Simplifies the Hardware Path from Prototype through to Volume Production
Avnet (NYSE: AVT)
announced today that it has acquired Dragon
Innovation, expanding the global distributor’s portfolio of
offerings for customers as they move from design to prototype to volume
production. Dragon Innovation’s proven process and deep hardware
experience help customers understand manufacturing costs and schedules,
find factories and manage production as they scale their businesses.
“With the addition of Dragon Innovation to our connected ecosystem,
Avnet further meets the needs for companies of all sizes head on –
helping them launch new hardware products in an efficient and
cost-effective manner that accelerates time to market,” said Bill
Amelio, chief executive officer of Avnet. “Dragon Innovation’s hardware
manufacturing expertise augments Avnet’s design and supply chain
capabilities beyond electronic components to encompass the entire
finished product. Equally important, Dragon Innovation complements our
digital strategy by delivering their services through a combination of
software and access to subject matter experts matched to the customers’
needs as they move swiftly through the stages of product development.”
The acquisition of Dragon Innovation further enhances Avnet’s role in
developing new technology products by simplifying the manufacturing
process, particularly for those projects that advance Internet of Things
(IoT). Avnet’s acquisition of both Premier
Farnell (which included its element14
community) and Hackster.io
last year expanded the company’s reach to more than two million
customers and an active community of more than 750,000 entrepreneurs,
makers and engineers. In May, Avnet, through a collaboration with Dragon
Innovation and Kickstarter, announced
Hardware Studio, an initiative that will give creators access to
expertise, tools and resources to supply, design, build and deliver
their ideas to market.
“By providing customers with the fastest, simplest, safest way to
manufacture at scale, Dragon Innovation’s vision is to make
manufacturing feel easy. We use a combination of technology and human
expertise built into accessible, straightforward online tools,” said
Scott N. Miller, chief executive officer of Dragon Innovation. “We are
thrilled to be joining Avnet, an established market leader who shares
our values and has significant resources and reach to enable us to help
companies build hardware better than ever before.”
For the last eight years, Dragon Innovation has been reinventing the way
companies manufacture products at scale. Dragon Innovation, through its
cloud-based platform, paired with a team of hardware manufacturing
experts, manages the full manufacturing process, from strategy and
planning for earlier stage products to factory selection and production
oversight. Its modern SaaS platform, Product
Planner, coupled with humans in the loop greatly simplifies and
de-risks the journey from “One to Many.” Dragon Innovation complements
Avnet’s breadth in the industrial market with strong consumer
electronics market experience. They have worked across a wide range of
industries including emerging IoT vertical segments such as home
automation, wearables, robotics and automotive.
View this video
to learn more about Dragon Innovation and click here
for more information on Avnet’s extensive idea-to-production resources
for makers.
Click
to tweet: .@Avnet acquires @Dragoninnovate; continues to
#ReachFurther to help #hardware innovators scale. http://bit.ly/1ll33LR
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All brands and trade names are trademarks or registered trademarks,
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About Avnet
From idea to design and from prototype to production, Avnet supports
customers at each stage of a product’s lifecycle. A comprehensive
portfolio of design and supply chain services makes Avnet the go-to
guide for innovators who set the pace for technological change. For
nearly a century, Avnet has helped its customers and suppliers around
the world realize the transformative possibilities of technology. Learn
more about Avnet at: www.avnet.com.
(AVT_IR)
Avnet
Maureen O’Leary, 480-643-7499
[email protected]
or
Brodeur Partners, for Avnet
Jamie Ernst, 480-308-0286
[email protected]
or
Dragon Innovation
Beth Macdonald, 617-512-4044
[email protected]
or
Investor Relations Contact
Avnet
Vincent Keenan, 480-643-7053
Senior Vice President, Investor Relations
[email protected]