Skip to content
SXSW

Big data firm Palantir says it helps Coles be 'a happier place to work'

Known for providing tech for defence and intelligence, Palantir announced a deal with Coles last year. Until now, it has been tight-lipped about what it entails.

Daniel Van Boom
Make us a preferred source
Coles struck a deal with Palantir nearly two years ago, but the nature of the work has been less than clear until now. AAP/Steven Markham.

Palantir, the big data company better known for its defence and intelligence applications, is used by supermarket chain Coles to improve employee happiness.

That’s according to Ashwin Rajan, head of global accounts at Palantir, who during a panel at SXSW Sydney on Monday gave a rare glimpse into a deal signed with Coles in early 2024.

“One of the ways we really help them is around workforce, and particularly around how we can help them be a better employer, fundamentally, and be a happier place to work,” Rajan said, “which they feel translates into better customer outcomes.”

Palantir, co-founded by Peter Thiel and sitting at a market cap of USD416 billion ($638 billion), mines and analyses disparate data to surface insights. Founded for use by the defence and intelligence sectors, its predictive analytics have controversially been deployed by ICE to locate undocumented immigrants and by the Israeli military in Gaza.