USU Software
German enterprise software and digital services provider focused on IT management, software asset management, cloud economics, and customer-service knowledge management.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
USU Software is a German enterprise software and services group headquartered in Möglingen near Stuttgart. Its product business is operated primarily through USU GmbH, while digital transformation and consulting activities have been organized in USU Digital Consulting GmbH. The group develops software for organizations that need to plan, operate, govern, automate, and optimize complex IT and customer-service environments. The business originated in 1977, when banker and programmer Udo Strehl founded Udo Strehl Unternehmensberatung, later abbreviated to USU. The company initially operated as a consultancy, but began selling IT-management software in 1988. It entered international software markets in 1995 and subsequently expanded into knowledge management and digital service applications. Its portfolio gradually developed from traditional IT management into a broader set of enterprise service-management, software-asset-management, IT-monitoring, cloud-cost-management, and customer-service solutions. USU became publicly traded on 4 July 2000. Its expansion strategy included both internal product development and acquisitions. The 2002 combination with Openshop led to the temporary name USU-Openshop AG, which was changed to USU Software AG in 2003. Subsequent acquisitions added expertise in IT operations, software licensing, digital customer service, social-media management, digital media, and Oracle license management. Important additions included Omega, LeuTek, Aspera, BIG Social Media, SecurIntegration, UnitB Technology, and the French company Easytrust. The company’s software portfolio is organized around several connected enterprise needs. In IT service management, USU offers ITIL-oriented tools for strategic and operational service management, service design, process automation, service catalogs, control, usage, and billing. Its software-asset-management products help large organizations understand software estates, manage licensing obligations, reduce unnecessary expenditure, and control compliance risk. IT monitoring products cover event monitoring, end-to-end monitoring, cloud and container monitoring, and IT event management. USU also operates in FinOps and technology financial management. These offerings address cloud-cost control, cloud governance, IT financial planning, and SaaS management. In customer service, USU supplies knowledge bases, self-service portals, chatbots, voice bots, and related tools for call centers and service organizations. During the COVID-19 pandemic, some German municipalities and districts used USU chatbot technology to distribute public information. The company has continued developing AI-supported knowledge-management products, including the Bot Universe open-source project and a virtual AI assistant introduced in 2024. USU has maintained an international structure with subsidiaries or operations in Germany, the United States, France, Italy, Japan, Austria, and the Czech Republic. It established USU GK in Tokyo in 2021 to support distribution in Asia, and in 2022 consolidated elements of its IT-management portfolio into a cloud portal. Research and development has increasingly focused on cloud and artificial-intelligence technologies, including publicly funded work on an AI-supported service platform for German medium-sized businesses. In 2023, the group reported revenue of €132.1 million, net profit of €5.3 million, and 803 employees. These figures relate to the 2023 financial year and are reported in the cited Wikipedia reference. In 2024, USU announced and completed its delisting. Later that year, Thoma Bravo announced the acquisition of a majority stake in the product business. The consulting activities were separated into USU Digital Consulting GmbH, which has operated under the name puntus GmbH since January 2026. The product organization continued to expand through the acquisition of SaaS-management company SaaSmetrix in March 2025 and French AI customer-service specialist Mayday SAS in September 2025.
