Solware Group

What Solware Group does

Solware Group is a French family-owned software publisher founded in 1987, operating primarily through its Solware Auto division as a specialist provider of Dealer Management System (DMS) software for the automotive sector. The company designs, develops, and implements management solutions for automotive dealers, multi-site networks, independent garages, and end-of-life vehicle recyclers across six European countries, with selected deployments in North and sub-Saharan Africa. Its core product portfolio includes winmotor2 (an integrated DMS with native manufacturer integrations for Renault, Citroën, and Peugeot), winmotor next (a next-generation DMS for repair professionals), winmotor cloud (a cloud-native DMS for small garages launched in 2026), autogest (specialized for ELV/VHU recyclers), and incadea.dms (an enterprise DMS certified by BMW France for premium brand networks).

The company generates revenue primarily through annual and multi-year subscription fees for its DMS products, supplemented by professional services including Qualiopi-certified training programs, implementation, deployment, and ongoing technical support. A secondary recurring stream comes from Solware Performance, a predictive marketing service that analyzes customer data to deliver targeted campaigns and retention analytics across winmotor, winmotor2, and incadea platforms. Distribution occurs through direct enterprise field sales for large dealer groups, digital self-serve channels for independent garages via winmotor cloud, and the incadea distribution network for premium and international brand customers. Recent product expansion includes WM Digit'all (electronic invoicing ahead of France's mandatory 2026 reform, via Open Bee partnership), WM Connect (digital customer journey module), and a B2B eshop for existing customers, signaling a continued broadening of its product surface around the installed DMS base. The company is led by President and CEO Gérald Ferraro, with Christian Lepain heading international development and Laetitia Ravassard as HR Director.

Name

Solware Group

Legal name

SOLWARE HOLDING

Website

https://solware.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Solware Group, operating as Solware Auto, is a French family-owned software publisher founded in 1987 that builds and implements DMS software for automotive dealers, multi-site networks, independent garages, and ELV recyclers across six European countries, with subscription and services revenue plus a predictive marketing add-on.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Dardilly

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. DMS Software Licenses and Subscriptions: Annual or multi-year subscription fees for DMS solutions including winmotor2, winmotor next, winmotor cloud, autogest, and incadea.dms. Revenue generated from software licenses, maintenance contracts, and updates.
2. Services and Support: Implementation, deployment, training, and ongoing technical support services. Includes Qualiopi-certified training programs for DMS users.
3. Solware Performance: Predictive marketing service generating additional revenue from customer data analysis, campaign management, and performance tracking features.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Solware Group develops, publishes, and implements Dealer Management System (DMS) software for the automotive sector, sold under proprietary brands winmotor2, winmotor next, winmotor cloud, autogest, and incadea.dms. Its solutions cover vehicle sales (new and used), after-sales workshop operations, manufacturer warranty tracking, integrated real-time accounting, electronic invoicing (WM Digit'all), predictive customer marketing (Solware Performance), and end-of-life vehicle recycling. The company serves automotive dealer groups, independent garages, and ELV recyclers across six European countries.

Product overview

Solware Group propose un portefeuille cohérent de solutions DMS pensées pour les professionnels de l'automobile. L'offre s'articule autour de winmotor2 (DMS historique pour groupes multi-sites), winmotor next (nouvelle génération), et winmotor cloud (solution cloud pour garages indépendants de 1 à 20 salariés), complétés par autogest pour le recyclage VHU, incadea.DMS pour les marchés premium européens, WM Digit'all pour la facturation électronique obligatoire 2026, WM Connect pour le parcours digital client, et Solware Performance pour le marketing prédictif et fidélisation. Ces solutions s'articulent entre elles de manière native pour garantir la cohérence des données à tous les niveaux.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• winmotor2: Integrated DMS for automotive garages, agents, and dealers, covering vehicle sales, after-sales, accounting, and marketing.
• winmotor next
• WM cloud
• autogest
• WM Digit'all
• Performance
• incadea.DMS
• Solware Performance

Products and services

• winmotor2 Integrated Dealer Management System (DMS) for automotive garages, agents, and dealers covering all operations including mechanical and bodywork after-sales (APV), manufacturer process integration, new and used vehicle (VN/VO) sales, real-time accounting, and after-sales marketing.
• winmotor next Next-generation DMS solution designed for automotive repair professionals featuring a simplified interface and modern technologies for performance and ease of use.
• winmotor cloud 100% web-based (full web) cloud garage management software designed for automotive repair professionals at garages with 1 to 20 employees, providing the same level of support adapted to agile, smaller structures.
• autogest Management software for automotive recycling professionals (VHU - Véhicules Hors d'Usage / End-of-Life Vehicles), including dismantling sheet management and full lifecycle management of end-of-life vehicles.
• incadea.dms Premium DMS solution for multi-site automotive groups and international dealers, distributed by Solware Auto in partnership with publisher incadea for the European market. Certified and recommended by BMW France; handles multi-brand, multi-site operations with consolidated reporting.
• WM Digit'all Electronic invoicing module integrated with winmotor2. Compliant with France's 2026 electronic invoicing mandate, powered by certified Plateforme Agréée partner Open Bee. Provides invoice lifecycle tracking, automatic document classification, and supplier purchase integration without re-entry.
• Solware Performance Predictive marketing and business intelligence service for automotive networks. Provides weekly performance indicators, customer analysis, targeted campaign execution with personalized action plans, and ROI tracking. Connects to winmotor next, winmotor2, incadea, and other DMS platforms.
• WM cloud Cloud-based management solution accessible via browser or mobile application for steering automotive networks with consolidated dashboards.
• WM Connect (Parcours Digital Client) Digital customer journey module that digitizes the end-to-end customer experience with online appointment booking, real-time repair tracking, transparency on work performed, and simplified payment.

