Thoma Bravo to Buy Dallas' WWEX Group

Dallas Business Journal
Lauren McDonald, Reporter
Mar 3, 2026

Dallas-based logistics services provider WWEX Group has agreed to be acquired by investment firm Thoma Bravo LP and will be rolled up into a larger shipping company through a merger with Auctane Inc.

Financial terms of the deal, announced March 3, were not disclosed. But Brian Jaffee, a partner at Thoma Bravo, said in a statement it would bring together "two complementary leaders at a pivotal moment for the logistics industry."

WWEX is the parent of shipping companies including Worldwide Express LLC, GlobalTranz Enterprises LLC and Unishippers Global Logistics LLC. It has systemwide revenue of about $5 billion. It is currently owned by a group of investors that include CVC Capital Partners Fund VIII, Providence Equity Partners, Ridgemont Equity Partners and PSG.

Auctane, headquartered in Austin, is a shipping services provider for e-commerce business. Its portfolio includes ShipStation, Stamps.com, Metapack and Packlink.

Auctane's shipping software and WWEX's "scaled parcel and freight service offerings create an integrated solution with the data, distribution and volume necessary to help customers drive smarter decision-making and superior execution across the logistics lifecycle," Jaffee said.

The deal is expected to close in the second quarter.

More than 2,700 employees currently work for WWEX Group.

A company spokesperson told the Dallas Business Journal that no decision has been made regarding the name that the company will operate under after the merger closes. The spokesperson also said no decision has been made regarding the corporate office location.

Tom Madine, CEO of WWEX, in a statement called the deal "a significant milestone" that would create "a platform of tremendous potential."

Thoma Bravo is a tech-focused investment firm based in San Francisco that had more than $181 billion in assets as of Sept. 30. The firm has invested in more than 565 software and technology companies.

CVC Funds and other existing investors plan to roll over a portion of their equity in WWEX Group and retain a minority position in the combined company, according to the deal announcement.

WWEX traces its roots to 1994, when Worldwide Express was founded in Dallas. WWEX Group was officially established in 2023 following the 2021 acquisition of GlobalTranz.

Speculation surfaced in 2024 that WWEX Group leaders were considering taking the company public.