Salesforce acquires Informatica for $8bn to accelerate AI strategy

By Gloria Methri

Salesforce has struck a definitive deal to acquire data management leader Informatica for $8 billion, marking one of its most significant investments in AI infrastructure to date.

The all-cash transaction, priced at $25 per share, reflects Salesforce’s accelerating strategy to unify artificial intelligence and data across its ecosystem. Informatica, known for its enterprise-grade tools in data integration, governance, and quality, will be absorbed into Salesforce’s growing suite of data products, including Data Cloud, Tableau, and MuleSoft.

The move is expected to close by fiscal 2027, subject to regulatory clearance and shareholder approval.

Salesforce plans to leverage Informatica’s AI engine, CLAIRE, alongside its own Einstein platform to offer more accurate and actionable insights across industries such as healthcare, finance, and public services. The acquisition strengthens Salesforce’s capabilities at a time when enterprises are racing to embed generative AI into their core operations.

Informatica’s platform—already used by over 5,000 organisations—will allow Salesforce to deliver a more seamless, secure, and scalable data foundation, critical to training and deploying AI models.

“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 deal is expected to be accretive to Salesforce’s non-GAAP earnings and free cash flow within two years of completion. It will be funded through a combination of cash reserves and debt.

“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 organisations harness the full value of their data in the AI era.”

This acquisition underscores Salesforce’s intent to dominate the data-AI convergence space, competing more directly with cloud hyperscalers and data-native firms. With the global enterprise data management market estimated to exceed $150 billion, the move positions Salesforce to deepen customer lock-in through integrated AI-led tools.