Sage Group vs Zoho: Founders, CEOs and History
Sage Group was founded in 1981 by David Goldman, Graham Wylie, Paul Muller and is led by Steve Hare. Zoho was founded in 1996 by Sridhar Vembu, Tony Thomas and is led by Shailesh Kumar Davey.
Company facts
Sage Group
- Founded
- 1981
- Headquarters
- Newcastle upon Tyne, England, United Kingdom
- Current CEO
- Steve Hare
- Employees
- 12,000
Zoho
- Founded
- 1996
- Headquarters
- Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India (US operations in Austin, Texas)
- Current CEO
- Shailesh Kumar Davey
- Employees
- 19,000
Founders
Sage Group
David Goldman
David Goldman was the businessman behind Sage's founding in 1981. Looking for a computer program to speed up job estimating at his Newcastle print firm, he worked with Graham Wylie and Paul Muller, then turned the software into a product for other small busine…
Graham Wylie
Graham Wylie wrote much of Sage's early software while a student at Newcastle University and became one of the company's co-founders in 1981.
Paul Muller
Paul Muller co-founded Sage in 1981 with David Goldman and Graham Wylie, helping develop the original estimating and accounting software that the company commercialised for small businesses. Paul Muller was born in 1937 in Los Angeles.
Zoho
Sridhar Vembu
Sridhar Vembu co-founded AdventNet in 1996 and led the company, renamed Zoho Corporation in 2009, as CEO until January 2025. He kept the company free of venture capital and promoted hiring and training in smaller towns, working from rural Tamil Nadu.
Tony Thomas
Tony Thomas co-founded AdventNet in 1996 and has remained with the company since. He leads Zoho's US business as CEO of Zoho US. (Exact birth year remains publicly undisclosed).
CEOs and their tenures
Sage Group
- David Goldman1981–present
Co-Founder
Founding businessman behind Sage.
Source - Graham Wylie1981–2003
Co-Founder & Executive Architect
Technical co-founder of Sage.
Source - Paul Walker1994–2010
Chief Executive Officer
He expanded Sage through more than 100 acquisitions and it joined the FTSE 100 in 1999. Guy Berruyer succeeded him in 2010.
Source - Stephen Kelly2014–2018
Chief Executive Officer
He bought Intacct in 2017. He left in August 2018 and Steve Hare succeeded him.
Source - Steve Hare2018–present
Chief Executive Officer
Led Sage's shift to a focused cloud subscription business.
Source
Zoho
- Sridhar Vembu1996–2025
Co-founder; CEO 1996-2025, now Chief Scientist
Led the company from its founding as AdventNet until January 2025 and kept it free of outside capital; now focuses on research and AI.
Source - Tony Thomas1996–present
Co-founder and CEO, Zoho US
Co-founded AdventNet and leads Zoho's US business.
Source - Shailesh Kumar Davey2025–present
Co-founder and Group Chief Executive Officer
Co-founder who previously led engineering at ManageEngine; became group CEO in January 2025.
Source - Rajesh Ganesan2025–present
CEO, ManageEngine
Leads the ManageEngine IT management division.
Source - Mani Vembu2025–present
CEO, Zoho.com
Leads the Zoho.com business applications division.
Source
Timeline: Sage Group and Zoho side by side
1981Sage Group
Sage founded in Newcastle
David Goldman, Paul Muller and Graham Wylie founded Sage after building estimating software for a Newcastle print business.
1984Sage Group
Amstrad bundling drives adoption
Accounting software bundled with Amstrad PCW computers in the mid-1980s brought Sage to a mass UK small-business market.
1989Sage Group
London Stock Exchange listing
Sage listed on the London Stock Exchange and began acquiring accounting software firms abroad.
1996Zoho
AdventNet founded
Sridhar Vembu and Tony Thomas start a network management software company.
1999Sage Group
FTSE 100 entry and Peachtree deal
Sage joined the FTSE 100 and bought US small-business accounting brand Peachtree, later sold as Sage 50 in the US.
