All Access

Pro Rata Premium

Axios Pro Rata Premium

Standard

Axios Pro Rata: Non-Premium Subscribers

Other

Scoop: PE firms circle Trimble unit

📅 The week that was

📰 The reading line

📊 Chart of the week

Trimble has received "credible inbound interest" for its $549 million transportation unit, CEO Rob Painter told investors Wednesday morning.

The disclosure confirmed my scoop last month that Trimble was working with Goldman Sachs to sell the business.

Inside the room: Apax Partners and Bain Capital are among the parties that have looked at Trimble's TMS provider Transporeon and its other transportation assets, Axios Pro has learned.

The process began with three parties and a lengthy timeline in January, one source tells Axios.

Context: Beyond Transporeon, the unit includes Trimble's Enterprise, Maps and Vusion services.

Trimble (Nasdaq: TRMB) has spent about 15 years building the transportation software suite via M&A.

What's next: A deal could come together within the next month, one of the sources says.

1 big thing: Scoop: PE firms circle Trimble unit

Illustration of a circle of office chairs around a large quarter

German ocean carrier Hapag-Lloyd's proposed $4.2 billion acquisition of Israel-based ZIM faces Israeli regulator opposition, per Calcalist. Go deeper

Proficient Auto Logistics (Nasdaq: PAL) plans to acquire Los Alamitos, Calif.-based auto hauler Hansen & Adkins for $130 million. Go deeper

Principal Mineral acquired Conductive Group, a nickel composite electromagnetic shielding producer. Go deeper

Einride will acquire Flipturn, an electric truck charging and energy management developer, for about $38.4 million. Go deeper

CAI Software, a portfolio company of STG Partners, acquired LLumin, a Springfield, Mass.-based computerized maintenance management system for manufacturers. Go deeper

⚡️ Orange EV, a Kansas City, Kan.-based provider of zero-emissions terminal trucks, closed a $100m credit facility led by Wells Fargo Bank. Go deeper

ClearJet, an Austin, Texas-based startup that connects shippers with unused commercial aviation cargo space, raised $25m from Edison Partners, with participation from Venture53, Origin Ventures, Salt VC, and SpringTime Ventures. Go deeper

Noosphere Labs, a Kirkland, Wash.-based physical AI startup, raised $10.25m, led by Trilogy Equity Partners and joined by Madrona. Go deeper

New Heritage Capital invested in PowerRail, an Exeter, Pa.-based aftermarket locomotive parts maker. Go deeper

OpenGate Capital agreed to acquire Maersk Training, a provider of safety training and gas safety services, from A.P. Møller - Maersk. Go deeper

2. 📅 The week that was

Illustration of a dollar-sign shaped wave on a beach shore 

🚂 Battle of the briefs: UP-NS fires back at AGs anti-merger letter (FreightWaves)

🇰🇷 South Korea's Hanwha makes $1B push into U.S. naval shipbuilding (WSJ)

🚛 VW's overhaul puts trucks stake in focus as sell-down looms (Bloomberg)

🇮🇷 U.S. warns Iran it will step up economic pressure; two more ships attacked in Hormuz (Reuters)

🇺🇸 Trump wins legal battle to keep cheap imports subject to tariffs (Axios)

3. 📰 The reading line

Illustration Benjamin Franklin's hand holding a magnifying glass. 

Data: PitchBook; Chart: Colin Campbell/Axios

Private equity logistics deal value nosedived 57% in Q2 from the prior quarter, even as deal count climbed 12%, per a PitchBook report Friday.

Why it matters: The war in Iran has caused some deals to be put on hold while investors assess the disruption and opportunity, PitchBook analyst Jonathan Geurkink tells Axios Pro.

4. 📊 Chart of the week

topics

politics-policy

epstein-files

donald-trump

2026-midterm-elections

immigration

behind-the-curtain

race-and-equity

technology

privacy-tech-regulation

automation-and-ai

tiktok-news

big-tech

social-media

cybersecurity

economy

social-security

inflation

tariffs

federal-reserve

transportation

business

c-suite

retail-news

media

elon-musk

dealmaking

August 15, 2026

1 big thing: Scoop: PE firms circle Trimble unit