Salesforce is making a daring return to high-stakes dealmaking by acquiring data management leader Informatica for an estimated $8 billion. The deal is the company’s largest acquisition since acquiring Slack in 2021.
This acquisition announced on Tuesday puts Salesforce in a strong position to dominate AI-powered data infrastructure as the enterprise tech industry’s artificial intelligence (AI) arms race heats up.
Significance of Informatica to Salesforce
Expected to close early in Salesforce’s 2027 fiscal year, the deal represents a strategic shift for the business, which had previously retreated from significant M&A activity in response to pressure from activist investors to prioritise profitability. Informatica provides the strong data foundation required to support Salesforce’s current strategy of incorporating agentic AI into all facets of corporate operations.
Per the agreement, the cash payout to Informatica shareholders will be $25 per share, which is 30 percent more than the company’s pre-deal market value. It is anticipated that the deal, which will be financed by a combination of new debt and cash on hand, will start to increase Salesforce’s operating margin and free cash flow in the second year after the closing.
The combination of Salesforce’s AI and cloud platforms with Informatica’s robust data capabilities is what really makes this acquisition valuable. In particular, Salesforce’s AI agent platform Agentforce, Data Cloud, and CRM solutions will be directly integrated with Informatica, which is well-known for its enterprise-grade data cataloguing, metadata management, master data management (MDM), and governance tools.
“Together, Salesforce and Informatica will create the most complete, agent-ready data platform in the industry,” said Marc Benioff, Chair and CEO of Salesforce. “This is a major leap toward building intelligent systems that not only process data but truly understand it in context.”
System of understanding
Enterprise AI is about having the right data, governed correctly, transparent in its origins, and meaningful in its structure, not just about having a tonne of data. AI agents can function more accurately and responsibly thanks to Informatica’s suite of services, which guarantee that data can be tracked, audited, and cleaned before it reaches the decision layer.
Salesforce wants to create what it refers to as a “system of understanding”, in which data not only powers AI but also gives agents the context and confidence they need to make decisions. Salesforce’s unified customer data model and Informatica’s deep metadata are combined in the acquisition, paving the way for next-generation AI use cases in the public sector, healthcare, financial services, and life sciences.
What does Informatica bring to the table?
Salesforce’s already impressive data and analytics portfolio has been significantly enhanced by this deal. The capabilities of Informatica will enhance:
Data Cloud: Adding more reliable and accurate data to customer data platforms to improve targeting and personalisation.
MuleSoft: Using strong integration and API management to guarantee that linked systems receive clean, governed, and actionable data.
Tableau: Improving decision-making through better visualisation and providing deeper insights with cleaner, context-rich datasets.
The outcome will be that every product in this AI-first Salesforce ecosystem, including CRM, integration, and analytics, is driven by reliable, well-managed data.
Enterprise AI market expected to reach over $150 billion
The timing of Salesforce’s move is crucial. The competition amongst major software vendors to define the future of AI at scale is intensifying, with the enterprise AI market expected to reach over $150 billion. Salesforce is placing a wager with the purchase of Informatica that data governance and trustworthiness will be crucial differentiators in that competition.
Salesforce’s Agentforce platform, which assists companies in creating self-governing digital agents, has already seen a high rate of adoption. With Informatica’s strong data infrastructure now included, Salesforce hopes to build on the more than 1,000 paid deals the company has closed on Agentforce.
“This is about building AI systems that don’t just automate tasks but truly understand context, data quality, and business logic,” said Steve Fisher, Salesforce CTO. “Informatica gives us that foundation.”
Salesforce to incorporate Informatica’s tools after deal’s finalisation
Salesforce intends to quickly incorporate Informatica’s tools into its current platform after the deal is finalised. Customers will enjoy a seamless experience across cloud, hybrid, and multi-cloud environments thanks to the unified architecture, even as Informatica continues to develop its standalone solutions.
Salesforce has also pledged to help Informatica’s wider network of partners, leveraging its strong distribution networks to expand Informatica’s clientele even more.
Salesforce President and CFO Robin Washington noted, “This acquisition fits squarely within our M&A strategy — focused, disciplined, and designed to unlock long-term value for customers and shareholders alike.”
Salesforce is leading the way as AI revolutionises business operations, not only with intelligent agents but also with the most comprehensive, reliable, and expandable data platform to support them.