History
USU began in 1977 as Udo Strehl Unternehmensberatung, founded by banker and programmer Udo Strehl. The early business was consultancy-led, but the company moved into commercial software for IT management in 1988. It made its first foreign software sales in 1995 and later broadened its scope into knowledge management and digital service delivery. The company went public on 4 July 2000. At the time of the flotation, USU had 170 employees and had recorded revenue of DM41 million in the 1998/99 financial year. Founder Udo Strehl intended to divide the IPO proceeds between product development and acquisitions. In 2002, USU combined with Openshop and adopted the temporary name USU-Openshop AG. The company reverted to the USU Software AG name in 2003, while Strehl moved to the supervisory board in 2002. Acquisitions became a central growth mechanism. USU acquired Omega GmbH in 2005, LeuTek GmbH in 2006, and Aspera GmbH in 2010. Aspera strengthened the group’s software-asset-management business and helped establish USU as a major provider of IT asset-management software. In 2012, the group acquired a majority stake in Berlin-based BIG Social Media GmbH and founded Aspera Technologies Inc. in Boston. A new research division focused on Industrial Big Data was established in 2013. USU acquired SecurIntegration GmbH in 2015, adding SAP license-management capabilities; SecurIntegration was merged into Aspera GmbH in 2016. UnitB Technology GmbH, a digital-media and IT agency, joined the group in 2017. In May of that year, USU acquired French company Easytrust SAS, its first French acquisition. Easytrust was later renamed USU SAS and focused on software-asset management and Oracle licensing. Organizational restructuring followed. In March 2018, USU AG changed its legal form and became USU GmbH. The group also created the Unymira division for digitalized business processes in service organizations, combining activities previously associated with BIG Social Media, Business Solutions, KCenter, and UnitB Technology. In January 2021, USU announced that the subsidiaries would be presented under a common USU umbrella brand. USU GK was established in Tokyo in 2021 to improve the group’s Asian distribution, and the IT-management portfolio was consolidated into a cloud portal in 2022. The group continued simplifying its corporate structure in 2023, when USU Technology GmbH and USU Solutions GmbH were merged into USU GmbH. A delisting announced in March 2024 became effective on 2 July 2024. In October 2024, Thoma Bravo announced that it would acquire a majority stake in the product business, while consulting activities were transferred to USU Digital Consulting GmbH through a spin-off. That consulting business has operated as puntus GmbH since January 2026. USU’s current product strategy emphasizes integrated management of IT services, software licenses, infrastructure events, cloud economics, SaaS usage, and customer-service knowledge. Its research work increasingly addresses cloud and artificial-intelligence applications. In March 2025, the group acquired SaaSmetrix, and in September 2025 it acquired French provider Mayday SAS, extending its AI-based knowledge-management capabilities for customer service. USU Software AG’s 2023 financial year produced revenue of €132.1 million, net profit of €5.3 million, and a workforce of 803 employees. Its international presence includes Germany, the United States, France, Italy, Japan, Austria, and the Czech Republic.
- 2024
Delisting
[1]USU Software AG completes its delisting on 2 July 2024.
- 2024
Thoma Bravo investment
[1]Thoma Bravo announces a majority investment in USU GmbH, the product business.
- 2021
Common USU umbrella brand
[1]The group announces that its subsidiaries will operate under a common USU umbrella brand.
- 2018
Corporate restructuring
[1]USU AG changes its legal form to USU GmbH and establishes the Unymira division.
- 2017
Easytrust acquisition
[1]USU acquires French provider Easytrust SAS for software-asset and Oracle license management.
- 2010
Aspera acquisition
[1]USU acquires Aspera GmbH, substantially strengthening its software-asset-management business.
- 2003
Return to USU Software name
[1]The company changes its name from USU-Openshop AG to USU Software AG.
- 2002
Combination with Openshop
[1]USU and Openshop merge, forming USU-Openshop AG.
- 2000
Stock-market listing
[1]USU is listed on the stock exchange on 4 July 2000.
- 1995
First foreign software sales
[1]The company begins selling its software outside Germany.
Products and positioning
Enterprise software and consulting provider for the digitalization, governance, automation, and cost optimization of IT and customer-service operations.
IT service management
USU IT Service Management
A suite for strategic and operational IT and enterprise service management. Its capabilities support service planning, design, operation, control, usage, process automation, service catalogs, and service billing, with processes aligned to ITIL-oriented operating models.
Software asset management
USU Software Asset Management
Applications and managed services that help organizations discover and govern software estates, optimize license consumption, reduce avoidable expenditure, meet licensing obligations, and limit compliance and procurement risks. The products are aimed particularly at large and internationally distributed enterprises.
