Cherwell Software
Cherwell Software is a Colorado Springs-based provider of IT and enterprise service management software, founded in 2004 to serve mid-to-large enterprises with integrated ITSM and ITAM platforms. Backed by KKR and CPP Investments, the company raised approximately $259M across multiple funding rounds before being absorbed into Ivanti.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2004
- HeadquartersColorado Springs, United States
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Cherwell Software does
Cherwell Software is a private, for-profit enterprise software company founded in 2004 and headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, that delivered service management technology to improve service experiences across organizations. The company's platform historically competed in the IT Service Management (ITSM) and Enterprise Service Management (ESM) markets, providing integrated and adaptable solutions for IT, HR, facilities, and other internal service functions to mid-to-large enterprises. With 501-1000 employees, Cherwell operated as a mid-market specialist positioned between larger ITSM incumbents and smaller SMB-focused tooling vendors.
The company's product footprint was extended through inorganic moves — most notably the August 2014 acquisition of Express Metrix, an IT asset management vendor — broadening the platform beyond core ITSM into ITAM. Cherwell raised approximately $259M in disclosed funding across multiple rounds, anchored by KKR (lead on both a $50M round in February 2017 and a $172M Series 4 in April 2018) together with CPP Investments, with earlier capital from Insight Venture Management ($25M in November 2012) and a Scottish Enterprise tranche in May 2019 that aligned with a UK presence. The go-to-market was enterprise-direct, with leadership seats including a Chief Customer Officer, a VP of Global Sales Enablement, and a VP & General Manager for EMEA, indicating a structured regional sales motion rather than self-serve SMB distribution.
The most consequential recent signal in the provided data is that web traffic from Cherwell's domain now redirects to Ivanti's website (URL parameter cwredirect= on ivanti.com), strongly implying that Cherwell has been acquired by Ivanti. As a result, the company no longer operates as an independent vendor; the Cherwell product line now sits inside a larger IT and security platform with materially broader global distribution.
Cherwell Software firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cherwell Software
- Website
- https://cherwell.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2004
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- Cherwell Software is a Colorado Springs-based provider of IT and enterprise service management software, founded in 2004 to serve mid-to-large enterprises with integrated ITSM and ITAM platforms. Backed by KKR and CPP Investments, the company raised approximately $259M across multiple funding rounds before being absorbed into Ivanti.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cherwell Software industry classification
Industry- Product category
- IT Service Management (ITSM) Software
- NAICS
- Computer Systems Design Services (541512), Custom Computer Programming Services (541511), Software Publishers (513210)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370), Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Enterprise Service Management (ESM) Platforms (HDAEALAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- ITIL/ITSM Process Consulting & Implementation (BPAEAJAB), Enterprise Case Management & Request Fulfillment Platforms (HDAEALAJ), Enterprise Integration, iPaaS & Middleware Services (API/EDI) (BPAEAGAH), Employee Experience (EX) & Digital Experience Monitoring Support (BPAEAJAO), ERP Managed Services & AMS (Application Management) (BPAEAGAB), Enterprise Application Managed Services Outsourcing (ERP/CRM/HRIS AMS) (BPAEAMAI), ERP/CRM/HRIS Implementation & Integration (BPAEAAAE), ITSM Managed Services (Run/Operate/Optimize) (BPAEAJAN)
Keywords
Where Cherwell Software is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Colorado Springs
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Cherwell Software business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Cherwell Software product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cherwell Software develops and sells IT Service Management (ITSM) and Enterprise Service Management (ESM) software that helps organizations improve service experiences through integrated, adaptable technology. The portfolio includes service desk and workflow automation capabilities, augmented by IT asset management functionality obtained through the 2014 acquisition of Express Metrix, sold primarily to enterprise and mid-market business customers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Cherwell Service Management Platform Cherwell's core integrated, adaptable service management platform that improves service experiences across the entire organization, supporting ITSM and broader enterprise service management use cases for enterprise and mid-market customers.
