Salesforce has agreed an $8 billion deal to acquire data management firm Informatica. The customer relationship management software giant said the deal for the cloud data company would bolster its push into artificial intelligence by combining Informatica’s data catalogue and management services with Agentforce, Salesforce’s agentic AI offering. “Truly autonomous, trustworthy AI agents need the […]
Salesforce has agreed an $8 billion deal to acquire data management firm Informatica.
The customer relationship management software giant said the deal for the cloud data company would bolster its push into artificial intelligence by combining Informatica’s data catalogue and management services with Agentforce, Salesforce’s agentic AI offering.
“Truly autonomous, trustworthy AI agents need the most comprehensive understanding of their data,” said Steve Fisher, Salesforce president and chief technology officer, in a release announcing the deal. “The combination of Informatica’s advanced catalogue and metadata capabilities with our Agentforce platform delivers exactly this.”
Salesforce, which launched Agentforce last year, said it will establish a unified architecture for agentic AI, which would help enterprises scale their AI projects.
The acquisition adds to a slew of deals Salesforce has made over the years as the company has sought to expand its product portfolio and gain market share. It bought Slack in 2021 for $27.7 billion, Tableau in 2019 for $15.7 billion and MuleSoft in 2018 for $6.5 billion.
“Together, Salesforce and Informatica will create the most complete, agent-ready data platform in the industry,” said Marc Benioff, Chair and CEO of Salesforce.
“By uniting the power of Data Cloud, MuleSoft, and Tableau with Informatica’s industry-leading, advanced data management capabilities, we will enable autonomous agents to deliver smarter, safer, and more scalable outcomes for every company, and significantly strengthen our position in the $150 billion-plus enterprise data market.”
The definitive agreement with Informatica – which operates out of Redwood, California – will be funded by a combination of cash and new debt.
Informatica was founded by Gaurav Dhillon and Diaz Nesamoney in 1993. Its core products include enterprise cloud data management and data integration, with Salesforce eyeing is extensive data catalogue, data integration, governance, quality and privacy, and metadata management capabilities.
“Joining forces with Salesforce represents a significant leap forward in our journey to bring data and AI to life by empowering businesses with the transformative power of their most critical asset — their data,” said Amit Walia, CEO of Informatica. “We have a shared vision for how we can help organizations harness the full value of their data in the AI era.”
The acquisition is subject to regulatory approval and is expected to be closed in Salesforce’s fiscal year 2027.
The merger reinforces the essential role trusted data plays in powering AI, according to Qlik CEO Mike Capone, who commented on the deal.
However, he expressed some reservations. “Salesforce has a long track record of pulling customers deeper into its tightly controlled ecosystem, where bundling is the norm, licensing is rigid, and integration with non-Salesforce systems becomes increasingly painful,” Capone said.
“If you’re not all-in on Salesforce, you’re now on the outside of a very expensive walled garden. Instead of the flexibility they need, customers should brace for surprise costs and a roadmap designed to serve Salesforce-first use cases.”
