Darwinbox's US$140 Million Investment, Co-led by Partners Group and KKR, Set to Accelerate Global Expansion Darwinbox is a mobile-first and AI-enabled human capital management platform that serves more than 1,000 enterprises around the world.

Darwinbox, a global human resource technology platform, has announced the signing of definitive agreements under which Partners Group, a Switzerland-headquartered global private markets firm, and funds managed by KKR, a US-based global investment firm, will co-lead an investment of US$140 million in the company, with additional participation from India-based Gravity Holdings. The addition of Partners Group and KKR to an already-solid cap-table underscores Darwinbox's strong momentum over the recent years. The investment positions Darwinbox well to deepen its technology leadership and accelerate its international expansion plans.

Founded in 2015, Darwinbox is a mobile-first and AI-enabled human capital management platform that serves more than 1,000 enterprises around the world. In less than a decade, Darwinbox has expanded internationally across multiple markets, including Asia Pacific, the Middle East, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

In 2024, Darwinbox was recognized as a Challenger in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Cloud HCM Suites for enterprises with more than 1,000 employees, making it the youngest and only Asian company to receive the accolade.

Since entering the MENA region, Darwinbox has achieved 9X revenue growth over the past three years, building on its local presence through a dedicated regional team that offers in-market support. Many of the region's marquee brands including Emirates Leisure Retail, DIFC, Lulu, Abu Dhabi Exchange (ADX), Masafi, Salaam Air, WIO Bank among others trust Darwinbox to engage and manage their talent. With full Arabic support on the platform, Darwinbox is also set to launch a pan-GCC multi-country payroll solution this year - further demonstrating its commitment to delivering localized, high-impact HR innovations tailored to the region's unique needs.

"This investment is a testament to Darwinbox's strong fundamentals and the trust we have earned from our 1,000+ global customer base," said Jayant Paleti, co-founder of Darwinbox. "By placing the employee experience front and center — and ensuring our platform is deeply configurable to diverse local needs — we have helped transform HR for enterprises globally. With top-tier investors backing us, we're poised to amplify our global momentum and deliver innovative AI-powered solutions for thousands of enterprises worldwide."

On his part, Cyrus Driver, Managing Director, Private Equity, Partners Group, added, "Darwinbox operates in the rapidly growing HR tech market, which we have been tracking through our thematic research. The company is acting as a key disruptor to legacy platforms in this space, investing heavily in product innovation, generative AI, and global expansion, and is well positioned to take market share. We look forward to working with Darwinbox's talented management team on driving future growth. The company represents another exciting addition to our private equity growth portfolio."

"Darwinbox has established itself as a leading player in the human capital management space in a short span of time through its focus on innovation and customer centricity," added Akshay Tanna, Partner and Head of India Private Equity, KKR. "We are pleased to support Darwinbox on its next stage of growth and will look to draw from our global network and expertise to accelerate its international expansion ambitions."

Globally, over three million employees from leading brands — including Starbucks, Nivea, AXA, Cigna, WeWork, Crisil (an S&P company), T-Systems, and more — rely on Darwinbox's platform for modern HR management.

Partners Group invested through its growth equity strategy, which applies a thematic approach to identify investment opportunities in growth-stage companies globally. Partners Group made its first growth investment in 2013 and has deployed around USD 2.5 billion in the space to-date. The firm's recent growth investments include Lumin Digital, a leading cloud-native digital banking provider, and Neara, one of the first AI-powered predictive modeling software platforms for critical infrastructure.

KKR makes its investment from its Asia Next Generation Technology strategy, which seeks to support the growth of innovative, disruptive companies in Asia across consumer technology, software, and fintech. This marks KKR's latest growth equity investment in India and the region, including Rebel Foods, an internet restaurant company in India; Lenskart, an omni-channel eyewear retailer; Livspace, an omni-channel home interior and renovation platform; KiotViet, a SaaS platform for SMBs in Vietnam; and Privy, a digital trust provider in Indonesia. Avendus Capital acted as the financial advisor and investment banker on this transaction.