Azul, a company singularly focused on Java, has finalized a definitive agreement to receive a majority strategic investment from Thoma Bravo, a leading software investment firm. As part of this transaction, Azul’s current investors, Vitruvian Partners and Lead Edge Capital, will reinvest significant new capital and maintain minority stakes alongside Azul’s employees.
Azul provides Java runtime solutions designed to enhance performance, security, and cost efficiency for enterprise applications. Its product offerings, including Platform Core, Platform Prime (a high-performance Java platform), and Intelligence Cloud, enable organizations to operate Java workloads more efficiently across hybrid and cloud environments. Azul’s clientele includes 36% of the Fortune 100, the world’s ten largest banks, and numerous other global businesses.
The strategic investment from Thoma Bravo is intended to support Azul’s ongoing growth as demand for high-performance Java platforms increases. The capital will also be used to scale engineering efforts, accelerate innovation in runtime performance, observability, and security tooling, and expand its presence in global enterprise and cloud markets.
Scott Sellers, co-founder and CEO of Azul, stated, “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.”
Adam Solomon, a partner at Thoma Bravo, commented, “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.” Chandler Gay, a vice president at Thoma Bravo, added, “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.”
Sophie Bower-Straziota, a partner at Vitruvian Partners, noted, “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. 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.”
Goodwin Procter LLP served as legal advisor and William Blair as financial advisor to Thoma Bravo. Kirkland & Ellis LLP served as legal advisor and Guggenheim Securities, LLC as financial advisor to Azul. Debt financing for the transaction was provided by funds affiliated with Ares Management LLC.
Headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, Azul focuses exclusively on Java, serving millions of Java developers, hundreds of millions of devices, and highly regarded businesses globally. Its customers include 36% of the Fortune 100, 50% of Forbes’ top 10 World’s Most Valuable Brands, and 10 of the world’s top 10 banks, alongside brands such as Avaya, BMW, Mastercard, and Salesforce.
Thoma Bravo is a global software-focused investor with over US$181 billion in assets under management as of June 30, 2025. The firm invests in growth-oriented, innovative companies in the software and technology sectors, collaborating with portfolio companies to implement operational best practices and drive growth initiatives. Over its 20-year history, Thoma Bravo has acquired or invested in approximately 555 companies.
Vitruvian Partners is a global growth-focused investor with over $20 billion of active funds, focusing on dynamic situations characterized by rapid growth and change across asset-light industries. The firm has offices across London, Miami, San Francisco, and other global locations.
Lead Edge Capital is a $5 billion growth equity firm that invests in software, internet, and tech-enabled businesses globally. Established in 2011, the firm leverages a network of over 700 executives, entrepreneurs, and dealmakers to connect portfolio companies with resources for accelerated growth. Lead Edge Capital has offices in New York City, London, and Santa Barbara.
