Celonis Lawsuit Against SAP: The Battle for Control Over Data Mining

The recent lawsuit filed by Celonis against SAP has sparked a major debate in today’s tech landscape: who controls access to enterprise data in ERP systems? This case not only involves two major software players but could also set a precedent in the Data Mining industry, especially in the age of artificial intelligence and digital transformation.

Background of the Conflict

Celonis, founded in 2011 in Germany, is a pioneer in Data Mining technology focused on business processes. From the beginning, it maintained a close relationship with SAP, participating in the SAP Startup Focus program and developing solutions that integrated directly with SAP ECC and S/4HANA.

However, in 2021, SAP acquired Signavio, a direct competitor to Celonis. Signavio, founded in 2009 in Berlin and linked to the Hasso Plattner Institute (created by one of SAP’s co-founders), was integrated into the Rise with SAP offering. After the acquisition, Celonis began experiencing restrictions when accessing data from SAP systems, which led to growing tensions between the companies.

What Does Celonis Do?

Celonis provides a platform that enables businesses to analyze workflows within their IT systems to identify bottlenecks, failures, or inefficiencies. This is made possible through access to the transactional data that flows through ERP systems, particularly those from SAP.

Although Celonis initially focused on SAP, it later expanded its technology to cover other systems such as Oracle, Microsoft, and Salesforce. A good example is Hager Group, which reported significant cost and time savings during its migration from SAP ECC to S/4HANA using the Celonis platform.

The Legal Dispute: Unfair Competition?

On March 13, 2025, Celonis filed a 61-page lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The company accuses SAP of engaging in anticompetitive practices by restricting third-party access — including Celonis — to data within its ERP systems. According to the lawsuit, SAP has:

• Imposed excessive fees for data access.
• Implemented arbitrary technical limitations.
• Pressured customers to adopt Signavio by offering lower prices and spreading misleading information about the risks of using third-party solutions like Celonis.

Current Status of the Case

SAP has publicly acknowledged the existence of the lawsuit but has declined to comment on ongoing litigation. Celonis has also chosen not to make additional public statements.

Industry Perspectives

According to Holger Mueller, an analyst at Constellation Research, this case could prove pivotal in the “data wars”, as access to information fuels artificial intelligence and strategic decision-making.

From a business standpoint, BMW, a customer of both providers, has highlighted the importance of interoperability between solutions. Patrick Lechner, head of process mining at BMW, states that if software vendors were more open, companies could better connect their systems and optimize critical operations.

The Celonis-SAP case underscores a deeper issue: in today’s digital world, whoever controls the data sets the rules.