In the first quarter of 2025 there were a number of key announcements and offering launches from supply market information and research providers. Here are selected announcements that are interesting to note.
Business Information and Professional Services
Dun & Bradstreet – On March 24, it was announced that Dun & Bradstreet agreed to be acquired by private-equity firm Clearlake Capital in a transaction valued at $7.7 billion. Upon completion of the deal, expected in Q3 2025, Dun & Bradstreet will become a privately held company for the second time in seven years. According to The Jacksonville Record, Dun & Bradstreet has been having talks with potential buyers for at least six months. Company roots reach back to 1841 and through the years it has been known for its comprehensive coverage of all businesses, regardless of size and organizational structure. D&B Risk Analytics – Supplier Intelligence is an AI-powered solution for screening suppliers, monitoring for risk changes, and streamlining reporting processes.
LBR and ALM – Law Business Research (LBR) and ALM, a legal and business & finance intelligence provider, announced their merger, forming a powerhouse provider of legal intelligence, analysis, and networking solutions. Currently ALM’s Law.com platform brings together several authoritative legal brands such as Law.com, American Lawyer, Corporate Counsel, National Law Journal, and Legal Tech News, to name a few. They are famous for compiling the Am Law 100 (among other rankings), which is the definitive ranking of the 100 largest law firms in the United States. ALM Intelligence Pacesetter Research provides assessments of professional service providers. LBR offers Lexology, which is a respected legal intelligence platform for risk mitigation, current awareness and expert counsel discovery.
Crunchbase – Crunchbase declares “historical data is dead” and has relaunched as an AI-powered solution that now includes live, predictive intelligence and forward-looking views of markets. In September 2024, they “teased” their reinvention with the launch of Predictions and Insights in their API. The new Crunchbase, fully launched in February 2025, now uses this predictive technology as a starting point and “is infusing it across their software, integrations, and API.” They are adding heat mapping, charts and other data visualizations to make it easier to understand and act on their predictions.
TechCrunch – In other tech startup news, Yahoo is selling TechCrunch to media investment firm Regent. TechCrunch is an online platform that provides news and analysis on global tech companies, startups and entrepreneurs. TechCrunch rightfully proclaims, “Getting featured in TechCrunch has long been a rite of passage for startups.” Regent recently acquired Foundry, the parent company of leading publications such as PCWorld, Macworld, InfoWorld, CIO, and TechAdvisor.
Supply Chain and Supplier Risk/Intelligence
Verisk/CargoNet – There are many types of risks associated with the supply chain, including physical and digital security concerns. Cyber risks garner a large share of attention but physical logistics-related risks are an increasingly growing concern. For example, for pharma in-transit security, issues arise around product tampering and repackaging, mishandling or improper temperature control damage, theft/fraud, and diverted/misrouted shipments. In 2024, in-transit risk intelligence provider, Overhaul, recorded 2,217 cargo thefts in the United States, a 49% increase compared to 2023. To address theft risk, Verisk launched CargoNet RouteScore API, a solution that generates a cargo theft route risk score based on factors such as cargo type, value, length of haul, origin, destination, day of the week, and the theft history of truck stops.
Achilles/GRMS – In January, supply chain risk and performance management provider, Achilles Information Ltd, acquired the assets of Global Risk Management Solutions (GRMS), a provider of supplier risk management programs, This follows Achilles’ acquisition of Iberian supply chain risk company, GoSupply, to expand its global footprint and offerings. GRMS’ expertise in automated document management, digital insurance verification and real-time risk monitoring will allow Achilles to mitigate “a broad spectrum of risks including financial stability, ESG, health and safety, geopolitical risk, cyber security, compliance, adverse media, and decarbonization and build high-performing supply chains.”
SpendHQ – On Mach 27, Spend Intelligence and Performance Management provider, SpendHQ launched its Supplier Risk Management solution that proactively monitors supplier risks across financial, geopolitical, and operational factors to avoid possible supply chain disruptions. “This solution unites intelligence from leading procurement and supply chain risk providers, equipping teams to mitigate supplier risks related to financial health, cybersecurity, ESG compliance, and more.”
Matchory – Automated supplier search provider, Matchory, announced a €6 million financing round in January. Founded in 2019, Matchory (combines “to match” and factory) offers strategic procurement and automated supplier search. Matchory’s database currently contains over 14 million supplier profiles and covers over 98% of the relevant manufacturers in the global market.
ORO Labs/ProcureTech – In March, intake management and procurement orchestration platform, ORO Labs, acquired digital accelerator ProcureTech. States ORO Labs CEO and Founder Sudhir Bhojwani, “…CPOs are moving fast to explore new use cases and create a future state with AI-led orchestration at the core. The ProcureTech team – along with their deep network of partners and integrators – will help us accelerate this shift, and get problem-solving orchestration into the hands of more CPOs, faster.” Lance Younger, CEO of ProcureTech, has been named ORO’s new Executive Vice President, EMEA and Global Alliances. A highly valuable resource, the ProcureTech100, annually identifies and champions the 100 pioneering digital procurement technology, data and analytics solutions.
Commodities
Benchmark Mineral Intelligence – Benchmark Mineral Intelligence has launched its Copper Service, which provides insights into the role of copper in energy transition and the supply chain. “As mass electrification accelerates and demand for clean technologies rises, copper is set to become the most critical material underpinning the energy transition. The increasing use of copper in electric vehicles, AI technologies, and essential grid infrastructure will drive demand in the coming decades, with clean energy’s share of total consumption expected to surge.”
DCA Market Intelligence – DCA Market Intelligence, which serves the Dutch and international food & agribusiness sectors, introduced the DCA Potato Platform and three new Frozen Fries Indices. The Platform offers independent benchmarks, market analyses, trade flow/production data, price trends and features weekly market analyses. The three new indices for Frozen Fries include: 1) Open Market Index, which reflects the price of frozen fries on the open market, 2) Fast Food Index, which tracks price trends for frozen fries sold to fast food chains, and 3) Frozen Fries 70/30 Index, a weighted average of the Open Market Index and the Fast Food Index.
Nature/Environmental Risk
Helios Artificial Intelligence – Agri-food climate risk analysis provider, Helios Artificial Intelligence launched its new Climate Risk Supplier Assessment tool. The tool analyzes climate change risks that suppliers in the Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) and agri-food industries face. “Consider a beverage company seeking to assess a new mango supplier in India. Through Helios AI’s tool, the company first provided supplier location and crop details. Next, it received a comprehensive analysis of risks such as drought and extreme heat over three, five and ten years. Finally, the company acted on tailored recommendations to diversify sourcing and mitigate risks.”
AccuWeather/TOA – AccuWeather has acquired TOA Systems’ lightning network and technology. TOA Systems is a provider of lightning detection hardware and operates one of the few global lightning networks. The new AccuWeather Lightning Network will enhance global lightning detection capabilities. “In the United States, lightning is a significant weather hazard striking the ground over 200 million times (over 2 billion times globally) last year.” The Network will also provide real-time lightning alerts and detailed risk analysis tailored to specific locations designed for enterprise and business clients.
Image by Inshan Singh from Pixabay
March 27, 2025
