Thoma Bravo backs Azul to accelerate global Java platform growth

Azul has secured a majority strategic investment from private equity firm Thoma Bravo, with its existing investors Vitruvian Partners and Lead Edge Capital also making new investments and retaining significant minority stakes. The transaction is set to support Azul's plans to scale its enterprise Java platform and expand its presence in global markets.

New majority owner

Thoma Bravo will become the majority owner of Azul as a result of the deal. The financial details of the transaction have not been disclosed. Existing backers Vitruvian Partners and Lead Edge Capital will continue as significant shareholders and will inject further capital into the business. Employees of Azul will also retain stakes.

Focus on Java

Azul is known for its Java runtime solutions, including Platform Core, Platform Prime, and Intelligence Cloud, aimed at delivering improved performance, security, and cost efficiency for enterprise applications. The company claims a customer base comprising 36% of the Fortune 100 and all ten of the world's largest banks.

The company's products are designed to help organisations run Java workloads with better speed, security and resource management, supporting both hybrid and cloud environments.

Expansion and demand

The strategic investment is expected to enable Azul to further develop its engineering capabilities and speed up work on runtime performance, observability, and security tools. With demand rising for high-performance, scalable Java solutions, Azul aims to reach new customers in enterprise and cloud segments.

"We're thrilled to welcome Thoma Bravo at this exciting time for our company and the Java ecosystem. Thoma Bravo brings the scale, resources, and expertise that align seamlessly with Azul's vision and aspirations, strengthening our confidence in the significant growth opportunities ahead. We are grateful for their investment as well as for the continued backing from Vitruvian and Lead Edge. Together, we'll accelerate our global growth, advance innovation across our platforms and deliver even greater value to our customers," said Scott Sellers, Chief Executive Officer, Azul.

Investor perspectives

Thoma Bravo, which has a significant portfolio in software and technology, sees opportunities stemming from enterprises' shift away from legacy Java offerings and the need to contain cloud infrastructure costs.

"As enterprises move away from legacy Java offerings and face rising cloud infrastructure costs, demand for Azul's enterprise-ready, scalable, secure and cost-efficient Java solutions has never been stronger," said Adam Solomon, Partner, Thoma Bravo.

"Azul's superior technology foundation and talented and established team position the company for accelerated growth at this dynamic time in the Java market. We are excited to support Azul as they build on their impressive history of growth and leadership," said Chandler Gay, Vice President, Thoma Bravo.

Continued backing

Vitruvian Partners, a previous investor, remains involved in the company's next stage of expansion alongside the new lead investor.

"We're very proud of the partnership we have formed with the Azul executive team to help deliver strong and consistent global growth over the past five years and are delighted to continue supporting Azul in its next chapter," said Sophie Bower-Straziota, Partner, Vitruvian Partners. "We are excited to welcome Thoma Bravo as Azul's new majority owner and to deepen our commitment as Azul builds on its track record of exceptional results and success and pursues the significant opportunities ahead."