Philipp Heltewig co-founded Cognigy in Düsseldorf in 2016 with Sascha Poggemann and Benjamin Mayr. The company built a platform that large firms use to create voice and chat agents for their contact centres.
DN Capital led a Series A of about $6 million in 2019. Insight Partners led a $44 million Series B in 2021. In 2024 Eurazeo Growth led a $100 million Series C, and annual recurring revenue was about $37 million, up from $17.5 million in 2023.
In April 2025 Cognigy moved its US headquarters to North Texas. On 28 July 2025 NiCE announced it would acquire the company for about $955 million, including a $50 million holdback.
The deal closed in the fourth quarter of 2025. Heltewig described the sale as a milestone that offers growth for customers and employees.