2005Zoho
First Zoho Products Released
AdventNet released Zoho Writer, its first online office application, in 2005, followed by Zoho CRM.
2009Zoho
Renamed Zoho Corporation
The company takes the name of its online applications brand.
2014Sage Group
Stephen Kelly Becomes CEO
Stephen Kelly became chief executive of Sage in November 2014.
2017Sage Group
Intacct acquired for $850 million
Sage bought US cloud financial management company Intacct for $850 million, creating Sage Intacct.
2017Sage Group
Acquired Fairsail (Sage People)
The Sage Group acquired Fairsail (Sage People).
2017Zoho
Zoho One Launched
Zoho launched Zoho One, a single subscription covering its business applications, in July 2017.
2018Sage Group
Steve Hare becomes CEO
CFO Steve Hare succeeded Stephen Kelly as CEO in November 2018 and focused Sage on cloud subscriptions.
2019Sage Group
Sage Pay Sold
Sage agreed in 2019 to sell its payments business Sage Pay to Elavon.
2024Sage Group
Sage Copilot launched
Sage introduced Sage Copilot, a generative AI assistant built into its accounting products.
2025Sage Group
FY25 revenue reaches ~$3.32 billion (£2,513 million)
Underlying revenue rose 10% to ~$3.32 billion (£2,513 million), 97% recurring, with a 23.9% underlying operating margin.
2025Zoho
CEO transition
Shailesh Kumar Davey becomes group CEO in January; Sridhar Vembu becomes chief scientist.
2025Zoho
Semiconductor fab plan shelved
Zoho suspends its planned $700 million compound semiconductor fab in May.
2025Zoho
Rajesh Ganesan becomes CEO
Rajesh Ganesan became CEO of Zoho in 2025. Leads the ManageEngine IT management division.
2026Sage Group
Growth accelerates to 11%
Revenue rose 11% to ~$2.72 billion (£2,062 million) in the nine months to 30 June 2026; Jacqui Cartin became CFO in January.
2026Zoho
UAE data centres open
Zoho opens data centres in Dubai and Abu Dhabi in January as part of an ~$27.2 million (AED 100 million) UAE investment.
2026Zoho
FY25 results filed
RoC filings show FY25 revenue of ~$1.43 billion (₹12,313 crore) and net profit of ~$370 million (₹3,191 crore).
Acquisitions
Sage Group
- AutoEntry (OCREX Limited)2019Undisclosed
- Intacct Corporation2017$850M
- Fairsail (Sage People)2017Undisclosed
Zoho
- ASIMOV Robotics2025Undisclosed
- Yali Aerospace (strategic deep-tech investment)2024$3.6M
- ePoise Systems2019Undisclosed
Questions about Sage Group vs Zoho
Who is the CEO of The Sage Group plc and Zoho?
The Sage Group plc is led by Steve Hare and Zoho is led by Shailesh Kumar Davey. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was The Sage Group plc founded vs Zoho?
The Sage Group plc was founded in 1981 — 15 years before Zoho, which was founded in 1996. The Sage Group plc's longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Zoho.
How many employees does The Sage Group plc have compared to Zoho?
The Sage Group plc employs approximately 12,000 people, while Zoho employs approximately 19,000. Zoho has the larger workforce at 19,000 employees, compared to The Sage Group plc's 12,000. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are The Sage Group plc and Zoho headquartered?
The Sage Group plc is headquartered in United Kingdom and Zoho is headquartered in India. Their different home markets mean they may face different regulatory frameworks, tax regimes, and currency exposure.
Who founded The Sage Group plc and Zoho?
The Sage Group plc was founded by David Goldman, Graham Wylie, Paul Muller. Zoho was founded by Sridhar Vembu, Tony Thomas.
Which company has a longer operating history — The Sage Group plc or Zoho?
The Sage Group plc has been operating for approximately 45 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Zoho has been in operation for around 30 years. A longer operating history often signals greater institutional resilience and brand recognition, though it can also mean slower adaptation to new market conditions.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the Sage Group vs Zoho overview