In an era where tech giants are often defined by venture capital rounds and high burn rates, Zoho Corporation is celebrating its 30th anniversary by proving that the “slow and steady” bootstrapped model works.
The global technology firm announced on Thursday, February 19, 2026, that it has surpassed one million paying organizations and 150 million users across its suite of business applications.
The milestone follows a stellar 2025 financial year, where the company recorded 32% customer growth and a 20% jump in revenue.
The Outlier Business Model
Founded in 1996, Zoho has remained privately held and profitable for three decades, a rarity in the software-as-a-service (SaaS) industry.
The corporation, which oversees Zoho (cloud solutions), ManageEngine (IT management), Qntrl (BPM), and TrainerCentral (e-learning), attributes its longevity to its North Star of customer value over investor demands.
“Being bootstrapped, private, and built entirely in-house makes Zoho an outlier among competitors,” said Sridhar Vembu, co-founder and chief scientist. “Vendors don’t need our help, businesses do… Before any innovation becomes a product, it must first affirm the question: ‘Will this help businesses?'”
Global Portfolio Expansion
The company’s growth is increasingly driven by enterprise-level adoptions. Recent high-profile clients joining the Zoho ecosystem include Mercedes-Benz India, Union Bank of India, and Rapid Response Monitoring in the U.S. In the Middle East and Africa, the firm has secured major sports partnerships with Al-Ahli Saudi FC and Al Qadsiah FC.
Zoho Big Ambition for Africa’s SMEs Space
Nigeria and the broader African continent remain central to Zoho’s expansion strategy. As digital transformation accelerates, local businesses are gravitating toward the company’s transnational localism approach, hiring locally and pricing in local currencies to provide stability.
Kehinde Ogundare, country head for Zoho Nigeria, noted that the demand from African entrepreneurs is shifting toward software that offers long-term value without the complexity of traditional enterprise tools.
“Africa represents one of the most dynamic and entrepreneurial business environments in the world,” Ogundare stated. “Our continued investment reflects our belief in Africa’s innovation potential and our commitment to supporting local businesses with tools that help them scale sustainably.”
Company Profile: Zoho by the Numbers
| Metric | Achievement |
| Global Users | 150 Million+ |
| Paying Customers | 1 Million Organizations |
| Employee Strength | 19,000 Worldwide |
| Presence | 90+ Offices in 28 Countries |
| Brands | Zoho, ManageEngine, Qntrl, TrainerCentral |
Techeconomy Analysis:
Zoho’s 30-year streak of profitability is a masterclass in capital efficiency. By avoiding the IPO route, the company has retained the freedom to invest in R&D and local markets like Nigeria without the pressure of quarterly earnings calls.
For African SMEs, Zoho’s value proposition lies in its unified platform, offering a “one-stop-shop” that reduces the subscription fatigue often caused by using multiple siloed software vendors.
