What SoftNext does

SoftNext is a French private B2B software holding company and the technology and software division of Groupe Baelen, a family-owned group that acquires and develops performing SMEs for long-term value creation. Founded in 2017 and headquartered in Paris (legal) with operational offices in Vélizy-Villacoublay, SoftNext operates an integration platform that has completed approximately 40 acquisitions of B2B technology companies since 2018, retaining acquired brand identities while providing centralized general management, financial, and HR support to portfolio companies. The portfolio spans 8 business poles: Real Estate & Construction, Retail, Telecom/Media, Leisure, Healthcare, Communication, Experience Management, and Specialized ERP, with approximately 30 distinct sub-brands covering ERP, POS, WMS, e-commerce, 3D architecture visualization, and vertical-specific software for French SMEs.

The technology model is a federation-of-brands approach rather than a unified SaaS platform: each subsidiary operates its own product, customer base, and go-to-market, with limited documented interconnection between products at the data or API layer. The 2025 launch of the Retail NEXT.AI pole represents the first explicit move toward cross-portfolio consolidation, grouping five retail-software assets under an integrated value-chain offering (offer, supply chain, commerce, management, marketing). Employee count is 501-1000 across the holding and subsidiaries. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; revenue is generated through B2B software subscriptions and licensing at the subsidiary level, with no consolidated revenue figure publicly available.

The go-to-market is sales-led and operates at the subsidiary level, with each acquired company maintaining its direct sales channels, customer relationships, and pricing autonomy. SoftNext's go-to-market ambition combines continued external acquisitions of French and European B2B software SMEs with stated expansion into North America, executed through Groupe Baelen's patient capital approach that competes against traditional PE acquirers by offering permanent ownership homes to founder-led businesses.

Name

SoftNext

Legal name

SoftNext

Website

https://softnext.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

SoftNext is a French private B2B software holding company and the tech division of Groupe Baelen that has acquired approximately 40 vertical-specific software SMEs since 2018, organizing them across 8 business poles including Real Estate, Retail, Healthcare, and Specialized ERP.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Vélizy-villacoublay

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. B2B Software Subscriptions: SoftNext generates revenue through its portfolio of B2B software subsidiaries, which offer software solutions to businesses across multiple vertical markets including retail, real estate, healthcare, and telecommunications.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

SoftNext is the technology and software division of the family-owned Groupe Baelen, structured as an integration platform that acquires and develops B2B software SMEs across eight vertical business poles: Real Estate & Construction, Retail, Telecom & Media, Leisure, Healthcare, Communication, Experience Management, and Specialized ERP. Since 2018 it has acquired around 40 specialized software publishers, providing long-term strategic, financial, and human resources support while preserving the autonomy of each subsidiary.

Product overview

SoftNext is not a single unified product but rather a software integration platform and holding company under Groupe Baelen that aggregates B2B software SMEs. Since 2017, SoftNext has completed approximately 40 acquisitions, organizing its portfolio into 8 business poles: Real Estate and Construction (All Systems, Home Plan, Realiz3D), Retail (Shop Application, Dolmen, Teractys, Retail NEXT.AI, WinSystem, Videor, Lisa-Logitrack WMS, Kalido, Vega Retail), Telecom and Media, Leisure, Healthcare, Communication, Experience Management, and Specialized ERP. The products range from ERP systems, e-commerce platforms, WMS solutions, 3D visualization tools, and industry-specific software, with limited interconnection described between individual products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Retail NEXT.AI: Complete suite of solutions optimizing the entire value chain for retailers and wholesalers (Offer, Supply Chain, Commerce, Management, Marketing)
• All Systems
• Home Plan
• Realiz3D
• Shop Application
• Dolmen
• Teractys
• WinSystem
• Videor
• Lisa - Logitrack WMS
• Kalido
• Vega Retail

Products and services

• All Systems Dominant player in the software market for individual house builders.
• Home Plan Full Web 3D architecture application specially designed for commercial teams in the construction sector.
• Realiz3D Editor of immersive and interactive 3D software designed to assist real estate professionals in their sales, customer support, and supplier management.
• Shop Application E-commerce platform offering website design and digital marketing services for SMEs.
• Dolmen Software solution enabling points of sale to control their local marketing approach, including data acquisition, data management, and data activation, in full compliance with GDPR.
• Teractys Online photo gallery software publisher for professional photographers.
• Retail NEXT.AI Division offering a complete suite of solutions optimizing the entire value chain of retailers and wholesalers.
• WinSystem Software designer dedicated to the world of furniture, bedding, and decoration.
• Videor ERP specialized for GMS (large-scale retail).
• Lisa - Logitrack WMS Publisher and integrator of Logitrack WMS, a warehouse management and flow traceability solution.
• Kalido Designer of tools to activate and retain responsible customers, serving Retail performance.
• Vega Retail Management and checkout software for personal equipment boutiques.

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/softnext-groupe-baelen/about/?viewAsMember=true

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SoftNext