SUNNYVALE: California-based Azul Systems, the only company fully dedicated to Java, said on Thursday it has acquired Payara, a global provider of enterprise-grade Jakarta EE solutions, in a move aimed at accelerating application modernization and strengthening cloud-native deployments.
The deal builds on nearly eight years of collaboration between the two firms, beginning with Azul Platform Core’s integration into Payara Server Enterprise in 2018. Azul said the acquisition will bolster its open-source Java portfolio with complementary products, deep engineering expertise, and expanded go-to-market capabilities.
“This strategic acquisition is further testament to Azul’s commitment to support the needs of our global enterprise customer base,” said Scott Sellers, co-founder and CEO of Azul. “Together, we will accelerate growth and innovation, expand our roadmap and deliver even greater value to our customers.”
Payara founder and CEO Steve Millidge described the deal as a “major new chapter,” adding that the combined company will deliver stronger mission-critical solutions for enterprise Java customers.
Azul said the acquisition expands its offerings in the application server segment, tapping into an estimated $26 billion total addressable market projected to grow at 11–14% annually. The announcement follows Azul’s recent majority investment from private equity firm Thoma Bravo, alongside renewed minority investments from Vitruvian Partners and Lead Edge Capital.
Thoma Bravo partner Adam Solomon said the acquisition broadens Azul’s reach across the global enterprise Java market, positioning the company to help enterprises modernize their Java fleets and reduce reliance on proprietary platforms.
Legal advice was provided by Goodwin Procter LLP, with debt financing from funds affiliated with Ares Management LLC.