Worldly, an intelligence platform for the consumer goods industry, has acquired a U.K.-based software company to increase visibility across supply chains.
It said in a statement that it has acquired Bendi Software Ltd., a supply chain mapping and supplier risk intelligence company that was founded in 2020.
Bendi’s technology will be integrated across the Worldly platform over the coming months, the company said. Eventually, its customers will gain access to deep-tier supplier visibility, continuously updated supplier risk scoring, and AI-powered assessment automation.
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Scott Raskin, CEO of Worldly, said in a statement that regulators and stakeholders have been demanding that companies address their blind spots beyond their Tier 1 suppliers, also known as direct suppliers.
“For years, our customers have told us the same thing: visibility is much more challenging beyond Tier 1 suppliers—and that blind spot is exactly where the greatest labor, environmental, and compliance risk lives,” he said.
“Bendi adds AI-powered discovery and risk intelligence for suppliers that brands haven’t yet engaged with directly. Together, we’ll give the companies the visibility to manage risk proactively, not just after the fact,” he added.
The acquisition comes at a time when companies across markets face increased pressure from governments to look after their supply chains beyond their direct suppliers. Worldly said the Bendi acquisition would help customers comply better.
Moreover, this adds to Worldly’s existing portfolio of tools that also seek to make supply chains as visible as possible. One such tool is Prism, a supplier risk rating framework that scores suppliers on more than 100 environmental, labor, human rights and governance indicators in over 35 languages.
Bendi will also complement Pathfinder, another tool under Worldly’s belt that acts as an automated supply chain mapping engine. It traces a brand’s suppliers across tiers without requiring supplier participation, even showing suppliers that brands are unaware they also have in their value chains.
