Dematic acquires logistics automation software company

Material handling and logistics system provider Dematic has acquired global logistics software firm Digital Applications International Limited (DAI), expanding its intralogistics software capabilities, the company said today. 

Dematic’s parent company, KION Group, said March 2 it had purchased all shares in the United Kingdom-based software firm for approximately $134 million (about 120 million euros) and that the firm will become part of its Supply Chain Solutions segment, expanding Dematic’s software portfolio. 

DAI’s core product is a warehouse management system (WMS) that complements Dematic’s Dematic iQ performance optimizing software by allowing a wider range of applications—from primarily manual operations to fully automated supply chain ecosystems, according to the company. 

“This deal marks a significant moment in time for Dematic and for intralogistics as a whole,” Hasan Dandashly, Dematic’s CEO, said in a statement announcing the deal. “Software is no longer something extra to be added to a solution—it is a fundamental, inextricable part of all solutions. And now with this combined software portfolio we can provide our customers with entirely new business models to make them more competitive and power the future of commerce.”

DAI had sales of about $44.7 million (40 million euros) in 2019 and employs roughly 240 people. The company has UK offices in London, Manchester, and Aberdeen, as well as offices in Basel, Switzerland, and Shanghai, China.