Software Investing

Extracted Attributes

• Sector

  Specialized area within Private Equity

• Primary Focus

  Acquiring and growing software companies

• Key Challenges

  AI risks, rapid obsolescence, market volatility

• Key Sub-sectors

  Software, Semiconductors, AI, Cloud Computing, Networking, Hardware, Information Services, Internet, Consumer Companies

• Growth Potential

  Robust

• Industry Dynamism

  High innovation and competitiveness

• Thoma Bravo Strategy

  Rigorous operating playbook (cost-cutting, growth, fundraising)

• Thoma Bravo Market Shift

  From undervalued recurring revenue businesses to market-leading SaaS deals

• CIO IT Budget Plans (2024)

  68% of CIOs plan to increase budgets

• Orlando Bravo Investment Philosophy

  Conviction and speed

• Projected Global Technology Market Value (2026)

  $11.47 trillion

Timeline

• Microsoft, a major software company, was founded. (Source: web_search_results)

  1975

• Thoma Bravo shifted its investment focus to market-leading SaaS deals. (Source: related_documents)

  2010

• A Gartner CIO survey indicated that 68% of CIOs plan to increase their IT budgets in 2024, signaling a prioritization of technology investments. (Source: web_search_results)

  2023

• The global technology market, including software, is projected to be worth $11.47 trillion. (Source: web_search_results)

  2026

Dave Cormack

Dave Cormack is a US-based Scottish entrepreneur and the Chairman of the Aberdeen Football Club. He is the founder of several software companies, including Soft Systems, MiracleWorkers.com, and Brightree. He is now Chairman of Curve Dental Software, after investing alongside Battery Ventures, with whom he is also a Limited Partner.

Web Search Results

• GrowthCap's Top Software Investors of 2025

  “It has never been a more interesting time to be a software investor; AI will be transforming large swaths of the economy over the next few years, and software companies need to adapt and retool. We have been building an AI center of excellence to help accelerate and evolve new and existing investments across industries and prepare them to thrive in an AI-centric world. We are excited about what lies ahead and the leadership teams, companies, and corporate partners with whom we’ll have the [...] He invests across a wide range of sectors, with a particular interest in information services, software, internet, and consumer companies. To date, his software investments at Norwest include 1010data (acquired by Advance), Avetta (acquired by EQT Group), Banyan Software, Classy (acquired by GoFundMe), Cotality, Cority (recapitalized by Thoma Bravo), Datacor, Ebbo, GeoComply, Infutor (acquired by Verisk), The Rainmaker Group (acquired by RealPage), The Retail Equation (acquired by Appriss), SRS [...] “We are actively investing in software companies within our industry power alleys, backing management teams as they scale their businesses and create lasting value. By leveraging Carlyle’s deep vertical industry knowledge, global footprint, and leading AI capabilities, we aim to be a technology-forward partner helping companies accelerate growth and expand their impact.” — Steve Bailey ### Jon Nuger Firm: Berkshire PartnersTitle: Managing Director

• How to invest in tech stocks - FOREX.com US

  A recent study conducted by MGI Research (an independent research and strategic advisory firm) suggests that the global technology market may be worth $11.47 trillion by 2026. This sector is known for its significant contributions across software and other innovative technologies. As a result, investing in technology stocks provides exposure to innovative fields like cloud computing and artificial intelligence which transforms and fuels growth [...] Tech stocks provide robust growth potential because the industry itself evolves through constant innovation and competitiveness. Innovation occurs across sub-sectors such as software, semiconductors, AI and cloud computing etc. There is an opportunity to invest in a diverse portfolio and with this comes volatility (as tech changes significantly over time). A shifting market such as this requires research and close monitoring to ensure revenue growth and profitability. [...] Choose to invest in specific companies (for targeted exposure). Alternatively, consider investing in broader diversification. 5. Determine investment amount and place orders Allocate funds within the portfolio and select appropriate order types. Then diversify across the sub-sectors (software, hardware etc.). 6. Monitor investments and rebalance portfolio

• Investing in Computing Companies and Stocks - Nanalyze

  It’s all about software and data, especially unstructured data. The companies that build the best software and wield the best datasets will have a sustainable competitive advantage which adds value over time. Many of the advancements being made today in software development are about making software easier to develop, or taking an old way of doing something and adding value to it – like enterprise backups or cross-platform development. [...] While there’s lots of true innovation happening, there are also plenty of management consultants regurgitating old concepts with new nomenclature and using them to sell solutions to CTOs. Process mining? That’s pretty much just good old business process analysis. Edge computing? That’s just moving things from out of the cloud and putting them back where they were before the cloud. (_It’s also called fog computing._) Microservices architecture? That’s about having all your software components [...] QxBranch(_$8.5 million_) – Builds applications and developer platforms for classical and quantum computers with a focus on predictive analytics, forecasting, and optimization. (Acquired by Rigetti.) 1QBit(_$32.7 million_) – The world’s first quantum computing software company. We met with 1QBit’s Co-founder and President, Landon Downs, and coined a piece on how quantum computing software gets built.

• Investing in Transformative Technology: An Expert Guide

  _​_ Without software, nothing much happens in the modern world. Software is everywhere and is present in critical components of everything from pacemakers to cars, but none of those devices can do much of anything without software. As such, it is not surprising that software is a huge industry as well – on the order of hundreds of billions. [...] ​Within the huge and unwieldy world of tech, it is possible to look at four key "mega sectors:" semiconductors, software, networking, and hardware. While not every tech company fits into one of these four mega sectors, the majority do, and it is a useful way to talk about the sector as a whole. Software [...] This rapid cycle of obsolescence means that winners and losers in technology do not necessarily maintain those positions for long. Microsoft was founded in 1975 and after dominating in software for computers, has had to play catch up in the mobile space.1 Likewise, Apple was left for dead in the 1990s but sprang back to vigor with its innovative smartphone products. Moreover, that dynamism and impressive growth make technology a must-consider sector for virtually every equity investor.

• Top 25+ Software Business Ideas for Startups in 2025 and Beyond

  Additionally, a 2023 Gartner CIO survey found that 68% of CIOs plan to increase their IT budgets in 2024. This suggests that businesses across sectors are prioritizing technology investments, potentially fueling more software development initiatives. [...] Almost every individual is fighting to manage their expenses but is always stuck when they plan with paper pens. They need guidance in managing the budget, and this could be the best idea to build the software to provide them with assistance. How they can save their hardcore money and where they can invest it for their future purposes.