Oakley Capital Takes Majority Stake in Graphwise in Bulgaria's Largest Software Exit
Private equity investor Oakley Capital acquires majority stake in Graphwise, a key player in the enterprise AI data platforms market, in one of Bulgaria's largest software sales.
Bulgaria's Graphwise, a leader in RDF knowledge graph and semantic layer technology, has secured a significant investment from Oakley Capital. The private equity investor has acquired a majority stake in the company, marking one of the largest software sales in Bulgaria's history.
Graphwise was formed in 2024 through the merger of Ontotext, founded in 2000 by Atanas Kiryakov, and Vienna-based Semantic Web Company, founded in 2004 by Andreas Blumauer and Martin Kaltenböck. Since its inception, Graphwise has established itself as a leader in its field, delivering historical organic ARR growth of over 30 per cent a year.
The company provides critical AI data infrastructure services to over 200 international blue-chip clients across the financial services, pharmaceutical, and public sectors.
Portfolion Capital Partners has successfully sold its stake in Graphwise, which it acquired in 2022 as part of an investment consortium. According to Jenő Nieder, Deputy CEO and Partner at Portfolion Capital Partners, this transaction is "clear proof that domestic and regional private equity can achieve breakthrough successes in a globally competitive deep tech market."
Graphwise's President and Co-founder, Atanas Kiryakov, expressed his excitement for the new partnership with Oakley, stating that their team understands both the company's technology and ambition. He looks forward to expanding the platform and supporting more organisations to adopt AI with confidence.
Oakley Capital plans to accelerate international expansion and further acquisitions in cooperation with Graphwise's management. However, the financial terms of the transaction remain undisclosed.
## Graphwise's History and Milestones
| Company | Year Founded | Founders | | --- | --- | --- | | Ontotext | 2000 | Atanas Kiryakov | | Semantic Web Company | 2004 | Andreas Blumauer, Martin Kaltenböck | | Graphwise | 2024 | Merged Ontotext and Semantic Web Company |
## Graphwise's Growth and Expansion
Graphwise has established itself as a leader in RDF knowledge graph and semantic layer technology, delivering historical organic ARR growth of over 30 per cent a year. The company provides critical AI data infrastructure services to over 200 international blue-chip clients across the financial services, pharmaceutical, and public sectors.
## Oakley Capital's Investment Strategy
Oakley Capital plans to accelerate international expansion and further acquisitions in cooperation with Graphwise's management. The private equity investor has an outstanding track record of transforming founder-led software businesses into unicorns.
