**SAP Sued by o9 Solutions Over Alleged Trade Secret Theft**
A lawsuit has been filed against SAP SE by o9 Solutions Inc., a supply-chain artificial intelligence company, alleging that three of its former executives misappropriated trade secrets for the benefit of the European software giant. The complaint was lodged on Tuesday in a federal court in Dallas, Texas, and claims that the stolen information pertains to the design, implementation, and testing of o9’s supply-chain management software.
o9 Solutions, which has received backing from KKR & Co. and General Atlantic, was valued at $3.7 billion in 2023. The lawsuit asserts that SAP, facing a decline in customers due to its outdated business-planning software, initiated an aggressive strategy to acquire o9’s proprietary information. Following the alleged theft, o9 contends that SAP has modified its software to closely resemble that of the startup.
SAP has not commented on the lawsuit. The complaint also names the three former o9 executives, all based in the Netherlands, who are accused of downloading tens of thousands of documents before their departure. These individuals reportedly communicated with SAP employees regarding the documents prior to leaving o9. Notably, Stephan de Barse, o9’s former chief revenue officer, is now the president of SAP’s global business suite; Sean Zonneveld, a former global senior vice president at o9, is now SAP’s global chief revenue officer for procurement; and Stijn-Pieter van Houten, a former senior vice president at o9, currently serves as SAP’s chief product officer for supply chain management planning.
o9’s legal representatives emphasized the importance of fair competition and employee mobility but stated, “o9 cannot — and will not — allow its trade secrets to be misappropriated.” They highlighted that trade secret theft undermines the significant investments o9 has made in developing innovative solutions for its clients.
The case is officially titled o9 Solutions v. SAP SE, 25-cv-03245, in the US District Court for the Northern District of Texas (Dallas).
**FAQ**
**What are the main allegations in the lawsuit filed by o9 Solutions against SAP?**
o9 Solutions alleges that three of its former executives stole trade secrets related to its supply-chain management software and shared them with SAP, which has since modified its own software to resemble o9’s offerings.
