Cognigy, an artificial intelligence company specializing in conversational AI, is being acquired by Hoboken, N.J.-based NiCE (NASDAQ: NICE) in a transaction valued at approximately $955 million. 

NiCE CEO Scott Russell called the acquisition a “landmark moment,” describing it as a strategic move that fast-tracks the company’s AI innovation agenda.

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It’s Official: NiCE Closes Acquisition of Cognigy

“Together, we are significantly advancing the future of AI-first customer experience,” he said in a statement. Russell added that bringing Cognigy onboard allows NiCE to accelerate global AI adoption and expand into new markets.

Cognigy is based in Düsseldorf, Germany. In April, the company relocated its U.S. headquarters from San Francisco to the Dallas suburb of Plano after spending seven years in California.

At the time, Cognigy said it was a “new chapter” for the company. CEO Philipp Heltewig said Dallas had “the perfect mix of innovation, energy, and opportunity,” as well as proximity to top enterprise customers and strong local talent pool.

The acquisition integrates Cognigy’s advanced conversational AI platform, Cognigy.AI, with NiCE’s CXone Mpower customer experience platform. The combined platform aims to accelerate AI-driven customer service solutions for businesses.

“Uniting the best of trusted AI and human interactions”

Cognigy’s AI technology powers automated, intelligent service agents capable of delivering human-like interactions in over 100 languages, available across all digital channels. Major global brands such as Mercedes-Benz, Nestlé, and Lufthansa already leverage Cognigy’s solutions.

Cognigy CEO Heltewig described the acquisition as a “pivotal step forward” for the AI company, highlighting the synergy with NiCE.

“NiCE is an exceptional organization whose global reach, deep expertise, and relentless focus on innovation will accelerate our growth and enhance the value we bring to our customers and partners,” he said. “Together, we are uniquely positioned to shape the future of customer experience, uniting the best of trusted AI and human interactions.”

NiCE’s board unanimously approved the acquisition. The transaction includes a time-bound holdback of roughly $50 million, made up of $25 million in cash and 158,000 American Depositary Shares. The transaction, funded by existing capital, is expected to close in Q4 2025.

Jefferies LLC advised NiCE, while Qatalyst Partners advised Cognigy’s sellers.

Quincy Preston contributed to this report.

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