Thoughtworks
Thoughtworks Inc. is a Chicago-based global technology consultancy founded in 1993 by Neville Roy Singham, specializing in software engineering, design, data, and AI solutions to drive enterprise digital transformation. [1][2][3] The firm, which operates 47 offices across 18 countries and employs over 10,000 people, played a pivotal role in the software industry's shift to agile methodologies, with key personnel co-authoring the 2001 Agile Manifesto and developing the open-source Selenium testing framework. [4][1] Thoughtworks contributed influential works like Continuous Delivery (2010) and Building Microservices (2014), establishing itself as a thought leader in modern software practices. [1] After private equity acquisition in 2017 and a 2021 Nasdaq IPO under ticker TWKS, it generated $1.13 billion in revenue by 2023 before being taken private again in 2024 for $1.75 billion by Apax Partners. [1][5] The company has faced scrutiny over its founder's post-sale activities, as Singham has been accused by multiple investigations of channeling proceeds from the Thoughtworks sale into a network of organizations promoting narratives aligned with Chinese Communist Party interests, including anti-Western activism and media outlets. [3][6][7] Singham has denied CCP control, asserting support for global socialist causes independent of state direction. [8]