Workday, Inc.

Workday, Inc. stands as a major force in cloud-based enterprise software, helping organizations manage their finances, people, and student information. The company was born in 2005 from the ashes of PeopleSoft, which Oracle had just acquired in a bitter hostile takeover. Two of PeopleSoft's top executives, David Duffield and Aneel Bhusri, were so frustrated with the outcome that they decided to build something new from scratch. Their bet: that enterprise software could be delivered as a service over the internet, rather than installed on clunky on-premise systems. That bet paid off spectacularly.

Workday went public in October 2012, with an IPO that valued the company at roughly $9.5 billion. Since then, it has grown into a trusted partner for thousands of organizations, including more than half of the Fortune 500. Its product suite now spans human capital management, financial management, planning, and even student information systems for higher education. The company's approach has always been to make work easier and more intuitive, a philosophy captured in its tagline, "work days are brighter here."

In recent years, Workday has leaned heavily into artificial intelligence. The launch of Workday AI introduced specialized agents that automate tasks across HR, finance, and IT, helping employees focus on higher-value work. The company also hosts Workday Rising, an annual conference where customers and partners gather to share successes and preview new innovations. With a strong partner ecosystem and a reputation for reliability, Workday has become the go-to choice for organizations looking to modernize their back-office operations.

The company's trajectory has not been without turbulence. In August 2026, reports surfaced that private equity firm Silver Lake was in advanced talks to acquire Workday for around $43 billion. The news sent shares soaring nearly 25 percent, marking the stock's best day in a decade and briefly halting trading. The potential deal, which would be among the largest software buyouts ever, highlights the intense interest in cloud software as a prime target for private investment. [edit]