Dallas-based o9 Solutions, an enterprise AI software platform provider and startup unicorn, today announced $296 million in equity investments from a group including General Atlantic and its climate investing venture BeyondNetZero; pure-play sustainability investment manager Generation Investment Management; and existing o9 investor KKR.

The new capital will build on o9’s momentum heading out of its 400% increase in annual recurring revenue in Q4 2021. It will also accelerate the growth of o9’s AI-powered “Digital Brain” integrated business planning platform across a wide array of verticals—including retail, consumer and industrial products manufacturing, high-tech and semiconductor, life sciences, automotive, telecom, and oil and gas.

Unicorn status and rising, with a $2.7B valuation

In April 2020, o9 hit the $1 billion valuation mark. Now, with its newest investors joining KKR in backing the company, o9’s valuation has reached $2.7 billion.

“We have an unprecedented opportunity in front of us,” said Chakri Gottemukkala, co-founder and CEO of o9, in a statement. “Demand and supply volatility and complexity has been growing and the pandemic has only accelerated the challenges companies face in meeting customer service and financial goals. At the same time, there is significant pressure on boards and executives from customers and employees to also drive meaningful improvements in sustainability goals.”

Building for a sustainable future

o9 says its latest capital infusion will also help drive R&D, industry knowledge models, and partner ecosystem development as companies leverage the Digital Brain platform for supply chain, commercial, and integrated business planning.

The platform allows users to create real-time digital models of enterprise data and knowledge that help detect demand and supply risks and opportunities, forecast demand more accurately, and evaluate what-if scenarios. The AI platform intelligently matches demand and supply, creating alignment and collaboration between customers, internal stakeholders, and suppliers across the supply chain. Adding efficiency into the supply chain also makes a measurable positive impact to the environment, the company says.

Executives are understanding that planning and decision-making needs to be more agile, said Gottemukkala, adding that integration is the most “mission-critical, high-value initiative going forward.” Because of that, o9 believes transforming planning is key for improving profit and loss statements and the health of the planet,  since global supply chains are a major source of environmental impact.

‘At the intersection of technology, supply chain, and sustainability’

Tanzeen Syed, Managing Director, General Atlantic, believes that o9 is “uniquely positioned at the intersection of technology, supply chain, and sustainability.”

“The business fits squarely within our theses at General Atlantic and BeyondNetZero to support companies that are leveraging innovation to tackle some of the most pressing issues in the world,” Syed added in the statement. “o9 helps large organizations transform their costly, complex and resource-intensive supply chains into profitable and environmentally sound models—playing a critical role in enabling them to work toward net zero targets.”

o9 Chairman and Co-Founder Sanjiv Sidhu said a sustainable, reduced carbon footprint supply chain—especially for global enterprise—requires companies to digitally transform planning and decision-making.

“o9’s Digital Brain platform makes us the partner of choice for companies across the world, and we’re pleased and honored that General Atlantic, BeyondNetZero, and Generation Investment Management recognize this at such a pivotal phase of our growth trajectory,” Sidhu said.

o9 Solutions was founded in 2009 after Sidhu’s i2 Technologies was acquired. Sidhu and Gottemukkala began the company as a consultancy and launched their tech platform in 2014. 

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