Software companies from France and Switzerland combine, birthing Europe's newest billion-dollar tech startup
In a joint press release, French software firm LumApps and Swiss counterpart Beekeeper announced their merger, creating a new European unicorn company valued at over $1 billion. This merger brings together two leading players in the digital workplace sector, promising a comprehensive AI-powered all-in-one employee hub platform that serves both frontline and desk-based employees across industries and regions.
The combined entity, set to have its headquarters at LumApps' current base in Lyon, France, will employ over 600 people and generate around $150 million in annual recurring revenue. With over 7 million users across more than 2,000 customers globally, the merged company aims to significantly grow its user base to 100 million by 2030 within a $10 billion addressable market growing at 15% annually.
The AI-powered employee hub is the result of a union between LumApps' intranet super app for managing internal communications and workforce apps and Beekeeper’s mobile platform for engaging with frontline workers via messaging, shift scheduling, and workflow automation. This unified solution enhances employee communication, productivity, and engagement both in the office and operational environments.
LumApps specializes in AI-driven intranet solutions tailored for desk-based teams, centralizing communication, HR resources, and business applications. On the other hand, Beekeeper focuses on mobile solutions for frontline employees, providing features like shift management, payslip access, secure chat, and compliance with union or worker policies. The platform integrates with major workplace suites such as Google Workspace and Microsoft 365, creating a centralized digital workplace hub that supports business growth and employee engagement.
The merger unlocks opportunities for scaled distribution, cross-selling, and accelerated innovation. Sébastien Ricard, CEO and co-founder of LumApps, will lead the business in the merged company. The new firm is expected to make a significant impact on the European digital workplace market and beyond.
This deal marks another milestone in the European tech scene, following other firms that reached a $1 billion valuation this year, including German drone maker Quantum Systems, Swedish body-scanning company Neko Health, and no-code app Lovable. If the deal goes ahead, it will birth Europe's latest unicorn company, set to revolutionize the way companies engage, inform, and support their entire workforce in the modern digital workplace environment. The deal is due to be finalised this month.
The combined entity, with its headquarters in Lyon, France, aims to generate around $150 million in annual recurring revenue and serves over 7 million users across more than 2,000 clients globally. With the merger, the new company plans to significantly expand its user base to 100 million by 2030, targeting a $10 billion market growing at 15% annually. This unified solution, powered by AI, will cater to both desk-based and frontline employees, offering features from internal communications and HR resources (finance and business) to shift management and workflow automation (technology).