Tysons-based Appian acquires German tech company for $31M

A Tysons-headquartered software company has acquired German software business Lana Labs for approximately $31 million.

Appian, which provides a cloud computing platform for mobile apps, announced the acquisition last Thursday (Aug. 5). The company says in a quarterly report filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission that the transaction was completed on Aug. 4 and paid for with available cash.

Based in Berlin, Germany, Lana Labs has a machine learning algorithm to improve automation of business workflows. It’s known for its process mining, where problems can be detected in a data-driven approach.

The acquisition means Appian will be able to integrate that solution natively.

“There is a natural synergy between process mining, process modeling, and automation,” Appian CEO Matt Calkins said in a statement. “We believe that our acquisition of Lana Labs means that only Appian will be able to take customers from knowing to doing, in a unified suite.”

Calkins, who founded Appian in his basement over two decades ago, recently talked with the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority about the importance of growing and keeping tech businesses in the area, and he noted how founding members of his company have remained with it.

Appian specializes in low-code development, where businesses can even develop apps without writing code.

The company didn’t immediately respond to an inquiry seeking comment.

Lana Labs was founded in 2016 and employs around 30 people.

“Lana’s AI-supported analysis of complex business and production processes aligns with the focus Appian brings to simplifying organizations’ most important workflows,” Appian said in its news release about the acquisition.

Photo via Valo Park