European private equity investor Oakley Capital has acquired a majority stake in Graphwise, an enterprise AI data platform formed through the merger of Bulgaria’s Ontotext and Austria’s Semantic Web Company. The deal is one of Bulgaria’s largest software exits and a major regional enterprise AI transaction, while also marking the successful exit of Portfolion Capital Partners. Financial terms were not disclosed, as Vestbee was informed.
About Graphwise
- Graphwise was formed in October 2024 through the merger of Sofia-based Ontotext and Vienna-based Semantic Web Company, combining their technologies, expertise, and customer bases.
- The company provides AI data infrastructure based on semantic layer and knowledge graph technologies, helping enterprises structure, connect, and contextualize complex data.
- Graphwise serves more than 200 international blue-chip clients across financial services, pharmaceuticals, and the public sector.
About the Investment
- Portfolion Capital Partners invested in Sofia-headquartered Ontotext in 2022 as part of a consortium with Integral Capital Group and Carpathian Partners, with co-investments from the European Investment Fund and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
- The investors pursued an international buy-and-build strategy, combining two regional technology companies to create a global enterprise AI platform.
- The investment focused on the growing importance of structured, verifiable, and context-rich data infrastructure as the adoption of large language models accelerated.
Details of the Acquisition
- Oakley Capital will become Graphwise’s majority owner, while the existing management team will continue working with the new investor.
- Portfolion Capital Partners has successfully exited its investment in the company following the transaction.
- Oakley Capital and Graphwise’s management plan to accelerate international expansion and pursue further acquisitions.
