A new giant worth 12 billion U.S. dollars is born: Thoma Bravo intends to merge its subsidiaries Auctane and WWEX, aiming to create a new "Toras" in shipping technology.

According to sources familiar with the matter, the globally leading private equity investment company Thoma Bravo is finalizing a major deal to merge its e-commerce logistics software giant Auctane with the soon-to-be acquired third-party logistics platform WWEX Group. This deal is estimated to be valued at around $5 billion and aims to create a shipping technology giant with a total value of up to $12 billion by deeply integrating the software assets and physical logistics networks of both parties. In terms of funding structure and transaction details, Thoma Bravo has shown strong financial power to drive this large-scale integration. It is reported that the firm is raising about $5 billion in private debt financing, with Blackstone Group expected to be a major lender. In addition, Thoma Bravo also plans to invest about $500 million in new equity into the merged entity to ensure that the new company has sufficient cash flow for future market expansion. It is understood that the deal has entered the final stage, and if there are no major unexpected obstacles, both parties may officially announce this significant strategic restructuring as early as this Tuesday. Thoma Bravo, WWEX Group, and Auctane representatives have all declined to comment on this. According to reports from last December, at that time Thoma Bravo was in substantive negotiations with WWEX Group for its acquisition and merger with Auctane (formerly Stamps.com). Auctane, as a core asset privatized by Thoma Bravo in 2021, owns well-known e-commerce shipping software such as ShipStation and has long held a leading position in shipping software services. On the other hand, WWEX Group, composed of Worldwide Express, GlobalTranz, and Unishippers, has a vast physical network in parcel delivery and less-than-truckload (LTL) freight brokerage. The combination of the two will bridge the complete link from online order software to offline transportation execution, achieving the strategic goal of "software and hardware integration." This merger marks a new stage of vertical integration in the shipping and logistics industry. If the deal is successful, Thoma will integrate the two logistics and transportation technology companies headquartered in Texas at a time when artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping the industry - helping companies reduce costs through automated warehouse and backend operations while improving demand forecasting. From an industry strategy perspective, Thoma Bravo is seeking to address the increasingly complex e-commerce logistics demands through this merger and optimize supply chain transparency and operational efficiency using AI technology. This end-to-end integration model not only provides a one-stop logistics solution for small start-ups to large industrial customers but also significantly reduces operating costs through economies of scale. As of now, the transaction has entered the final negotiation stage and once finalized, it will be one of the largest mergers in the shipping technology sector in recent years. Thoma claims on its website to be the world's largest software-focused investment company, managing assets exceeding $181 billion, with a portfolio covering over 75 companies. It is worth mentioning that in recent weeks, private equity firms investing in the software sector have been passive, with market concerns that AI tools developed by companies like Anthropic PBC and OpenAI will permanently disrupt business growth models. In response, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has stated that they are willing to collaborate with mature software companies rather than replace them.