German HR software company Personio has acquired Circula, a European spend management platform, in a move that expands Personio beyond HR and payroll into employee expenses, corporate cards, accounts payable and benefits. The acquisition was announced on October 6, 2026, with financial terms not disclosed.
Circula's platform is currently used by more than 3,000 businesses and provides tools for managing employee expenses, corporate cards, accounts payable and tax-optimised benefits. Personio says the acquisition will allow these capabilities to become more closely connected with its HR and payroll platform.
The two companies already had an established relationship, with more than 500 customers using Personio and Circula together. The acquisition is expected to deepen the integration between employee data, payroll and spending workflows, reducing the need to maintain information across separate systems.
A major focus will be the connection between payroll and expense tax calculations. Personio has traditionally handled tax logic around base salaries, while Circula brings expertise in taxes related to employee expenses and benefits. Combining these capabilities could give businesses a more unified approach to managing employee-related financial processes.
Circula will operate under the name Circula by Personio, and its team, including co-founder and CEO Nikolai Skatchkov, will join Personio. Existing DATEV integrations will continue to be supported, while Circula will remain available as a standalone product for businesses that do not use Personio.
The acquisition follows Personio's broader expansion into an increasingly integrated workforce management platform. Personio says more than 16,000 European businesses use its HR and payroll software, and the company has previously expanded its platform through acquisitions in areas such as employee support and recruiting automation.