Today we look at the buying a company in the logistics software sector that have taken place in 2018. We are talking about software that is key in many organisations because it facilitates the management of stock storage or shipping tasks, among others.

We would mainly like to highlight the purchase operation carried out between two Spanish companies, Visual Trans and Empuries Logística.

Spanish logistics software companies

On 27 November we learned of the purchase transaction between two Spanish companies who are engaged in the logistics software development. Visual Trans has acquired Empuries Logistics for an amount that has not been made public by either party. The objective is mutual: exploiting synergies and knowledge to work towards a common future and lead the sector in Spain.

Founded in 1999 in O Porriño (Pontevedra), Visual Trans works with the clear objective of being market leaders in management software for freight forwarders and consignees, customs agents and logistics operators. It is a highly recognised brand in the sector, especially for its excellence in after-sales service. It belongs to the Visual MS technology group, which was recognised in 2017 as a the best place to work in Spain and is the only Spanish company in the European SME ranking.

Empuries Logística was founded in 2010 and has offices in the Edificio Colón, with a strong presence in Barcelona, Madrid and Algeciras. It also offers integrated solutions for freight forwarders and customs agents. It has professionals with more than 20 years of experience in the development of logistics solutions and is widely recognised for the quality of the services it provides to its clients.

With this acquisition, Visual Trans strengthens the leadership in the sectorThe company has increased its presence in the ports of Barcelona, Valencia and Algeciras, and now has more than 16,000 freight forwarding software licences for customs agents and customs representatives in Spain.

Cloud Logistics, a leader in transport management systems

E2openthe only place in the cloud to run a supply chain, announced on 1 October the acquisition of Cloud Logistics, a leading innovator of transport management systems (TMS) for the global supply chain market. global supply chain.

E2open is an Austin (Texas) based company that was acquired by Insight Venture Capital in 2015 for a total amount of USD 273 million. Following the transaction, E2open will offer a unified supply chainwhich will provide visibility, collaboration, planning and execution for a wide network of business partners.

Cloud Logistics was founded in Florida in 2011 and the following year received a $10,000 round of funding. It has recently been recognised by the IT consulting firm Gartner in the Magic Quadrant of March 2018 for Transport Management Systems. In addition, it received an overall rating of 4.8 out of 5 in the transport management systems market. As for its financial numbers, nothing to complain about, as its annual revenue consists of USD 10 million.

"Our objective with Cloud Logistics has always been to offer the fastest route to value for our customers by making the complexities of transportation management simple and manageable for companies of any size," said Mark Nix, founder and CEO of Cloud Logistics. "With E2open, we now have the opportunity to provide better visibility for our customers by making the complexities of transportation management simple and manageable for companies of all sizes. move inventory and optimise total costs in the world's largest network," he added.

WiseTech Global makes a double purchase

WiseTech Global (Schaumburg, Illinois) is a leading developer and provider of software solutions for the logistics execution industry worldwide. Its flagship product, CargoWise OneThe company is an integral link in the global supply chain and executes more than 54 billion data transactions per year.

So far this year, WiseTech has already made 10 acquisitions of companies, reaffirming its position as an active player in the sector. Two of these are explained below:

• SmartFreight

WiseTech Global completed the purchase transaction of SmartFreight on 16 October in order to accelerate its e-commerce expansion.

Founded in 1997 in Rhodes (Australia), SmartFreight provides its customers with a optimisation selection independent of the suppliers of selected transportof the shipping configuration or the CO2 footprinttogether with the tracking visibility of the end customer and the final invoice reconciliation of the transport provider.

Headquartered in Sydney with distribution networks in New Zealand, South Africa, Ireland and the UK, SmartFreight has a team of over 50 people, providing considerable logistics experience and technical expertise. Clients include organisations such as 3M, Mazda, Hyundai, Seiko, Epson and Pandora Jewellery.

Some of SmartFreight's competitors in the sector are as follows: ShippitTemando and Shipbeat.

• Ulukom

WiseTech Global announced on 17 May the acquisition of Ulukoma leading provider of logistics and customs solutions in Turkey.

Ulukom (Beykoz, Istanbul) has been for more than 30 years a provider of logistics, warehousing and customs management solutions in Turkey. It offers a range of logistics, customs, freight forwarding and warehousing solutions included in its logistics information management system, which is designed to carry out financial and operational transactions on an integrated platform.

With a team of 35 experienced logistics professionals and technicians, it has achieved $15 million in annual revenues. Ulukom's customers include MSC, Maersk, CMA-CGM, APL, Çelebi Ground Handling, Arkas Line, ONE, Panalpina or CEVA Logistics, and many other logistics providers and organisations.

WiseTech Global founder and CEO Richard White said of the deal: "Ulukom brings to WiseTech's Global Group a valuable experience, management and industry knowledgewhich will deepen our outreach in this important area. Eurasian market. "The combination of Ulukom's Turkish and customs expertise with our broader global innovation capabilities will help deliver better solutions to more logistics service providers," he added.