FLEX Capital portfolio company Simovative and SOP Hilmbauer & Mauberger GmbH are joining forces through a strategic merger. SOP is a leading provider of software solutions for international mobility and partnership management in higher education. Headquartered in Vienna and Amstetten, with additional locations in Wiener Neustadt and Bremen, and over 20 years of experience, SOP is one of the most established providers in the European higher education market. Its solution, Mobility-Online, is currently used by more than 400 renowned universities worldwide, including ETH Zurich, University of Vienna, and CBS International Business School.
End-to-end digitization in the higher education sector
Through the merger with SOP, Simovative expands its portfolio with a key component for international academic mobility. While AcademyFIVE digitalizes internal administrative processes such as campus, exam, and applicant management, Mobility-Online covers external processes related to Erasmus+, international partnerships, and study abroad programs. The two systems have been technically integrated for several years. Now, they are coming together on an organizational and strategic level to form a scalable platform with high synergy potential, strong brand presence, and a clear shared vision: to advance the holistic digitalization of academic processes in higher education.
Joint growth agenda for Europe
The merger lays the foundation for a unified European growth strategy. For SOP, it also marks a forward-looking succession solution:
“With this merger, we’ve found a strong new home for SOP. It was important to us to establish a responsible succession solution early on – for our team, our customers, and the further development of our product. FLEX Capital and Simovative not only bring a deep understanding of the market but also the right mindset. We feel very confident in this decision,” says Gerald Mauberger, CEO and co-founder of SOP.
Since FLEX Capital’s investment in January 2025, Simovative has reached several key milestones: In addition to the merger with SOP as its first strategic partner, the company secured a major new client in the public university sector – ETH Zurich. The team has also been strengthened with the addition of eleven professionals in key roles.
“SOP will continue to operate as an independent unit while being strategically aligned with Simovative. Together, we are pursuing meaningful growth through the close technical and content-driven development of both product lines. We are a great fit both professionally and culturally, and I am very excited to jointly advance the digital transformation of higher education,” says Torsten Fürbringer, CEO and co-founder of Simovative.
Long-term perspective for the European education sector
“The merger of Simovative and SOP is more than just a succession solution – it is the next step in building a powerful European software platform for the education sector. FLEX Capital stands for entrepreneurial private equity with operational depth. Our expert team brings execution power where it makes a real difference. Together with Simovative and SOP, we are laying the foundation for sustainable growth, structural development, and continuous technological innovation,” says Dr. Toni Schmidt, Partner at FLEX Capital.
