# Azul

> Azul is the largest independent Java vendor and a major contributor to OpenJDK. It builds production-grade Java runtimes - Azul Platform Core (certified OpenJDK builds) and Azul Platform Prime (a high-performance JVM) - plus the analytics-driven Intelligence Cloud. Companies use Azul to escape Oracle Java licensing costs, run lower-latency applications, and cut cloud spend.

- **Founded:** 2002
- **Headquarters:** Sunnyvale, California, United States
- **Founders:** Scott Sellers (Co-founder, President & CEO), Gil Tene (Co-founder & CTO), Shyam Pillalamarri (Co-founder)
- **Team size:** ~530 employees
- **Products:** Azul Platform Core (formerly Zulu), Azul Platform Prime (formerly Zing), Azul Intelligence Cloud, Azul Vulnerability Detection & Java support services
- **Notable:** Largest independent Java vendor and a top contributor to OpenJDK, Pioneered the pauseless C4 garbage collector and the LLVM-based Falcon JIT compiler, Helped Workday cut per-JVM pause time from ~40,000 seconds/week to ~14 seconds/week

## Products & services

- **Azul Platform Core (formerly Zulu)** — Certified, TCK-tested, fully supported builds of OpenJDK across a wide range of Java versions and platforms. A drop-in replacement for Oracle Java, typically around 70% less expensive.
- **Azul Platform Prime (formerly Zing)** — A high-performance JVM built on the same HotSpot/OpenJDK base, with the pauseless C4 garbage collector, the LLVM-based Falcon JIT compiler, and ReadyNow warmup technology for low-latency, high-throughput workloads.
- **Azul Intelligence Cloud** — Cloud-native analytics that inventory JVMs, detect security vulnerabilities, and identify unused/dead Java code across an enterprise to cut licensing and cloud costs.
- **Azul Vulnerability Detection & Java support services** — Commercial OpenJDK support, security patching, and Oracle Java migration services for enterprises.

## Achievements

- Largest independent Java vendor and a top contributor to OpenJDK
- Pioneered the pauseless C4 garbage collector and the LLVM-based Falcon JIT compiler
- Helped Workday cut per-JVM pause time from ~40,000 seconds/week to ~14 seconds/week
- Reached a milestone of 10,000+ customer JVMs collaborating via Intelligence Cloud, cutting cloud costs by ~20%
- Azul Zulu became a widely adopted 100% open-source, certified OpenJDK build with Docker support
- Secured majority investments from Vitruvian Partners/Lead Edge (2020) and Thoma Bravo (2025)

## Latest updates

- **2025-11** — Announced a majority strategic investment from Thoma Bravo, with Vitruvian Partners and Lead Edge Capital reinvesting and retaining minority stakes.
- **2025** — Published the 2025 State of Java Survey & Report, finding 88% of enterprises considering leaving Oracle Java.
- **2024** — Intelligence Cloud reached 10,000+ collaborating customer JVMs, sharing optimizations and cutting cloud costs by around 20%.

## Links

- Website: https://www.azul.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/azul-systems
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/AzulSystems
- GitHub: https://github.com/zulu-openjdk
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/AzulSystems
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AzulSystemsInc

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/azul
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-06-02