555 Capital is pleased to announce the successful closing of a strategic investment from Datalogic S.p.A. (BIT:DAL) in AWM Smart Shelf (“AWM”). 555 Capital acted as a financial advisor to AWM on this transaction.
AWM is a vision technology company with a comprehensive retail solution. The underlying technologies are built utilizing artificial intelligence, computer vision, machine learning, and application engineering to reinvent the retail space as it is known today. The ecosystem of solutions improves operational efficiencies, increases sales, provides new ad revenue streams in store, reduces waste, and more.
AWM has already deployed its AWM Frictionless™ technology for several multi-billion-dollar organizations in the United States and Mexico, with dozens of locations expected to come online in 2020. Other AWM Smart Shelf® solutions have been deployed in 16 countries around the world across North and Central America, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Australia. These include AWM’s anonymous shopper tracking, demographics reporting, employee productivity monitoring, on-shelf inventory intelligence, and custom shelf-edge LED displays which support ads, electronic shelf labels, and planogram functionality. AWM was recently named the 2019 Outstanding Small Technology Company by OCTANE and was recognized by Gartner as a vendor transforming retail.
“This was a vote of confidence by a global industry leader. The AWM team has successfully created a platform that replicates key benefits of the online experience into physical retail environments, including the ability to deliver a contactless (frictionless) shopping experience, which is becoming more timely and critical in this COVID and post-COVID world”
- Andre Guardi, Senior Managing Director & Founder, 555 Capital Advisors
The investment was completed by Datalogic, a global leader in the automatic data capture and process automation markets, specialized in the designing and production of bar code readers, mobile computers, sensors for detection, measurement and safety, RFID vision and laser marking systems. Datalogic’s solutions increase the efficiency and quality of processes in the Retail, Manufacturing, Transportation & Logistics and Healthcare markets, along the entire value chain.
About 555 Capital Advisors
555 Capital Advisors is an independent investment bank that provides M&A, capital raise and strategic advisory services to middle-market companies in the business services, consumer, healthcare, manufacturing and technology sectors. Shareholders of closely-held businesses appreciate our thoughtful approach to guiding them through a transaction. We take care in applying 25 years of experience to help middle-market business owners clarify and fulfill their goals.
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