Manuj Nikhanj, energy analytics veteran and current president of Enverus, will take the baton of the data analytics and research firm on July 1 to lead the firm as CEO.

Nikhanj succeeds Jeff Hughes, who will remain with the company as executive chairman.

Hughes said Nikhanj has been instrumental in Enverus’ rapid growth in recent years as a leading energy-focused SaaS (software as a service) firm.

“With global scale, a growing customer base, best-in-class technology and a culture of innovation, Enverus’ growth potential is enormous,” Hughes said in a release announcing Nikhanj’s promotion.

“As we approach $600 million in annual recurring revenue and continue to lead technology innovation for the energy industry, we’ve entered a new phase of growth. We’re operationally and strategically solid, and now is the right time to pass the reins to Manuj, whose vision and deep industry experience will take our fantastic team to even greater heights.”

Nikhanj joined Enverus as president at the beginning of 2021, but he’s been analyzing the energy space for more than 20 years. He was an original partner and co-CEO of RS Energy Group, which he built with others as a start-up independent research firm that grew into a market leading provider of energy software, analytics and insights for corporate and institutional clients.

“I am thrilled and honored to step into the CEO role at this transformational moment for Enverus,” Nikhanj said in the company release. “We have a bright future ahead of us, and I look forward to continuing to benefit from Jeff’s mentorship and strategic vision as we work with the team to continue creating value and delivering extraordinary outcomes for our customers.”

Enverus was founded 25 years ago as DrillingInfo by a bunch of “oil patch kids,” and has evolved to the point of being an industry go-to source for energy data and research. In 2019, Drillinginfo became “Enverus,” a new moniker composed of words that represented the company’s mission. At the time, company said the “en” reflected its focus on energy; the “ver” shows its purpose to bring veracity; via its growing U.S. partnerships with the “us.”

Co-founder Allen Gilmer told Hart Energy in 2019 that Drillinginfo had grown beyond his expectations, developing into a valuable brand with “much bigger cache than we probably ever thought when we started the business.”

Today, Enverus is a trusted energy-dedicated firm. Its platform was built to maximize value from generative AI to offer “anytime, anywhere” access to its data, which includes benchmark cost and revenue information from more than 95% of U.S. energy producers and more than 40,000 suppliers, the company said.

The company's work encompasses an all-of-the-above industry focus, including traditional energy sources, renewables and power.

Enverus’ work in the energy transition, particularly in power and renewables, has grown six-fold within five years, the company said. Its own trajectory in that space highlights “the rapid evolution and critical importance of renewable energy in the global energy landscape.”