- IT Asset Management (Express Metrix) IT asset management capability obtained through Cherwell's 2014 acquisition of Express Metrix, enabling customers to manage and gain visibility into IT assets within the Cherwell platform.
Companies that use Cherwell Software
Customer profileIdeal customer profiles1 record
Cherwell Software technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Cherwell Software partnerships and signals
Strategic signalRecent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Cherwell Software competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- ServiceNow: The dominant cloud-native ITSM and enterprise service management platform. Direct competitor to Cherwell across ITSM, ESM, and increasingly ITAM-adjacent workflows.
- Ivanti: Provider of ITSM, endpoint management, and security workflows under the Ivanti Neurons platform. Directly comparable to Cherwell in mid-market ITSM and increasingly ESM use cases.
- BMC Software (BMC Helix): Long-standing ITSM/ITOM vendor with the Helix ITSM and Helix ITSM SaaS offerings. Competes with Cherwell across enterprise and mid-market service management.
- Atlassian (Jira Service Management): Jira Service Management is a widely adopted ITSM solution often cited alongside Cherwell in ESM/ITSM market research; competes most directly in mid-market and developer-adjacent organizations.
- Freshworks (Freshservice): Freshservice is Freshworks' ITSM and ESM product, positioned for mid-market and SMB buyers — directly overlapping with Cherwell's target segment and value proposition.
- ManageEngine (Zoho): ManageEngine's ServiceDesk Plus is a long-standing ITSM platform competing for the same mid-market ESM budgets as Cherwell, often on price-sensitive deals.
- TOPdesk: European-headquartered ITSM/ESM vendor frequently listed alongside Cherwell in market research; comparable mid-market positioning with strong EMEA presence.
- SysAid: ITSM and AI-driven service management vendor frequently co-listed with Cherwell in ESM market research, targeting similar mid-market and IT-led service desk buyers.
Broad incumbents
- Salesforce (Service Cloud / Employee Experience): Broader CRM and employee/customer experience platform that overlaps with Cherwell's ESM ambitions for HR, customer service, and employee experience workflows beyond core ITSM.
- IBM (Instana / Watson AIOps): Large incumbent with IT service management, AIOps, and IT monitoring capabilities that compete with Cherwell for enterprise service operations budgets, especially where AI/automation is the buyer priority.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks4 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Cherwell Software social profiles
Digital presenceCherwell Software financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cherwell Software leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Cherwell Software funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds6 records
Investors4 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cherwell Software M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Cherwell Software
What does Cherwell Software do?
Cherwell Software develops and sells IT Service Management (ITSM) and Enterprise Service Management (ESM) software that helps organizations improve service experiences through integrated, adaptable technology. The portfolio includes service desk and workflow automation capabilities, augmented by IT asset management functionality obtained through the 2014 acquisition of Express Metrix, sold primarily to enterprise and mid-market business customers.
Is Cherwell Software a public or private company?
Cherwell Software is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently operating.
When was Cherwell Software founded?
Cherwell Software was founded in 2004. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Cherwell Software based?
Cherwell Software is headquartered in Colorado Springs, United States, in the North America region.
Who are Cherwell Software's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are ServiceNow, Ivanti, BMC Software (BMC Helix), Atlassian (Jira Service Management), Freshworks (Freshservice), ManageEngine (Zoho), TOPdesk and SysAid. Broad incumbents are Salesforce (Service Cloud / Employee Experience) and IBM (Instana / Watson AIOps).
Does Cherwell Software have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cherwell Software.
What industry is Cherwell Software in?
Cherwell Software's product category is IT Service Management (ITSM) Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAEALAB, Enterprise Service Management (ESM) Platforms, with a secondary code of BPAEAJAB, ITIL/ITSM Process Consulting & Implementation. Its NAICS code is 541512 and its SIC code is 7370.