o9 Solutions accuses SAP of trade secret theft in high-stakes supply chain software dispute

Dallas-based supply chain software provider o9 Solutions has filed a lawsuit against German software giant SAP and three former o9 executives, alleging a coordinated scheme to steal trade secrets and confidential information to bolster SAP’s lagging enterprise planning offerings. The complaint, lodged on November 25, 2025, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, alleges corporate espionage amid intensifying competition in the AI-driven supply chain management sector, a market critical to freight and logistics operators seeking real-time visibility and efficiency.

o9 Solutions, founded in 2009, emerged as a disruptor in enterprise planning and supply chain technologies. Its flagship “Digital Brain” platform leverages artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to provide demand forecasting, commercial planning, and integrated business solutions. At the heart of o9’s tech is its proprietary Enterprise Knowledge Graph (EKG), which creates digital models of enterprise data for rapid, end-to-end decision-making. The company boasts impressive growth: from a startup to a global entity with 17 offices, 2,500 employees, and unicorn status valued over $1 billion by 2020. Revenue highlights include 65% year-over-year subscription growth in 2022, 47% in 2023, 37% in 2024, and 63% in Q1 2025. o9’s tools have attracted major clients in industries like consumer goods and manufacturing, where supply chain disruptions—exacerbated by events like the COVID-19 pandemic and geopolitical tensions—demand agile, data-integrated platforms.

In contrast, SAP, the world’s largest vendor of legacy enterprise resource planning (ERP) software with over €34 billion in annual revenue, is accused of struggling to modernize. The suit details SAP’s Advanced Planning and Optimization (APO) system, launched in the early 2000s, as outdated, relying on on-premises infrastructure with limited real-time analytics. SAP introduced its next-gen Integrated Business Planning (IBP) in 2013 to replace APO, which is set to retire by 2027. However, o9 claims market resistance to IBP due to high costs, long implementation timelines, operational risks, and poor support for customizations. As a result, many APO users have migrated to competitors like o9, eroding SAP’s dominance in supply chain planning, a space where freight companies rely on seamless integration for inventory management, route optimization, and demand sensing.

The allegations center on three Dutch nationals and former o9 leaders: Stephan de Barse, o9’s ex-Chief Revenue Officer; Stijn-Pieter van Houten, former Senior Vice President and Knowledge Innovation Lead; and Sean Zonneveld, ex-Global Senior Vice President. De Barse resigned on January 3, 2025, after seven years, and now serves as SAP’s President of Global Business Suite. Van Houten and Zonneveld left on May 30, 2025, joining SAP as Chief Product Officer for Supply Chain Management Planning and Global Chief Revenue Officer for Procurement, respectively.

o9 asserts that, starting late 2024, these individuals, coordinating with each other and SAP, mass-downloaded over 22,000 files from o9’s Google shared drives, far exceeding normal activity. Examples include van Houten’s 9,000+ file download on December 30, 2024, after meeting de Barse, covering product design, roadmaps, and demos; Zonneveld’s 1,200+ files on de Barse’s resignation day; and ongoing exfiltration until April 2025. The files allegedly contain trade secrets on technical implementation, product strategies, sales/marketing tactics, and client-specific data, including details on former top client Henkel.

Digital forensic evidence cited in the complaint shows the trio in close contact with SAP executives during this period, including in-person meetings like Zonneveld’s February 19, 2025, encounter with SAP’s Chief Revenue Officer in Atlanta. Attempts to conceal communications with deleted emails, calls, and records are highlighted in the documents filed by o9. o9’s complaint emphasizes the suspicious timing of some events: on January 31, 2025, Zonneveld downloaded 530+ Henkel-related files; four days later, de Barse emailed SAP leaders about “Alignment Henkel.”

Further, o9 accuses SAP of incorporating stolen IP into its products. Despite IBP’s 2013 launch, SAP unveiled “SAP Knowledge Graph” in October 2024 (coinciding with de Barse’s initial SAP interactions) and adopted “Enterprise Knowledge Graph” terminology by February 2025, mirroring o9’s EKG. New features like AI/ML integration are claimed to ape o9’s offerings, potentially accelerating SAP’s competitiveness in supply chain tech.

The lawsuit invokes the federal Defend Trade Secrets Act (DTSA), Texas Uniform Trade Secrets Act (TUTSA), breach of contract (confidentiality and stock option agreements), and tortious interference. o9 seeks injunctions to halt use of its secrets, employee/customer solicitation, and competition violations; compensatory damages for lost profits and goodwill; punitive damages; disgorgement of unjust enrichment; reasonable royalties; and attorneys’ fees.

This dispute underscores broader tensions in the supply chain software industry, where AI-powered platforms are transforming freight operations. Analysts note that trade secret battles can stifle innovation or force settlements, impacting logistics firms’ tech choices. SAP has not yet responded publicly, but the suit could influence customer migrations as APO’s sunset looms.

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