E2open to buy Amber Road for $425 million

The definitive agreement came more than a year after Amber Road rejected a previous offer by the Austin,Texas-based supply chain software firm.

   Supply chain software firm E2open announced Monday it had entered into a definitive agreement to acquire global trade management software provider Amber Road Inc. in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $425 million.
   Under the terms of the agreement, an E2open subsidiary will commence a tender offer for all of the outstanding shares of Amber Road common stock for $13.05 per share in cash, and Amber Road’s board of directors has unanimously approved the definitive agreement and recommends shareholders tender their shares in the tender offer. Amber Road, headquartered in East Rutherford, N.J., will become a privately held company when the transaction closes, which is expected before the end of the third quarter.
   Austin, Texas-based E2open is a cloud-based provider of supply network solutions. Amber Road’s cloud-based global trade management platform (GMT) helps companies digitize their supply chains. The GMT is powered by Global Knowledge, which is a digital repository of global trade rules and regulations across 170 countries, according to a statement announcing the definitive agreement.
   The acquisition will extend E2open’s portfolio with integrated trade management solutions to automate import and export processes; duty referral and free trade agreement management solutions; sourcing solutions for brand companies in the apparel and footwear industries; and a complementary network of global trade partners with customs filings capabilities.
   “We believe combining Amber Road’s advanced trade management and supply chain capabilities with E2open’s end-to-end networked supply chain solutions will further improve margins, lower risks and drive operational flexibility and efficiency for our customers,” E2open President and CEO Michael Farlekas (pictured above) said in a statement.
   The definitive agreement came more than a year after Amber Road rejected an offer in February 2018 from E2open. Barry Williams, chairman of the board at Amber Road, said at the time that “the unsolicited offer advanced by E2open is not in the best interests of the company and its stockholders.”
   Farlekas sent a letter to Amber Road’s board in March 2018, writing E2open was “eager to engage with the company immediately to discuss a potential transaction.”