HCLSoftware plans acquisition of Wobby to strengthen agentic AI portfolio

HCLSoftware, the software division of HCLTech, announced its plan to acquire Wobby, a Belgian startup specialising in artificial intelligence. Based in Antwerp, Wobby develops AI "agents" designed to automate data analysis within corporate data warehouses. The transaction is valued at approximately EURO 4.5 million (USD 5.2 million) and consists of a 100% cash payment.

The deal follows a structured payment schedule. HCLSoftware will pay EURO 3.0 million when the deal closes, followed by two installments of EURO 0.75 million on the first and second anniversaries of the closing date. Both companies expect the transaction to finalise by February 2026, pending regulatory approval from the Belgian government regarding foreign direct investment.

Integrating agentic AI into Actian

HCLSoftware intends to fold Wobby into its Data and AI division, known as Actian. Actian currently provides tools for data cataloging and governance. By adding Wobby’s technology, HCLSoftware aims to let users query complex datasets using natural language rather than technical code.

Wobby’s platform uses an "agentic" architecture. Unlike standard chatbots that only generate text, these AI agents can reason through business context and execute multi-step workflows to find specific answers. For example, a finance team could ask the system why a specific region's revenue declined, and the AI agent would independently scan the data warehouse to identify the cause and provide a summarised report.

Strategic value for enterprises

The acquisition addresses a growing need for self-service analytics. Many companies have large amounts of data but lack the staff to analyse it quickly. Wobby’s software connects directly to existing data warehouses like Snowflake or BigQuery without moving the data, which helps maintain security.

Marc Potter, CEO of Actian, noted that customers require AI-driven insights they can trust. He stated that Wobby will help provide these insights on a governed layer, ensuring that the AI uses approved business definitions. Amra Dorjbayar, CEO and co-founder of Wobby, said the company is moving toward "proactive analytics," where AI agents surface important trends automatically instead of waiting for a user to ask a question.

Financial and market context

This move is part of a broader acquisition strategy for HCLTech. In the same month, the company also announced a USD 240 million purchase of Jaspersoft and a USD 160 million acquisition of Hewlett Packard Enterprise's Telco Solutions business. These deals show HCLSoftware is actively expanding its footprint in the enterprise software market.

Wobby is a relatively new company, founded in January 2023. For the fiscal year ending 31 December 2024, the startup reported revenue of EURO 0.1 million. While the financial size of the Wobby deal is smaller than other recent purchases, the technology provides HCLSoftware with specific expertise in the competitive field of generative AI agents.