Salesforce has announced its agreement to acquire Informatica, a cloud data management company, for approximately $8 billion. Informatica shareholders will receive $25 per share, representing an 11% premium over the previous closing price. This acquisition aims to enhance Salesforce's data management capabilities, supporting its strategic focus on AI and data-driven services. The deal has been approved by both companies' boards and is expected to close early in Salesforce's fiscal year 2027.

Informatica, established in 1993 and based in Redwood City, California, specializes in enterprise cloud data management and data integration. The company's products include data warehousing tools, extract, transform, load (ETL) tools, and big data solutions. Informatica was taken private in 2015 by private equity firm Permira and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board for about $5.3 billion and returned to public trading in 2021.

Under the terms of the agreement, Salesforce will acquire Informatica for approximately $8 billion, with Informatica shareholders receiving $25 per share. This price represents an 11% premium over Informatica's previous closing price. The acquisition has been approved by the boards of both companies and is expected to close early in Salesforce's fiscal year 2027.

The acquisition is intended to bolster Salesforce's data management capabilities, a critical component as the company intensifies its focus on integrating artificial intelligence (AI) across its suite of business tools. By incorporating Informatica's data integration and management solutions, Salesforce aims to enhance its AI functionalities, such as its Agentforce platform, which enables businesses to automate tasks through virtual AI agents. Salesforce has reportedly closed over 1,000 paid deals for Agentforce.

Informatica's expertise in data integration, cleansing, and transformation is expected to complement Salesforce's existing offerings, including its Data Cloud and AI products. This synergy could provide Salesforce customers with improved data analysis capabilities, particularly in sectors such as public services, healthcare, and financial services.

Following the announcement, Informatica's stock rose by 5.7%, while Salesforce shares also saw a slight increase. Analysts have noted that integrating Informatica's technologies could drive AI adoption across Salesforce's platform by more effectively connecting data across various business silos. However, some analysts have expressed concerns about the deal's growth profile and potential margin impacts, suggesting that the acquisition could dilute Salesforce's margins if significant synergies are not realized.

This acquisition marks Salesforce's largest purchase since acquiring Slack Technologies for nearly $28 billion in 2021. It signals a return to major mergers and acquisitions after a period of restraint influenced by pressure from activist investors to enhance profitability. The deal may face antitrust scrutiny due to functional overlap with Salesforce’s existing MuleSoft platform.

This is not the first time Salesforce has pursued Informatica. In April 2024, Salesforce was in advanced talks to acquire Informatica at a price below its $11 billion market capitalization at the time. The deal was eventually abandoned; however, just over a year later, in May 2025, Salesforce announced its intent to purchase Informatica for about $8 billion, subject to regulatory approval.

The acquisition of Informatica by Salesforce is poised to significantly enhance Salesforce's data management capabilities, expand its reach into new verticals, strengthen its AI and machine learning offerings, and provide a competitive edge in the enterprise software market.