Akeneo, the Product Experience (PX) Company and specialist in Product Information Management (PIM) solutions, marked a banner year in 2023. The company cultivated transformative growth through several key initiatives: launching innovative products, acquiring AI expertise, honing leadership, and earning prestigious industry accolades.
Propelled by over 100% expansion in the US market and boosted by 850+ global customers, Akeneo maintained competitive superiority in the PIM and broader PX space. It onboarded major North American brands, including CarParts.com, Arc’Teryx, DSW, Nautica, Belvins, TaylorMade, and Chico’s.
Enhancing the PX Product Suite
Committed to elevating product experiences across customer touchpoints, Akeneo unveiled important updates to its PX product suite:
- Supplier Data Manager: A collaborative portal enabling retailers and distributors to easily collect rich product data from suppliers. Its simple and scalable capabilities accelerate supplier onboarding.
- Activation for Retail: This sales channel integration solution now connects Akeneo’s PIM insights to over 300 retailer and marketplace websites globally. It activates consistent, engaging product experiences from product discovery to purchase.
- Cloud Integrations: Akeneo Product Cloud became accessible via the SAP® Store and Google Cloud Marketplace. These partnerships expand implementation flexibility for current and prospective customers.
Such cutting-edge developments display Akeneo’s customer-centric approach. The company innovates proactively to address emerging PX requirements for brands, manufacturers, and retailers of all sizes.
Why are these product expansions meaningful?
Because seamless PX hinges on centralized, high quality product information. Akeneo’s tools not only unify disparate product data, but optimize and activate it across channels through AI. This is the foundation for strategic omnichannel execution.
Acquiring Unifai to Champion AI
Akeneo advanced its AI proficiencies by acquiring Unifai, an established provider of AI data solutions. Unifai’s technology enriches product information through automated collection, cleansing, classification, and standardization.
This acquisition enables Akeneo to:
- Expedite product data workflows with machine learning
- Surface deep customer and product insights
- Customize product experiences via personalization algorithms
Additionally, Akeneo launched an AI Center for Excellence to spearhead AI innovation. With expert guidance from Unifai’s team, Akeneo can embed intelligent automation broadly into its PX offerings.
Bolstering Leadership for Scaled Growth
To steer sizable expansion in 2023 and beyond, Akeneo concentrated on developing its executive leadership. The company appointed four new C-Suite members in 2023:
Andy Tyra, Chief Product Officer
Formerly of Amazon and Whereby, Tyra directs Akeneo’s overall product and technology strategy. He facilitates a multi-product roadmap to propel growth.
Nadine Pichelot, Chief Financial Officer
Bringing 35 years of tech finance experience from Anaplan, Pichelot oversees infrastructure and processes for sustainable, profitable growth.
Sabrina Jaksa, Chief People Officer
Tasked with empowering employees and improving satisfaction, Jaksa aims to boost gender diversity and prepare for scaled expansion.
Kristin Naragon, Chief Strategy and Marketing Officer
Since her promotion in January 2023, Naragon has successfully driven strategic marketing initiatives to surpass targets. She also won distinguished industry awards and joined the MACH Alliance executive board.
Earning Top Honors from Analysts
Independent research firms and media outlets recognized Akeneo’s ascendance in 2023:
- Ventana Research – Value Index Leader in Product Experience Management
- Globee Awards – American Business Retail Company of the Year
- Stevie® Awards – Silver Medal Winner
- SoftwareReviews – 2023 PIM Software Gold Medalist
- The Software Report – Top 100 Software Companies
This analyst validation spotlights Akeneo’s customer-focused mission. By continuously innovating, expanding strategically, and championing employees, Akeneo progresses its vision to guide every product interaction through holistic PX approaches.
What’s Next for the PX Leader?
“Our exceptional growth over the past year has allowed us to attract amazing talent to our leadership team,” said Fred de Gombert, CEO. “Looking ahead, we will continue to focus on creating a world where every product interaction is an experience that guides consumers and professionals to the best purchase, anytime, anywhere.”
With transformative solutions and executive horsepower now aligned, Akeneo seems poised to disrupt PIM and steer the wider PX movement. Though already supporting 850+ customers, the company remains in the early stages of its journey.
If Akeneo maintains its trajectory, PX could become the next major industry paradigm – one where connected product experiences determine commercial success. And Akeneo intends to lead the way.
