For Nemetschek, which has built its U.S. presence largely through building-sector tools such as Bluebeam and GoCanvas, the acquisition extends its reach into estimating and field-management systems widely used by infrastructure contractors. HCSS’s flagship products, HeavyBid and HeavyJob, are core platforms for bidding, cost control and jobsite operations on highway, utility and other public works projects.

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Founded in 1986 and based in Sugar Land, Texas, HCSS serves more than 4,000 companies across North America, ranging from small contractors to large general contractors, and employs more than 550 people. The company generated about $215 million in revenue in 2025, with annual recurring revenue growth of about 21% and an EBITDA margin near 40%, according to Nemetschek.

Industry observers have long viewed HeavyBid in particular as a dominant estimating platform in heavy civil construction, where bid accuracy and production tracking are central to competitiveness. By combining those tools with document management, workflow and field data platforms already in its portfolio, Nemetschek is positioning itself to offer a more integrated software stack spanning preconstruction through execution.

Nemetschek CEO Yves Padrines framed the deal as a strategic expansion into infrastructure, citing long-term demand drivers including public investment and asset renewal.

“We already hold a strong position in the building sector and are now further enhancing and scaling our position in the fast-growing infrastructure and heavy civil sector, which is underpinned by multiple structural growth drivers,” he said in a statement. “This acquisition significantly expands our size and our total market opportunity, deepens our footprint in North America, and perfectly complements our existing portfolio.”

The company said the move would expand its Build & Construct segment’s total addressable market to about $12 billion by 2028, driven in part by aging infrastructure, energy transition investment and urbanization.

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Platform Play in Contractor Workflows

The acquisition signals a broader shift among construction technology providers toward consolidating tools used across the contractor lifecycle, particularly in infrastructure sectors where estimating, production tracking and field reporting are tightly linked.

HCSS customers “win 75% of work across 50 U.S. Department of Transportation markets and produce 40% more bids than competitors,” said Thoma Bravo, although the companies did not provide independent verification of those figures.

If completed, the deal would place HCSS within Nemetschek’s Build & Construct segment alongside Bluebeam, GoCanvas and Nevaris. The company did not detail integration plans, but executives emphasized complementary capabilities across estimating, documentation and field execution.

Steve McGough, president and CEO of HCSS, said the company’s four-year partnership with Thoma Bravo had prepared it for the transition.

“We are deeply grateful for Thoma Bravo’s support over the past four years, which has helped strengthen our foundation and position us for long-term success,” he said. “Our strengths in heavy civil construction software complement the Build & Construct segment’s existing solutions, creating a broader, more powerful platform for customers.”

Under the agreement, Nemetschek will hold about 72% of the shares in the Build & Construct segment, while Thoma Bravo will retain about 28% as a minority shareholder—an ownership structure that departs from a traditional full buyout and keeps the private equity firm invested in the segment’s growth.

Nemetschek also said it will refinance HCSS existing debt and liabilities, resulting in an approximately $527-million increase in its net debt position.

George Jaber, a principal at Thoma Bravo, called the pairing a generational opportunity. "Both organizations are leading the global AI revolution in construction design, planning, execution and collaboration, and together they will have the platform, talent and ambition to continue setting the pace for the entire industry," he said in a statement.

Thoma Bravo manages more than $183 billion in assets under management as of Dec. 31, 2025, and has acquired or invested in more than 580 software and technology companies over two decades, representing about $305 billion in aggregate value.

ENR sought additional comment from Nemetschek and HCSS regarding product integration, customer impacts and branding plans, but did not receive responses before story posting time.