Who Owns SAP?
SAP is owned by SAP SE, a publicly traded German multinational software corporation headquartered in Walldorf, Germany. Founded in 1972 by five former IBM engineers, SAP is the world's largest vendor of enterprise application software, used by most of the world's largest companies for finance, HR, and supply chain. It reported 2025 revenue of 36.8 billion euros.
Parent Company
Founded
1972
Status
Publicly Traded
Headquarters
GlobalOfficial Website
Who Owns SAP?
- Parent Company: SAP SE
- Ownership Type: Brand division
- Company Type: Publicly Traded
- Stock Ticker: Frankfurt Stock Exchange (DAX); NYSE ADR: SAP
| Brand | Parent Company | Ownership Type |
|---|---|---|
| SAP | SAP SE | Brand division |
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History of SAP
- Founded: 1972
- Founders: Dietmar Hopp, Hasso Plattner, Klaus Tschira, Claus Wellenreuther, Hans-Werner Hector
Five IBM systems engineers left in 1972 after their project was shelved and founded Systemanalyse Programmentwicklung in Weinheim, Germany, later renamed SAP. Their idea was real-time business software: processing data as transactions happened rather than in overnight batch runs.
The R/2 mainframe system (1979) made SAP a European standard; the R/3 client-server release (1992) made it a global one. Through the 1990s, SAP's ERP suite became the default back office for the world's largest manufacturers, a position so deep that competitors now measure themselves against SAP's installed base rather than the reverse.
SAP went public on the Frankfurt exchange in 1988 and listed on the NYSE in 1998. The 2000s and 2010s were acquisition-driven: Business Objects (2007, $6.8 billion), Sybase (2010, $5.8 billion), SuccessFactors (2011, $3.4 billion), Ariba (2012, $4.3 billion), Concur (2014, $8.3 billion), Fieldglass, hybris, Callidus, and Qualtrics (2018, $8 billion, largely divested by 2023).
The decisive strategic shift came with S/4HANA (2015), the in-memory cloud ERP built on SAP's own HANA database, and the RISE with SAP migration program launched in 2021 under new CEO Christian Klein, the youngest DAX chief executive at appointment. Klein bet the company on cloud subscription revenue replacing perpetual licenses, a transition that suppressed margins through 2023 and now drives growth.
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The 2024 to 2026 period made SAP Europe's most valuable company for stretches. Business AI and the Joule copilot layered across the suite, WalkMe was acquired for $1.5 billion in 2024, SmartRecruiters joined in 2025, and Q3 2026 produced SAP's first 10-billion-euro quarter, with cloud revenue up 26 percent and a 24.1 billion euro cloud backlog. The company now positions itself around an Autonomous Enterprise strategy where AI agents execute business processes.
About SAP SE
Who owns SAP?
Public shareholders own SAP broadly. Founder Dietmar Hopp holds the largest individual stake at roughly 5 to 6 percent; BlackRock and other institutions hold large index positions.
Is SAP publicly traded?
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Yes. It trades on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under ticker SAP, a DAX 40 component, and as a NYSE ADR under the same ticker.
Where is SAP headquartered?
Walldorf, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany, in the Rhine-Neckar region southwest of Frankfurt.
What does SAP make?
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Enterprise application software: ERP (S/4HANA Cloud), human capital management (SuccessFactors), procurement (Ariba), travel and expense (Concur), and AI-powered business software (Joule).
How does SAP make money?
Cloud subscriptions are now the growth engine at roughly two-thirds of revenue, supplemented by declining software licenses and maintenance plus consulting services.
Who is the CEO of SAP?
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Christian Klein, who became sole CEO in 2020 at age 39, the youngest CEO in DAX history. Dominik Asam serves as CFO.
- Founded: 1972
- Headquarters: Walldorf, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany
- Company Type: Publicly Traded
- Stock: Frankfurt Stock Exchange (DAX); NYSE ADR: SAP
- Revenue: 36.8 billion euros (FY2025)
- Employees: approximately 110,650
Where Is SAP Made / Based?
- Headquarters: Walldorf, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany
SAP Categories & Tags
SAP Recalls & Controversies
SAP's largest legal scandal was the 2024 foreign bribery settlement: the company paid more than $220 million to resolve U.S. DOJ and SEC charges over payments to officials in South Africa, Indonesia, and Azerbaijan, tied partly to the state-capture era investigations in South Africa. Earlier, the TomorrowNow affair cost dearly: SAP admitted subsidiary wrongdoing in downloading Oracle software, settling a $1.3 billion jury verdict down to $272 million plus fees in 2014. A 2024 restructuring affecting around 8,000 roles drew worker-council tension in Germany. The company also faces ongoing litigation over past licensing practices in several jurisdictions.
