New Zealand firm TradeWindow is buying Rfider, a supply chain transparency vendor, as it seeks to become a one-stop-shop for supply chain participants.

TradeWindow, which is listed on the New Zealand stock exchange, says in a May 17 statement that it will pay a maximum of NZ$10mn (US$6.3mn) for Rfider, with the final price subject to revenue targets.

Rfider describes its platform as “an all-in-one solution for collecting, securing and sharing item-level traceability and process data within and across organisations”.

TradeWindow says the acquisition will give it access to what it says is a NZ$16.8bn global market for food traceability and extend the company’s reach “deeper into primary industry supply chains by providing traceability all the way back to the points of cultivation and production”.

“Rfider’s functionality will strengthen TradeWindow’s offer for our customers who compete on transparency of origin, ethical practices, sustainability and quality,” says AJ Smith, TradeWindow’s chief executive.

“It also broadens our offerings to our customers beyond the export operations team to help solve broader issues of concern to the marketing team, and senior management/board with respect to marketing claims of sustainability and verification for ESG reporting,” he adds.

Rfider has an existing customer base in the global soft commodities sector, according to the statement, including clients such as Switzerland’s Ecom Agroindustrial Corporation, Sucden and Zealandia Honey.

TradeWindow provides a variety of digital tools to companies involved in international trade and has already acquired several smaller vendors in the sector.

Under the deal, Rfider’s founder and chief executive John Pennington will become a full-time TradeWindow employee.

The company says it is currently evaluating the optimal funding structure for the deal, and the transaction is subject to TradeWindow securing additional funding by July 30, unless the condition is waived.