French firms Cegid, which sells business management software, and Silae, a payroll and HR platform, would combine in a deal that would bring together payroll, accounting, e-invoicing, digital finance and payments data, and create a 1,400-person developer team to invest in AI.
The deal has an enterprise value of more than 10 billion euros ($11.6 billion), per a statement announcing it.
AI pressure reshapes software sector
In a statement, the companies said that joining forces would enable them to scale investment in research and development amid the emergence of AI.
Silver Lake is the majority shareholder of both Cegid and Silae and will remain the majority shareholder of the combined group. Subject to regulatory approval, the transaction is expected to complete in the first half of 2027, the statement said.
The companies are expected to have an annual revenue of 1.6 billion euros ($1.9 billion),
