Assent acquires software provider to expand product compliance capabilities

Ottawa-based Assent has completed its acquisition of Germany-based IPOINT, a product compliance and sustainability software provider specializing in the automotive industry, lifecycle assessment and product stewardship.

The acquisition, Assent’s first, expands the company’s offerings beyond supply chain compliance to product lifecycle intelligence, enabling manufacturers and distributors to manage product requirements, sustainability performance and regulatory obligations from design through end of life.

The combined company aims to help customers meet evolving regulations, including Battery Passports and the European Union’s Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation. Assent said IPOINT’s European presence and automotive expertise will support its expansion in the U.S. and European automotive markets while strengthening its product data capabilities for Digital Product Passports.

“Our customers need to understand their products at every level, from what goes into them across their supply chains to their full environmental impact across their lifecycle,” said Michael Southworth, CEO of Assent. “Until now, getting that complete picture required piecing together data from multiple systems. By combining Assent’s supply chain compliance and product compliance capabilities with IPOINT’s material intelligence and lifecycle assessment expertise, and applying AI across that combined data, we can give manufacturers and distributors a faster, unified view on a single platform — from what’s in their products to the impact they have on the world. That’s a meaningful step forward, and it builds the product data foundation our customers will need for Digital Product Passports and everything that comes next.”

Customers of both companies will continue to receive existing services and support during the integration process, with each gaining access to the other’s compliance, sustainability and supply chain management capabilities.