Software:Camunda

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Camunda
Developer(s)Camunda Services GmbH
Initial releaseAugust 31, 2013; 12 years ago (2013-08-31)
Operating systemCross-platform
TypeEnterprise Agentic Automation
LicenseCamunda License 1.0 (Camunda 8 self-hosted)[1]
Websitecamunda.com

Camunda is a process orchestration and automation platform used to design, execute, and control complex business processes for enterprise companies. The software is classified by specialist media as a business process automation tool or digital process automation software, or business orchestration and automation technology (BOAT) as classified by Gartner[2] or digital process automation software and therefore represents a further development of the classic workflow management platform. It also enables agentic orchestration by combining deterministic processes with dynamic processes controlled by AI agents.[3][4][5] Camunda focuses on the automation of end-to-end business processes.

The company name is a portmanteau of ‘capere’ (Latin for ‘to understand’) and ‘munda’ (Latin for ‘clean’). According to the company, it is intended to express its aspiration to make the world a better place through understanding.[6]

Overview

Camunda provides tools for creating process and decision models and for operating deployed models in production environments. The platform includes a workflow engine compliant with the Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) standard and a decision engine compliant with the Decision Model and Notation (DMN) standard, which can also be used as a standalone component.[7] It can be used as an architectural component in distributed systems through a REST API.[8] External endpoints, including AI services, can be integrated via Connectors.[9]

Camunda has been deployed in companies such as Universal Music Group,[10] Commerzbank, GLS, NASA, Telekom[6] Atlassian[11] and Audi.[12]

Process orchestration is the main topic at the biannual CamundaCon (formerly BPM Con), which is organized by Camunda. Other conferences such as JAX (and W-JAX) or Devoxx are also regularly dedicated to the topic.[13]

License

Since October 2024, Camunda has released all components of Camunda 8 Self-Managed, including Zeebe, Operate Tasklist, Optimize, and Identity, under Camunda License 1.0. This license allows access to the source code of these components and the free use for development and testing purposes, but requires a production license for deployment.[1]

History and developer

Camunda is developed by Berlin-based Camunda Services GmbH. The company was founded in 2008 by Jakob Freund and Bernd Rücker as a consulting firm for business process management (BPM).[10][14]

Camunda 7 was an originally commercial workflow management system, which was based on Activiti, a free business process management system. Alongside Alfresco, Camunda was one of the biggest contributors of Activiti.[15] On 18 March 2013, the further development of Camunda was spun off from the development of Activiti.[16][17]

In December 2018, Camunda received €25 million in Series A funding from Highland Europe.[18][10] In March 2021, Camunda raised €82 million in a Series B funding round led by Insight Partners together with Highland Europe.[19]

In April 2022, Camunda released Camunda Platform 8[20] (now Camunda 8) as a successor to Camunda Cloud, incorporating the cloud-native workflow and decision engine Zeebe.

In May 2024, Camunda introduced artificial intelligence features to its process orchestration platform. Additionally, the company released Camunda Copilot, which provides process modeling suggestions, generates BPMN diagrams from natural language prompts, creates documentation, and includes a form builder.[9][21] It also provides connectors for integrating AI endpoints (e.g., OpenAI, Azure OpenAI, Hugging Face) into processes.

In October 2024, SAP integration and the integration of task automation capabilities, including Robotic Process Automation (RPA) and Intelligent Document Processing (IDP), were announced. The same year, Camunda achieved revenues of over 100 million euros.[6]

Camunda was included in Viva Technology's "Top 100 next unicorns" list in 2023[22] and 2024.[23]

In April 2025, Camunda integrated agentic orchestration capabilities into the platform, allowing AI agents to dynamically control (sub-)processes.[3]

Features

Camunda consists of a number of components and applications that are used together to define and execute business processes:[24]

The Camunda Modeler desktop application and web modeler allow developers to create and edit BPMN process diagrams and DMN decision tables.[25]

External endpoints can be integrated into processes via Connectors, which are pre-built and customizable packages consisting of BPMN elements and API templates. With the release of Camunda 8.3, Camunda Marketplace was added, allowing users to share and download additional Connectors for various business systems.[26]

Created files are deployed in the Camunda engine, which use a BPMN parser to transform BPMN 2.0 XML files, and DMN XML files, into Java objects, and implements BPMN 2.0 constructs with a set of BPMN Behavior implementations.[27]

Typical use cases for the Camunda BPMN Workflow Engine can be microservices orchestration and human task management.[28]

