The investment firm Thoma Bravo today said it has agreed to acquire third-party logistics (3PL) provider WWEX Group and then combine it with the shipping and fulfillment solution provider Auctane.
Dallas-based WWEX is the corporate combination of three brands — Worldwide Express, GlobalTranz, and Unishippers—which merged and came under new private equity ownership in 2021.
Thoma Bravo spent $6.6 billion to acquire Auctane in 2021, when it was still known as Stamps.com. The new owner then rolled up a number of other acquisitions into the company, including the shipping software providers ShipStation, ShippingEasy, ShipEngine, ShipWorks, Metapack, and Endicia. It then added more firms to the mix, including the 2023 purchase of Return Rabbit and the 2021 takeover of Packlink. Thoma Bravo also owns supply chain sector companies including Coupa Software, which it bought in 2023 for $8 billion.
For the most recent move, Thoma Bravo is acquiring WWEX Group from a consortium of investors including CVC Capital Partners Fund VIII, Providence Equity Partners, Ridgemont Equity Partners and PSG. As part of this transaction, CVC Funds and other existing WWEX Group investors will roll over a portion of their equity in WWEX Group and retain a significant minority position in the combined company.
After combining WWEX with Auctane, the resulting company will unite leaders in shipping software and physical freight brokerage to create the most comprehensive, AI-enabled end-to-end logistics solution in the market, Thoma Bravo said. By integrating Auctane’s cloud-based software, global carrier connectivity, and intelligent automation capabilities with WWEX Group’s extensive logistics expertise and powerful commercial engine, the combined company will connect checkout to doorstep across parcel, LTL, truckload, and global shipping.
“This combination brings together two complementary leaders at a pivotal moment for the logistics industry,” Brian Jaffee, a Partner at Thoma Bravo, said in a release. “Auctane’s category-defining shipping software and WWEX Group’s scaled parcel and freight service offerings create an integrated solution with the data, distribution and volume necessary to help customers drive smarter decision-making and superior execution across the logistics lifecycle. Together, we believe the company is uniquely positioned to define the next generation of AI-enabled logistics.”
