Riyadh/Dubai: People Strong, a leading human capital management (HCM) SaaS provider in the region, has announced a major strategic move following the acquisition of a majority stake by the Private Equity business within Goldman Sachs Alternatives. The investment marks a significant milestone in People Strong’s regional growth journey, underscoring its plans to scale operations across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) — with a particular focus on UAE and Saudi Arabia.
The expansion aligns with key national workforce priorities, including Emiratization and Saudization, and supports broader government agendas for workforce digital transformation.
Positioned at the nexus of three major shifts the digitization of enterprise HR, AI adoption, and SaaS innovation — PeopleStrong offers a robust, AI-powered platform. Its suite includes capabilities in applicant tracking, payroll, employee experience, and talent management, and it serves a diverse clientele across industries such as banking, retail, healthcare, aviation, and manufacturing.
With more than 1.5 million paychecks processed monthly, the company is among the region’s largest cloud payroll providers and currently supports over two million users, with a vision to scale to 10 million users globally over the next five years.
Commenting on the partnership, Sandeep Chaudhary, CEO of People Strong, stated: “We have remained focused on balanced, sustainable growth and are proud to stand out as one of the few EBITDA-positive SaaS companies with a leading market position. We are excited to join forces with Goldman Sachs to drive the next phase of our growth through continued innovation and operational excellence.”
Rajat Sood, Managing Director in Growth and Corporate Equity Investing at Goldman Sachs, emphasized the company’s unique position:
“People Strong stands at the intersection of talent and technology — delivering measurable value through its tech-led HCM solutions. We’re proud to support the next chapter of growth by leveraging the global network and expertise of Goldman Sachs.”
In the Middle East, People Strong has built strong relationships with prominent organizations including Fly Dubai, Azizi, Sobha, Oman Air, Life Pharmacy, Axiom, and Omantel. The company is actively investing in R&D tailored to regional needs, while also forming strategic partnerships and strengthening local teams to meet the demand for HR tech innovation across the GCC.
Mrigank Tripathi, President – Growth at People Strong, added: “The Middle East has seen a surge in HR tech adoption. To support our long-term expansion, we are building solutions that reflect the region’s evolving operational and regulatory landscape. Our growing presence in Dubai and key Saudi cities enables us to partner more closely with enterprises on their workforce transformation journeys.”
People Strong also holds a global distinction as the highest-rated HR mobile app with a 4.8/5 rating across iOS and Android. It has been consistently recognized in Gartner’s ‘Voice of the Customer’ report and named Customers’ Choice for Cloud HCM Suites for enterprises with over 1,000 employees from 2022 through 2024.
This partnership with Goldman Sachs marks a pivotal step in People Strong’s mission to become the leading HCM platform for enterprises in the Middle East and beyond.