The Camunda DMN Decision Engine executes business-driven decision tables. It is pre-integrated with the Workflow Engine but can be used as a standalone application via REST or inside Java applications.[29][30]

Camunda's additional web applications provide the following tools for developers and business users:[27]

  • Operate: A tool for technical process operations enabling users to monitor workflows and decisions in production, to analyze and solve technical problems.[29]
  • Tasklist: Allows end users to work on assigned tasks and provides additional visibility when using the Camunda Workflow Engine for human task management.
  • Optimize: An analytics and reporting tool to identify errors and bottlenecks in workflow processes.
  • Modeler: A collaborative modeling tool allowing multiple users to create, edit and specify BPMN process diagrams.
  • Console: Allows users to manage Camunda web applications or REST API users. Existing user management can be integrated via LDAP.

Architecture

Camunda 8 is a cloud-native platform based on the Zeebe orchestration and decision engine. Zeebe applies event stream processing for process automation and stores workflow data as event streams on server nodes. The platform also provides REST APIs covering its different components.[31] A self-hosted version of Camunda 8 is available under Camunda License 1.0 as well.[1]

Further reading

  • Rücker, Bernd; Strauch, Leon (2025). Enterprise Process Orchestration: a hands-on guide to strategy, people, and technology that will transform your business. Wiley. ISBN 978-1-394-30967-2.
  • Freund, Jakob; Rücker, Bernd (2019). Praxishandbuch BPMN: Mit Einführung in DMN. (in German). Carl Hanser Verlag. ISBN 978-3446461116.
  • Rücker, Bernd (2013-08). Open-Source-BPM für den Werkzeugkasten des Java-Entwicklers. Camunda BPM 7.0.. Entwickler.de (in German). Retrieved 2025-09-03.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Meyer, Daniel (2024-04-09). "Licensing Update for Camunda 8 Self-Managed" (in en-US). https://camunda.com/blog/2024/04/licensing-update-camunda-8-self-managed/. 
  2. ↑ "Camunda Reviews, Ratings & Features 2024" (in en). https://www.gartner.com/reviews/market/business-process-automation-tools/vendor/camunda/product/camunda. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Bridgwater, Adrian (2025-04-22). "New Tools Help Companies Orchestrate Strings Of AI Agents" (in en). https://www.forbes.com/sites/adrianbridgwater/2025/04/22/camunda-writes-new-score-for-agentic-ai-orchestration/. 
  4. ↑ "Camunda unveils new agentic orchestration capabilities to manage AI agents" (in en). 2025-04-11. https://futurecio.tech/camunda-unveils-new-agentic-orchestration-capabilities-to-manage-ai-agents/. 
  5. ↑ Lawton, George (2025-05-15). "CamundaCon – BPMN is getting an agentic AI refresh. Here's why" (in en). https://diginomica.com/camundacon-bpmn-getting-agentic-ai-refresh-heres-why. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Schimroszik, Nadine (2024-08-06). "Camunda verbessert die Prozesse bei der Nasa und Goldman Sachs" (in de). https://www.handelsblatt.com/technik/it-internet/start-up-check-camunda-verbessert-die-prozesse-bei-der-nasa-und-goldman-sachs-01/100053478.html. 
  7. ↑ Allweyer, Thomas (2015-12-14). "Camunda unterstützt nun den kompletten Dreiklang aus BPMN, CMMN und DMN" (in de). https://www.kurze-prozesse.de/2015/12/14/camunda-unterstuetzt-nun-den-kompletten-dreiklang-aus-bpmn-cmmn-und-dmn/. 
  8. ↑ Vizard, Mike (2020-06-03). "Camunda Extends Reach of BPM Platform" (in en). https://devops.com/camunda-extends-reach-of-bpm-platform/. 
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Deutscher, Maria (2025-04-08). "Camunda adds AI agents to its process orchestration platform" (in en). https://siliconangle.com/2025/04/08/camunda-adds-ai-agents-process-orchestration-platform/. 
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Parbel, Matthias (2018-12-05). "Camunda sichert sich 25 Millionen Euro für die weitere Expansion" (in de). https://www.heise.de/news/Camunda-sichert-sich-25-Millionen-Euro-fuer-die-weitere-Expansion-4242247.html. 
