- Founded: April 1, 1972, in Weinheim, Germany
- 2024 Revenue: €34.18 billion (approximately $37 billion USD)
- 2024 Employees: 109,973 worldwide
- Market Cap: Approximately $235 billion USD (February 2026)
- Headquarters: Walldorf, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany
SAP SE ranks among the world’s largest enterprise software companies. The German firm produces software for managing business processes and helps organizations handle data processing and information flow across departments.
The company name SAP stands for Systemanalyse Programmentwicklung (System Analysis Program Development). SAP operates globally with offices in more than 140 countries. Its product lineup includes enterprise resource planning, customer relationship management, supply chain solutions, and human resources software.
SAP SE History
SAP SE Co-founders
SAP SE Competitors
SAP competes with major technology companies in the enterprise software market. Oracle remains SAP’s primary competitor in ERP systems. Microsoft, Salesforce, and Workday also compete across different product segments.
| Company | Headquarters | Primary Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Oracle | Austin, Texas, USA | Database, ERP, Cloud Infrastructure |
| Microsoft | Redmond, Washington, USA | Dynamics 365, Azure, Productivity |
| Salesforce | San Francisco, California, USA | CRM, Marketing, Service Cloud |
| Workday | Pleasanton, California, USA | HR, Finance, Planning |
| ServiceNow | Santa Clara, California, USA | IT Service Management, Workflows |
| Infor | New York, New York, USA | Industry-Specific ERP |
| IBM | Armonk, New York, USA | Cloud, AI, Consulting |
| Adobe | San Jose, California, USA | Marketing, Experience Cloud |
| NetSuite (Oracle) | Austin, Texas, USA | Cloud ERP for SMBs |
| Sage Group | Newcastle, United Kingdom | Accounting, SMB Software |
SAP SE Acquisitions
SAP has acquired more than 70 companies since 1991. The company uses acquisitions to expand product capabilities and enter new markets. Major deals have shaped SAP’s cloud and AI strategy over the past two decades.
The 2008 acquisition of Business Objects for $6.8 billion added business intelligence tools to SAP’s lineup. In 2010, SAP bought Sybase for $5.8 billion, gaining mobile and database technology. SuccessFactors joined SAP in 2012 for $3.4 billion, providing cloud-based HR software. That same year, SAP acquired Ariba for $4.3 billion to strengthen procurement solutions.
Concur Technologies became SAP’s largest acquisition in 2014 at $8.3 billion. This deal expanded travel and expense management offerings. Fieldglass added contingent workforce management. In 2018, SAP purchased Qualtrics for $8 billion to enter experience management. SAP later spun off Qualtrics and sold its stake in 2023 as part of a portfolio refocus.
Recent acquisitions target digital transformation tools. SAP bought Signavio in 2021 for $1.2 billion to add business process intelligence. LeanIX joined in 2023 for enterprise architecture management. WalkMe closed in 2024 for $1.5 billion, adding digital adoption capabilities that complement SAP’s AI assistant Joule. These purchases support customers migrating to SAP S/4HANA Cloud.
SAP SE Revenue
SAP SE generated €34.18 billion in total revenue for fiscal year 2024. This represents a 9.5% increase compared to 2023. Cloud revenue continues to grow as customers shift from on-premise licenses.
SAP SE Marketcap
SAP SE holds a market capitalization of approximately $235 billion USD as of February 2026. This makes SAP the most valuable company in Germany and among the largest software firms globally.
FAQs
What does SAP stand for?
SAP stands for Systemanalyse Programmentwicklung, which translates to System Analysis Program Development in English. The name reflects the company’s original focus on software development.
When was SAP SE founded?
SAP was founded on April 1, 1972, in Weinheim, Germany. Five former IBM employees started the company to create integrated business software.
Who is the current CEO of SAP?
Christian Klein serves as CEO of SAP SE. He became sole CEO in April 2020 after previously sharing the role with Jennifer Morgan.
What is SAP’s main product?
SAP S/4HANA is SAP’s main enterprise resource planning suite. It runs on the SAP HANA in-memory database and handles finance, supply chain, and operations for large organizations.
How many employees does SAP have?
SAP employed approximately 109,973 people worldwide as of December 2024. The workforce spans more than 140 countries with major hubs in Germany, the United States, and India.