customers to optimize their supply chains using the combined power of AI/ML and IoT and edge devices. By unifying supply, demand and commerce solutions with IoT and edge technologies, companies can better utilize predictive business insights to pivot their operations in real-time.

Combining Panasonic’s industrial engineering, IoT and edge technologies with Blue Yonder’s AI/ML-driven supply chain and commerce solutions aims to bring the customer value of Blue Yonder’s digital fulfillment platform. Together, Panasonic and Blue Yonder plan to drive more automation and actionable, real-time business insights that reduce waste and improve operations, while creating a more sustainable world.