Munich/Heilbronn, September 30, 2025 – The software groups dataglobal and VIMATA are merging and will operate under a single brand in the future. With over 400 employees, €50 million in revenue, and more than 5,000 customers, the group is now one of the largest HR software providers in Germany. The established HR tech brands perbit, vysoft, and GeCOSoft, as well as the document and workflow solutions windream and dataglobal, are now united under one roof. The group's goal is to shape the next generation of HR software and redefine the industry standard.

“Next Generation HR” as a guiding principle

With this merger, the group is bundling its portfolio into a “NextGen HR” suite: an integrated solution that combines all employee-related processes and can be intuitively adapted to the individual processes of the company—from human capital management and resource planning, with modern requirements such as desk sharing and room management, to industry-standard time management. The suite is based on audit-proof document management, which is the result of the group's many years of DMS expertise.

“The merger already makes us one of the leading HR tech providers in Germany today. Through size, product breadth, and technological excellence. Our goal: to set a new standard for the industry,” explains CEO Nicolas Schwarzpaul.

At the heart of the suite is an in-house platform that allows individual customer requirements to be mapped quickly and flexibly. The group is thus setting new standards for speed, adaptability, and user-friendliness.

The guiding principle here is a human-centric approach: technology is made simple and intuitive to use, and information is provided on a role-based basis exactly where it is needed. AI is used specifically where it adds tangible value – for less administration and more time for collaboration, creativity, and innovation.

“Our strength lies in consistently designing the digital workplace with people in mind: intelligent, intuitive, and future-proof. With this merger, we are creating a company that gives customers real freedom of choice to design technology in a way that best suits their processes,” says CPTO Christoph Feddersen.

Independent growth in the ERP market

Parallel to the merger, the ERP provider Step Ahead, which belongs to the VIMATA Group, will be positioned as an independent company in the future. With this clear separation, the ERP business will have its own growth strategy, which will be pursued independently of the HR Group.

“This independence will enable Step Ahead to serve the needs of our customers even more specifically and to focus fully on the ERP business,” says Managing Director Ekkehard Ziesche, who runs the company together with Andreas Fresi.

At the same time, customers will benefit from close networking: HR, document management, and ERP are converging to form a seamless digital workplace.

Growth, momentum, and clear prospects

The merger marks a turning point: two groups with numerous individual brands are merging to form an integrated brand that combines products, values, and vision.

While perbit and GeCOSoft were clear HR tech specialists, dataglobal has continuously evolved beyond its core business of document management. Under the “Data City” mission statement and driven by the desire to create an intuitive digital workplace aligned with employee processes, dataglobal has increasingly moved toward HR technology in recent years. The missing piece of the puzzle —dedicated HR functionalities—is now being provided by perbit with myHR and GeCOSoft. The harmonization of the human-centric digital workplace with HR functions embodies “NextGen HR” and makes the merger the next logical step: a workplace that seamlessly combines data, resource, and HR management.

For customers on both sides, everything familiar remains the same: the same contact persons, the same processes, and the usual reliability.

“The merger of VIMATA Group and dataglobal will create a strong tech company that is rethinking human capital management. At the same time, Step Ahead's independent positioning creates clear prospects for the ERP business. Customers, partners, and employees will benefit in both constellations: from integrated solutions, reliable continuity, and a strategic partnership focused on growth and innovation,” says CRO Patrick Schumacher.

Management team and structure

The new group will be led by CEO Nicolas Schwarzpaul, who has many years of experience in the HR tech market, including management positions at P&I AG.

CRO Patrick Schumacher is also returning to the HR tech environment: he previously held leading positions at HeyJobs and JobValley and brings extensive experience in building sales organizations.

CPTO Christoph Feddersen is responsible for product strategy and technology and drives innovation and platform excellence. CFO Axel Friedrich manages the group's financial stability and scalable growth. Andreas Fresi and Ekkehard Ziesche continue to be responsible for Step Ahead.

The group has nine locations and is headquartered in Munich.