US Company NiCE Acquire AI German Startup Cognigy

NiCE’s Board of Directors has unanimously approved the agreement, which values Cognigy at around €819 million.

Philipp Heltewig, Co-Founder and CEO of Cognigy, said, “This transaction represents a pivotal step forward for Cognigy, one that brings immense opportunity for our customers and employees. NiCE is an exceptional organisation whose global reach, deep expertise and relentless focus on innovation will accelerate our growth and enhance the value we bring to our customers and partners. Together, we are uniquely positioned to shape the future of customer experience, uniting the best of trusted AI and human interactions.”

Founded in 2016, Cognigy is transforming customer service with its AI Agent platform for enterprise contact centres. Its core product, Cognigy AI, enables businesses to offer instant, personalised, multilingual support across all channels.

By combining Generative and Conversational AI into Agentic AI, Cognigy provides real-time assistance to contact center teams.

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Over 1,000 global brands, including Bosch, Nestlé, DHL, Lufthansa Group, Mercedes-Benz, Frontier Airlines, and Toyota, rely on Cognigy and its partner network to power their AI-driven customer service.

“This is a landmark moment for NiCE, a strategic move that fast-tracks our AI innovation agenda and sets a new standard for customer experience in the AI era,” said Scott Russell, CEO of NiCE. “By bringing a market leader in enterprise-grade conversational and agentic AI into the fold, we are accelerating global AI adoption, expanding into new global markets, and creating game-changing value for our customers, partners, and shareholders. Together, we are significantly advancing the future of AI-first customer experience.”

New Jersey-based NiCE uses AI-powered platforms to turn customer interactions into proactive, automated actions—helping individuals and businesses move quickly from engagement to resolution.

Cognigy’s main product, Cognigy.AI, lets enterprises deploy AI agents that offer personalised support in over 100 languages across any channel. These AI agents handle routine queries, allowing human staff to focus on more complex tasks.

Cognigy serves major brands like Mercedes-Benz, Nestlé, and Lufthansa Group, and is projected to see 80% ARR growth in 2026.

Through this acquisition, NiCE will combine its CXone Mpower platform with Cognigy’s conversational and agentic AI to build a unified, AI-first customer experience solution that connects front- and back-office functions.

The deal includes a €42 million time-bound holdback—€21 million in cash and 158,000 American Depositary Shares—and will be funded using NiCE’s existing cash. The acquisition is expected to close in Q4 2025, pending regulatory approvals.

Jefferies LLC advised NiCE, while Qatalyst Partners acted as the exclusive advisor to the sellers.

About NiCE

NiCE is redefining global engagement with AI-powered platforms that turn interactions into smart, proactive actions. Trusted in 150+ countries, its technology empowers individuals and organizations to work smarter, scale efficiently, and drive measurable results—connecting people, systems, and workflows across industries for improved performance and innovation.