IT monitoring
USU IT Monitoring
Monitoring applications covering infrastructure events, end-to-end services, cloud environments, containers, and IT event management. The portfolio is intended to provide visibility into the health and availability of enterprise IT landscapes.
Cloud financial management
USU FinOps and Cloud Cost Management
Services and software for cloud-cost management, cloud governance, IT financial management, and SaaS management. The offering is positioned around improving financial transparency, controlling cloud consumption, and governing technology spending.
Customer-service knowledge management
USU Knowledge Management
Knowledge bases and digital service tools for call centers, service desks, and customer-service organizations. The offering includes self-service, portals, chatbots, voice bots, and mechanisms for distributing consistent operational and customer-facing information.
Conversational artificial intelligence · 2021
Bot Universe
An open-source project for chatbot networks launched at the end of 2021. The project incorporated ChatGPT in 2023 and forms part of USU’s broader work on conversational interfaces and AI-supported customer service.
Digital transformation consulting
USU Digital Consulting
The consulting business supports digital transformation programs and technology implementation. It has worked with technology partners including Pegasystems and Liferay and was separated from the product business into USU Digital Consulting GmbH.
Marketing campaigns
- 2023Bot Universe ChatGPT integration
International
USU added ChatGPT to its Bot Universe chatbot-network project, extending its conversational-AI and knowledge-management capabilities.
Outcome. The integration supported USU’s positioning in AI-enabled customer service.
- 2022Yuntdag Wind Park climate-support initiative
Turkey · Germany
USU supports the Yuntdag Wind Park north of İzmir by financing construction of 17 wind turbines, each rated at 2.5 megawatts, as part of its climate-protection activities.
Outcome. The initiative is intended to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions associated with coal-fired electricity generation.
- 2020Germany’s Most Valuable Companies recognition
Germany
USU ranked first in the software companies category of the Deutschlandtest study by Focus Money and received the associated Germany’s Most Valuable Companies seal.
Outcome. The recognition strengthened the company’s domestic employer and corporate-brand profile.
Brand decisions
2024
Delisting from the stock exchangeStrategyBackground
USU announced in March 2024 that it planned to leave the stock market.
Action taken
The delisting became effective on 2 July 2024.
Aftermath
USU continued as an active software and services group outside the public market.
2024
Majority investment by Thoma BravoM&ABackground
Thoma Bravo sought a majority position in the product business as USU separated product operations from consulting activities.
Action taken
On 1 October 2024, Thoma Bravo announced the acquisition of a majority stake in USU GmbH.
Aftermath
USU GmbH became the Thoma Bravo-backed product business, while consulting activities were transferred to USU Digital Consulting GmbH.
Recent events
- 2025
USU acquires SaaSmetrix[1]
M&A
USU Software AG acquired SaaS-management company SaaSmetrix to strengthen its SaaS-management capabilities.
- 2025
USU acquires French AI knowledge-management provider Mayday[1]
M&A
USU acquired Mayday SAS to expand its international activity in AI-supported knowledge management for customer service.
- 2024
USU announces and completes delisting[1]
Other
USU announced a planned delisting in March 2024; the delisting took effect on 2 July 2024.
- 2024
Thoma Bravo announces majority investment in USU product business[1]
M&A
Thoma Bravo announced the acquisition of a majority stake in USU GmbH, the group’s product business.
- 2023
USU combines operating subsidiaries[1]
Other
USU Technology GmbH and USU Solutions GmbH were merged into sister company USU GmbH.
- 2022
USU consolidates IT management offerings into a cloud portal[1]
Product launch
The company consolidated elements of its IT management portfolio into a new cloud portal.
- 2021
USU announces common umbrella brand for subsidiaries[1]
Other
The group announced that its subsidiaries would be brought together under the common USU brand.
- 2021
USU establishes Japanese company to support Asian distribution[1]
Other
USU founded USU GK in Tokyo to strengthen the distribution of its software applications in Asia.
Sources1 sources
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