  11. ↑ "Atlassian Adopts Camunda BPM for Business Process Automation" (in en). 2020-07-16. https://salestechstar.com/buyer-insights/atlassian-adopts-camunda-bpm-for-business-process-automation/. 
  12. ↑ Reder, Bernd (2025-07-24). "Audi optimiert Produktion mit Prozess-Orchestrierung" (in de). https://www.cio.de/article/4023224/audi-optimiert-produktion-mit-prozess-orchestrierung.html. 
  13. ↑ "Workflow Automation with Java and BPMN 2.0". 2015-06-26. http://camunda.com/news/meet.php. 
  14. ↑ Kaluza, Martin (2025-02-04). "Berliner Unternehmen Camunda: Von der IT-Beratung zur führenden Prozesssoftware" (in de). Der Tagesspiegel. ISSN 1865-2263. https://www.tagesspiegel.de/berlin/berliner-wirtschaft/berliner-unternehmen-camunda-von-der-it-beratung-zur-fuhrenden-prozesssoftware-13137043.html. 
  15. ↑ Sandy (2013-03-19). "Stick A (Open Source) Fork In It: camunda BPM Splits From Activiti" (in en). https://column2.com/2013/03/stick-a-open-source-fork-in-it-camunda-bpm-splits-from-activiti/. 
  16. ↑ Miller, Ron (2018-12-05). "Camunda hauls in $28M investment as workflow automation remains hot" (in en-US). https://techcrunch.com/2018/12/05/camunda-hauls-in-28m-investment-as-workflow-automation-remains-hot/. 
  17. ↑ Humble, Charles (2013-03-21). "Camunda Forks Alfresco Activiti" (in en). https://www.infoq.com/news/2013/03/Camunda-Forks-Activiti/. 
  18. ↑ Degeler, Andrii (2018-12-05). "German workflow automation startup Camunda raises €25 million" (in en). https://tech.eu/2018/12/05/german-workflow-automation-startup-camunda-raises-e25-million/. 
  19. ↑ Miller, Ron (2021-03-22). "Camunda snares $98M Series B as process automation continues to flourish" (in en-US). https://techcrunch.com/2021/03/22/camunda-snares-98m-series-b-as-process-automation-continues-to-flourish/. 
  20. ↑ "Camunda Platform 8 Launched as Universal Process Orchestrator" (in en). Business Wire. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220412005060/en/Camunda-Platform-8-Launched-as-Universal-Process-Orchestrator. 
  21. ↑ "Camunda simplifies process automation with new AI-powered natural language features" (in en). 2024-05-16. https://www.cio.com/article/2110581/camunda-simplifies-process-automation-with-new-ai-powered-natural-language-features.html. 
  22. ↑ "2023 Top 100 Next Unicorns: Shaping the Next Gen of Tech". https://vivatechnology.com/news/2023-top-100-next-unicorns-shaping-the-next-gen-of-tech. 
  23. ↑ "Top 100 Next Unicorns". https://vivatechnology.com/next-unicorn-awards. 
  24. ↑ "Activiti Components". 2012-11-25. http://activiti.org/components.html. 
  25. ↑ "Bossie Awards 2015: The best open source applications" (in en-US). 2015-09-16. https://www.infoworld.com/article/2238288/bossie-awards-2015-the-best-open-source-applications.html#slide11. 
  26. ↑ "Camunda Doubles Down on Process Orchestration Capabilities and Extends Integration Support" (in en-US). https://camunda.com/press_release/camunda-doubles-down-on-process-orchestration-capabilities-and-extends-integration-support/. 
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 Humble, Charles (2013-03-21). "Camunda Forks Alfresco Activiti". InfoQ. https://www.infoq.com/news/2013/03/Camunda-Forks-Activiti. 
  28. ↑ "From zero to DevOps: The Camunda journey". JAXenter. 2018-06-01. https://jaxenter.com/zero-devops-camunda-journey-144832.html. 
  29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 "Bossie Awards 2015: The best open source applications". InfoWorld. 2015-09-16. https://www.infoworld.com/article/2982622/bossie-awards-2015-the-best-open-source-applications.html#slide11. 
  30. ↑ Culbertson, Joy (2017-12-25). "ProgrammableWeb's Most Interesting APIs in 2017: Business and Productivity". ProgrammableWeb. https://www.programmableweb.com/news/programmablewebs-most-interesting-apis-2017-business-and-productivity/brief/2017/12/25. 
  31. ↑ Born, Achim (2022-04-19). "Prozessautomatisierung: Die Cloud hinter der neuen Camunda Platform 8" (in de). https://www.heise.de/news/Cloud-und-Umstieg-stehen-an-Die-Wolke-hinter-der-neuen-Camunda-Platform-8-6743360.html. 



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