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SAP Wins Early Legal Victory in Antitrust Dispute with Celonis

By  |  July 1, 2025

SAP SE has secured an initial legal win in a high-profile lawsuit brought by Celonis SE, one of Europe’s most valuable startups, after a U.S. federal judge dismissed the core antitrust claims at the center of the case. According to Bloomberg, the ruling marks an early turning point in a legal battle that centers on competition in the growing field of business process mining software.

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    On Monday, U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria in San Francisco threw out the antitrust portion of the complaint, in which Celonis accused SAP of abusing its dominant market position to favor its own subsidiary, Signavio. Celonis had claimed that SAP restricted access to data within its enterprise software systems in a way that unfairly disadvantaged competitors. However, the judge determined that the claims lacked sufficient factual support as presented, though he granted Celonis the opportunity to amend and refile them.

    Per Bloomberg, both Celonis and SAP’s Signavio unit specialize in software that identifies inefficiencies within enterprise systems. SAP, headquartered in Germany, is the largest global provider of enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, which supports a wide range of business operations including accounting and procurement.

    While the antitrust allegations were dismissed, Judge Chhabria allowed another claim—interference with contractual relations—to proceed. The judge noted that Celonis had plausibly shown SAP’s actions may have disrupted its customer relationships. In his written opinion, Chhabria cited claims that SAP’s conduct led some Celonis clients to reconsider renewing contracts in favor of switching to Signavio.

    According to Bloomberg, the judge also authorized discovery to begin immediately, allowing both sides to begin gathering documents and testimony ahead of a potential trial.

    A spokesperson for Celonis indicated the company plans to amend its complaint with further details to reinforce its case, expressing confidence in uncovering additional evidence of SAP’s alleged anticompetitive behavior.

    SAP, for its part, has firmly denied the allegations. After a recent court hearing, the company reiterated via email that it “continues to reject Celonis’ claims” and will “continue to vigorously defend” its products and business practices.

    Legal experts see the case as a test of emerging antitrust theories. William Kovacic, a professor of law at George Washington University, told Bloomberg that Celonis appears to be pushing a relatively new theory of market harm—one that challenges traditional interpretations that often give wide leeway to dominant firms.

    Source: Bloomberg