Software AG kicked off the new year with significant shake-ups. They completed the sale of their Alfabet enterprise architecture and strategic portfolio management tool, along with their IoT platform, Cumulocity. CEO Sanjay Brahmawar has stepped down, and they’ve decided to relaunch Adabas & Natural (A&N) and Aris as independent units.
So far, Software AG hasn’t revealed who bought Alfabet and Cumulocity. A&N focuses on non-relational transactional database software that processes billions of transactions for businesses, whether they’re using mainframes, Linux, or cloud platforms. Meanwhile, Aris specializes in business process mining and management software, primarily aimed at SaaS systems. Their tools help enterprises manage processes from start to finish.
These changes follow the sale of Software AG’s “Super iPaaS” to IBM for €2.1 billion in December 2023. This deal came just six months after private equity firm Silver Lake acquired Software AG for €2.6 billion. Since May 2023, Software AG has operated under Silver Lake’s ownership. Founded in 1969, it has long been recognized as a major German IT supplier, second only to SAP.
As the holding company, Software GmbH has wrapped up the sales of Alfabet and Cumulocity, after divesting webMethods, StreamSets, and TrendMiner in July 2024. TrendMiner was sold to German analytics provider Proemion back in April 2024.
Brahmawar’s departure marks a pivotal moment. His leadership was key in transforming Software AG from a traditional software company into a modern SaaS business, focusing on annual recurring revenue growth. He was also behind the acquisition of StreamSets, which, paired with webMethods, helped position the company in the market and led to the IBM deal. Reflecting on his time at the helm, Brahmawar expressed gratitude for leading such a respected company through emblematic changes.
In the wake of these shifts, Silver Lake has appointed Martin Biegel, Martin Clemm, Robin Colman, and Toktam Khatibzadeh to lead Software GmbH. This entity will handle central operations and oversee ARIS as well as Adabas & Natural.
Software AG continues to engage with an active user community across the globe, with groups in the UK, Nordics, Netherlands, and German-speaking countries, alongside dedicated communities for Alfabet, Cumulocity, webMethods, Aris, and Adabas & Natural.