Founded as recently as 2016 and headquartered in Germany, NIC-place’s services are currently used by thousands of companies including Kuehne+Nagel, H. Essers, Unterer, Quehenberger and Frigotrans.
In statement confirming the acquisition, FourKites described NIC-place as “the market leader in supply chain visibility software solutions specifically designed for transport companies, carriers and logistics service providers.” The Chicago-based supply chain visibility giant also chose to highlight NIC-place’s proprietary Data Control Center (DCC), which allows carriers to share supply chain data with customers “in a flexible and secure way”.
Commenting on the deal, Rainer Linke, Managing Director of Unterer Logistics, said it was “exciting: to see “two market leaders joining forces”.
The statement below from FourKites founder and CEO, Mathew Elenjickal, also shows what FourKites believes NIC-place will bring to the company:
“NIC-place boasts the only carrier-focused visibility solution on the market; the most advanced rail tracking features in Europe; and unmatched expertise in high-value and temperature-controlled shipments. This acquisition creates a powerhouse of carrier- and shipper-focused expertise that accelerates end-to-end visibility and the delivery of new solutions tailor-made for our customers’ unique requirements.”
FourKites company added that NIC-place shall remain focused on “carrier-specific solutions” and shall “tap into FourKites’ leading shipper network, global scale and R&D engine to accelerate the pace of innovation”. The NIC-place name shall remain in place too, and the company’s offices in Germany will stay open.
A summary of what FourKites believes are NIC-place’s advanced capabilities is available on the company’s website. The supply chain visibility giant is also showcasing the acquired solutions at a webinar next month, details of you can find here.
The deal is the latest development in the ultra-competitive global supply chain visibility market, which has players like FourKites, project44, Transporeon and Shippeo vying for supremacy. As recently as last week, project44 announced a new $420 million equity funding boost, which it says shall be used to to expand the company’s network, make strategic acquisitions, as well as hire product and engineering staff in the likes of Japan, Brazil and China.