US-based enterprise software company ServiceNow has invested £30 million in BusinessNext, a 24-year-old Indian banking software specialist, as it deepens its push into global financial services. The deal values BusinessNext at £700 million and gives it a roughly 5% stake in the company. This partnership allows BusinessNext to tap into ServiceNow's global sales network and AI expertise, expanding its presence in the market. BusinessNext currently serves over 70 banks across India, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and the US, including the Reserve Bank of India, State Bank of India, and HDFC Bank.
BusinessNext's software manages customer-facing banking workflows, while ServiceNow is stronger in workflow automation and back-office systems. The two companies plan to sell joint solutions to financial institutions, combining ServiceNow's enterprise workflow platform with BusinessNext's banking expertise. Indian financial services sector is at an inflection point, with institutions moving from digital experimentation to full-scale AI-led operations, according to Kulmeet Bawa, ServiceNow's group vice president and managing director for India and SAARC. BusinessNext has built an 'autonomous banking' platform using AI agents to automate banking workflows while keeping sensitive customer data on private AI infrastructure.
BusinessNext was last valued at £181 million in 2021 and has raised over £45 million in external funding. The deal comes as established enterprise software vendors face pressure from customers questioning traditional SaaS tools. For ServiceNow, the deal builds out its position in banking by partnering with a company focused on AI-driven banking software.