Salesforce Acquires Informatica in $8 Billion Deal to Strengthen AI and Data Cloud Capabilities

Salesforce Inc. (NYSE: CRM) has made a big move in the business software world by buying Informatica Inc. (NYSE: INFA) for $8 billion. Informatica is a leader in data integration and management solutions. Salesforce’s most recent strategic purchase is part of its ongoing effort to improve its AI and data capabilities across its ecosystem, especially on its Data Cloud and Agentforce platforms.

A Strategic Data-Driven Investment

According to the deal, Salesforce will pay $25 in cash for each share of Informatica’s Class A and Class B-1 common stock. The deal is worth about $8 billion in equity, minus the money that Salesforce already has in Informatica.

Salesforce wants to completely integrate Informatica’s full technology stack, which has solutions for managing metadata, data integration, governance, quality, and master data management (MDM). This change is expected to make Salesforce’s data pipeline capabilities more efficient, which will help businesses better combine and use their data.

Enhancing Data Cloud and Agentforce with Informatica’s Tools

The integration will give Salesforce’s Data Cloud better MDM and metadata services, making it easier for businesses to use. This change is very important for Agentforce, Salesforce’s AI-powered automation platform, which needs a strong data infrastructure to work well.

Salesforce also wants to help Informatica’s AI-powered data management approach by putting money into the company’s network of partners. The corporation wants to use its own large worldwide marketing and distribution networks to help Informatica’s cloud business develop even more.

A Deal with Regulatory Considerations

In May 2025, it was revealed that this deal would go through, however, the two firms had talked about it in April 2024 and then called it off since they couldn’t agree on the terms. Bloomberg analysts have said that the transaction could be looked at by regulators because it might be similar to Salesforce’s current MuleSoft unit, which is another data connection platform.

Even still, Salesforce seems sure that Informatica is a good strategic match and will be valuable in the long run, especially in the areas of AI and cloud data management.

Informatica’s Role and Market Position

Informatica started in 1993 and has since become a well-known provider of cloud-based data management and automation services. Some of its clients are Unilever and Deloitte. Informatica’s price had dropped more than 24% in the past year, but it was still a top target for big companies like Cloud Software Group, which used to be Citrix Systems.

According to Bloomberg, the company has about $1.9 billion in debt right now. Salesforce will have to deal with this debt as it takes over the business.

Salesforce’s Acquisition History and Strategic Focus

Salesforce has bought a lot of big companies in the past to grow its cloud services and strengthen its position as a leader in corporate software and customer relationship management (CRM). In 2019, the company bought Tableau Software for $15.7 billion. In 2020, it bought Slack Technologies for $27.7 billion.

In 2023, activist investors criticised the company’s acquisition approach, but Salesforce has since worked to find a balance between expansion and shareholder value. These include cutting costs, buying back more shares, and getting rid of its mergers and acquisitions board committee.

Financial Outlook and Analyst Sentiment

Salesforce had $14.03 billion in cash and cash equivalents as of January 31, 2025. This gave them a strong financial base for the purchase. Brad Sills, an analyst at BofA Securities, recently gave Salesforce stock a favourable rating. He said that Sales Cloud is the company’s flagship product and that it is expected to bring in $7.9 billion in subscription revenue in fiscal 2026.

Conclusion

Salesforce’s purchase of Informatica shows that it is serious about taking over the cloud ecosystem that is driven by data and AI. Salesforce is now able to offer even better, smarter solutions to businesses who want to bring all of their data together and get the most value out of it by adding Informatica’s strong data management capabilities to its offerings.

As the integration goes forward, the industry will be looking intently to see how this purchase changes the way enterprise data and AI platforms work.