Brands Owned by SAP SE
Technology SoftwareSAP Concur
Owned by SAP SE
Travel and expense management brand of SAP SE, founded as Concur in 1993 and acquired by SAP in 2014, serving tens of thousands of enterprise customers.
expense-managementtravelsaas
Technology SoftwareWalkMe
Owned by SAP SE
Digital adoption platform pioneer acquired by SAP in 2024, helping enterprises drive software adoption through in-app guidance and analytics.
digital-adoptionenterprise-softwaresaas
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SAP Ownership: Pros & Cons
Advantages
- +Deepest enterprise lock-in in the software industry
- +Cloud migration largely complete with 26 percent cloud growth
- +24.1 billion euro backlog provides exceptional revenue visibility
- +Founder-governed culture with genuine engineering depth
- +AI monetization layered on an irreplaceable installed base
Considerations
- -Oracle, Microsoft, and Workday attack segments relentlessly
- -Cloud transition compressed margins and required an 8,000-role restructuring
- -The 2024 bribery settlement revealed compliance failures in emerging markets
- -License-revenue decline continues to be a drag on reported growth
- -Premium valuation leaves little room for execution errors
Frequently Asked Questions About SAP
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Sources & Further Reading
Competitors to SAP
These competing brands operate in the same categories and provide similar products or services. Compare key attributes to understand market positioning and competitive landscape.
| Brand | Parent Company | Country | Founded | Market Position | Primary Market | Gender Target |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oracle | USA | 1987 | Mass market | Global | All Genders | |
| Salesforce | USA | 1999 | Market leader | Global | All Genders |
Learn More About Competitors
Technology SoftwarePeopleSoft
Owned by Oracle Corporation
Enterprise HR and ERP applications suite owned by Oracle since its hostile 2005 takeover, still supported and updated for a large installed base.
erphr-softwareenterprise-software
Technology SoftwareSalesforce Platform
Owned by Salesforce, Inc.
Core customer relationship management platform of Salesforce, Inc. (NYSE: CRM), the cloud software company founded in 1999 and headquartered in San Francisco.
crmsaascloud-computing
Competitive Analysis
Market Positioning: SAP competes with 2 brands in the same categories, ranging from mass market to luxury positioning.
Geographic Distribution: Competitors are headquartered across multiple regions, indicating global competition in this market segment.
Brand Heritage: Competitor brands range from established heritage brands to newer market entrants, with founding years spanning several decades.
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Independent Alternatives to SAP
Looking for brands with different ownership structures? These similar brands are not owned by SAP SE, giving you alternative choices that support different corporate structures.
Technology SoftwareAlteryx
Owned by Alteryx, Inc.
Analytics automation platform brand of Alteryx, Inc., the Irvine company taken private by Clearlake Capital and Insight Partners in 2024.
analyticsdata-preparationautomation
Privately Owned
Alteryx is privately owned, unlike SAP which is under a publicly traded parent company.
Technology SoftwareDatabricks
Owned by Databricks, Inc.
Data and AI platform brand behind the Lakehouse architecture, operated by Databricks, Inc. of San Francisco.
data-platformartificial-intelligencelakehouse
Privately Owned
Databricks is privately owned, unlike SAP which is under a publicly traded parent company.
Technology SoftwareOdoo
Owned by Odoo S.A.
Belgian open-source business software suite offering integrated ERP, CRM, accounting, and e-commerce apps, valued near 10 billion euros in 2026.
erpopen-sourcebusiness-software
Privately Owned
Odoo is privately owned, unlike SAP which is under a publicly traded parent company.
Technology SoftwareSAS
Owned by SAS Institute Inc.
Analytics and AI software brand of SAS Institute Inc., the private Cary, North Carolina company founded in 1976 behind SAS Viya.
analyticsartificial-intelligencedata-management
Privately Owned
SAS is privately owned, unlike SAP which is under a publicly traded parent company.
Technology SoftwareScaleway
Owned by iliad Group (iliad SA)
French cloud computing and web hosting provider, a subsidiary of Xavier Niel's iliad Group, offering sovereign cloud, AI, and dedicated server services.
cloud-computingweb-hostingsovereign-cloud
Privately Owned
Scaleway is privately owned, unlike SAP which is under a publicly traded parent company.
Technology SoftwareSmartsheet
Owned by Smartsheet Inc.
Enterprise work management platform used by 85 percent of the Fortune 500, privately held by Blackstone and Vista since 2025.
work-managementproject-managementcollaboration
Privately Owned
Smartsheet is privately owned, unlike SAP which is under a publicly traded parent company.
SAP SE Stock Information
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Jobs at SAP SE
Latest News About SAP
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