Salesforce has agreed to acquire data management firm Informatica in a deal valued at around $8 billion. This includes equity value, minus Salesforce’s existing investment in the company. Informatica shareholders will receive $25 in cash per share.
The move aims to help Salesforce build a stronger foundation for AI tools that can act on their own, often called agentic AI. Informatica’s software is known for helping businesses collect, manage, and organise large sets of data – the kind of support Salesforce needs to improve its AI systems’ work in different business applications.
The deal brings together tools for organising and cleaning data (like Master Data Management and data integration) with Salesforce’s cloud platform. The idea is to make sure any AI features running on Salesforce have access to organised and secure data.
For companies using AI in daily operations, having the right data isn’t enough. They also need to know where that data came from, how it has been changed, and whether it can be trusted. That’s where Informatica’s tools come in with benefits such as:
- Transparency: Informatica can show how data flows through systems, helping companies meet audit or regulatory needs.
- Context: By combining Informatica’s metadata with Salesforce’s data models, AI agents will better understand how to connect the dots in business systems.
- Governance: Features like data quality controls and policy settings help make sure AI systems rely on clean and consistent data.
Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff said the acquisition supports the company’s goal of building safe and responsible AI for business use. “We’re excited to acquire Informatica … Together, we’ll supercharge Agentforce, Data Cloud, Tableau, MuleSoft, and Customer 360,” Benioff said.
Informatica CEO Amit Walia said joining Salesforce will help more businesses make better use of their data.
How this helps Salesforce’s data products
Informatica’s cloud tools will plug directly into Salesforce’s core products:
- Data cloud: Informatica will help ensure data collected is trustworthy and ready to use – not just gathered in one place.
- Agentforce: AI agents should be able to make smarter decisions with cleaner data and better understanding of business context.
- Customer 360: Salesforce CRM tools will gain data inputs, helping sales and support teams.
- MuleSoft: With Informatica’s data quality and governance tools, the data passing through MuleSoft APIs should be more reliable.
- Tableau: Users of Tableau will benefit from more detailed information, as the data behind the dashboards should be better organised and easier to understand.
Steve Fisher, President and CTO at Salesforce, explained the value: “Imagine an AI agent that goes beyond simply seeing data points to understand their full context – origin, transformation, quality, and governance.”
Salesforce plans to bring Informatica’s technology into its existing systems quickly after the deal closes. This includes integrating data quality, governance, and MDM features into Agentforce and Data Cloud.
The company also said it will continue to support Informatica’s current strategy to build AI-driven data tools for use in different cloud environments.
Informatica acquisition aligns with Salesforce’s strategy
Salesforce executives described the acquisition as part of a long-term plan.
Robin Washington, President and CFO, said the company targets deals like this one when it sees a clear fit for customers and a solid financial return. “We’re laser-focused on accelerated execution,” she said, pointing to sectors like government, healthcare, and finance, where the combined tools could have most impact.
Informatica’s chairman Bruce Chizen said the deal shows how long-term investment strategies can pay off. He credited private equity backers Permira and CPP Investments for their role in guiding the company toward this outcome.
Salesforce also said it plans to invest in Informatica’s partner network and apply its own sales and marketing muscle to grow Informatica’s cloud business further.
Deal terms and next steps
The boards of both companies have approved the transaction. Shareholders representing about 63% of Informatica’s voting shares have signed off and no further votes are needed. The deal is expected to close early in Salesforce’s 2027 fiscal year, pending regulatory approval and other conditions.
Salesforce will pay for the deal using a mix of cash and new debt. The company expects the deal to add to its non-GAAP earnings, margin, and cash flow starting in the second year after closing. It does not plan to change its shareholder return plans as a result of the acquisition.
(Image from Pixabay)
See also: Oracle plans $40B Nvidia chip deal for AI facility in Texas
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