Workday, Inc. provides enterprise cloud applications for human resources and financial management. Founded in 2005 by former PeopleSoft executives Dave Duffield and Aneel Bhusri, the company pioneered cloud-based business software.
Workday serves over 10,000 organizations worldwide, including more than half of the Fortune 500. The platform handles HR, payroll, planning, and analytics for companies across healthcare, technology, financial services, and education sectors.
Headquartered in Pleasanton, California, Workday leads the global HCM software market with a 9.8% share. The company generates revenue through subscription-based software services delivered entirely through the cloud.
Workday History
Workday Co-founders
Workday Market Cap
Workday’s market capitalization stands at approximately $62 billion as of 2025. The company ranks among the 350 most valuable publicly traded companies worldwide. Workday trades on the NASDAQ exchange under the ticker symbol WDAY.
Workday Revenue
Workday generated $8.45 billion in revenue for fiscal year 2025, representing 16% growth over the prior year. Subscription services account for most of the company’s revenue, with strong retention rates above 95%.
Workday Acquisitions
Workday has completed 21 acquisitions since its founding, with an average deal size of $970 million. These purchases expanded the platform’s capabilities across financial planning, employee engagement, workforce management, and artificial intelligence.
The largest acquisition came in 2018 when Workday purchased Adaptive Insights for $1.55 billion. Adaptive Insights provided enterprise performance management software that became Workday Adaptive Planning. This deal strengthened Workday’s financial planning and analysis offerings against competitors like SAP and Oracle.
In 2021, Workday made two significant acquisitions. Peakon, a Copenhagen-based employee engagement platform, joined for $700 million. VNDLY, a vendor management system for contingent workers, followed for $510 million. Both products now operate as Workday Peakon Employee Voice and Workday VNDLY.
The company accelerated AI-focused acquisitions in 2024 and 2025. HiredScore brought AI-powered talent acquisition and internal mobility tools. Evisort added AI-driven contract management capabilities. Paradox, acquired in 2025, enabled conversational AI agents for recruiting and HR tasks.
Earlier acquisitions include Cape Clear Software in 2008 for integration technology, Identified in 2014 for AI capabilities, and Scout RFP for procurement. Workday also acquired Stories.bi in 2018 and Zimit for configure-price-quote functionality. Each acquisition plugged specific gaps in the enterprise software suite.
Workday Competitors
Workday competes in the $58.7 billion human capital management software market. The company faces competition from established enterprise software vendors and specialized HR technology providers across cloud HCM, financial management, and planning solutions.
| Company | Headquarters | Primary Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Oracle HCM Cloud | Austin, USA | Enterprise HCM, ERP |
| SAP SuccessFactors | Walldorf, Germany | Global HCM, Talent Management |
| Microsoft Dynamics 365 | Redmond, USA | HR, Finance, Operations |
| ADP | Roseland, USA | Payroll, HR Services |
| UKG (Ultimate Kronos Group) | Lowell, USA | Workforce Management, HCM |
| Ceridian Dayforce | Minneapolis, USA | HCM, Payroll, Benefits |
| Paycom | Oklahoma City, USA | Payroll, Talent Acquisition |
| Paylocity | Schaumburg, USA | Payroll, HR Software |
| Cornerstone OnDemand | Santa Monica, USA | Learning, Talent Management |
| BambooHR | Lindon, USA | SMB HR Software |
FAQs
What does Workday software do?
Workday provides cloud-based applications for human resources, financial management, and enterprise planning. Organizations use the platform for payroll, recruiting, talent management, and analytics.
Who founded Workday?
Dave Duffield and Aneel Bhusri founded Workday in 2005. Both executives previously worked at PeopleSoft before Oracle acquired that company.
Is Workday better than SAP?
Workday offers a cloud-native platform with a modern interface, while SAP provides deeper global localization. The best choice depends on organization size, industry, and geographic requirements.
How many companies use Workday?
Over 10,000 organizations use Workday worldwide. More than half of Fortune 500 companies have deployed Workday for HR, finance, or planning applications.
Where is Workday headquartered?
Workday is headquartered in Pleasanton, California. The company maintains offices across North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific regions.