Quantifiable outcome

• 25% increase in workshop revenue for customers using Performance marketing service
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

AI capability3 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BMW FrancecoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2021BMW selected Incadea as partner for developing new DMS API interfaces enabling DMS platforms to interact with BMW manufacturer systems. incadea.dms is certified for BMW network with over 18,000 BMW users globally using incadea solutions.
• RIMCO MOTORS (Yeshi Group)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2020RIMCO MOTORS, subsidiary of Yeshi Group (exclusive distributor of KIA, SINOTRUK, HAVAL, GREAT WALL in Ivory Coast), implemented incadea.dms BC with Solware Auto for deployment and support.
• ARTES (Tunisia)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2019ARTES, official importer/distributor of Renault, Dacia, Lada, Nissan in Tunisia, migrated from incadea.engine to incadea.dms Business Central with Solware Auto support.
• DAF PACCARcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2018DAF PACCAR selected incadea.dms as the DMS solution for its subsidiaries and recommended DMS for the DAF dealer network. Solware Auto implements and supports the solution across DAF operations.
• incadeacoreTechnology or Integrationincadea is a major DMS publisher for automotive sector. Solware Auto distributes and implements incadea.dms for large automotive groups. incadea.dms is certified and recommended by BMW France for the network. Partnership enables Solware to serve enterprise and premium brand customers.
• Open BeecoreTechnology or IntegrationOpen Bee is a French document dematerialization platform (Plateforme Agréée PA). Partnership enables WM Digit'all to offer compliant electronic invoicing with secure exchange, status tracking, and regulatory compliance for France's mandatory e-invoicing reform.
• Renault NetworkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributorwinmotor2 includes native integration with Renault manufacturer processes, enabling seamless data exchange for Renault dealers and agents.
• Citroën NetworkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributorwinmotor2 includes native integration with Citroën manufacturer processes, enabling seamless data exchange for Citroën dealers and agents.
• Peugeot NetworkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributorwinmotor2 includes native integration with Peugeot manufacturer processes, enabling seamless data exchange for Peugeot dealers and agents.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Cox Automotive / Dealertrack: Broad automotive technology stack including Dealertrack DMS, Kelley Blue Book, and Manheim; competes with Solware for dealer group wallet share and brings substantial data and capital resources.
• Solera Holdings: Owner of several automotive software brands (including Dealertrack-adjacent assets and HaynesPro); broad automotive data and software incumbent whose portfolio breadth competes for the same dealer/aftermarket wallet as Solware.
• CDK Global: Global incumbent in automotive retail technology, offering DMS, CRM, and F&I software to dealers worldwide; overlaps with Solware across dealership and aftermarket management but operates at significantly greater scale.
• Microsoft (Dynamics 365 Automotive): Underlying ERP platform for incadea and various automotive DMS templates; Dynamics 365 partners and ISVs compete with Solware at the enterprise layer and shape the technology ceiling of Solware's premium tier.

Others

• Constellation Software / Jonas Software: Vertical software acquirer with a long track record of buying niche software businesses like Solware; a plausible strategic acquirer given Solware's vertical specialization, recurring revenue, and European footprint.

Emerging players

• Tekion: Cloud-native automotive retail platform targeting dealer groups with modern UX and integrated data; represents the new generation of DMS competitors Solware's winmotor cloud product is positioned against.
• Incadea: DMS publisher built on Microsoft Dynamics that powers Solware's premium enterprise tier; the technology partnership overlaps with Solware's offering and Incadea sells direct in some geographies, making it both partner and competitor.

Direct peers

• PBS Systems: DMS vendor focused on automotive dealerships with a comparable product breadth (dealership operations, CRM, accounting); competes for multi-site dealer group contracts analogous to Solware's winmotor2 and incadea.dms customers.
• Reynolds and Reynolds: One of the largest North American DMS vendors for automotive dealers, serving franchised dealerships with end-to-end management software — directly comparable to Solware's incadea.dms and winmotor2 offerings in the dealership segment.
• Quorum Information Technologies: Canadian DMS vendor (dealerFX/Quorum) serving franchised dealers and powersports; comparable product depth for dealership operations and a similar target customer base to Solware's dealer group segment.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SolwareLife

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Solware Group