Salesforce Acquisitions:
Salesforce’s Acquisition strategy has always been driven by customer success, a consistent core value of the company. Since its founding, Salesforce’s mission to provide customers and stakeholders with new avenues to greater success has fueled continuous innovation.
Here are some key Salesforce Acquisitions over the years that have strengthened Salesforce’s capabilities and reinforced its commitment to customer success.
2008:
· InStranet:
August 4, 2008: Salesforce completed its acquisition of InStranet for $31.5 million.
InStranet, founded in 1999 by Alexandre Dayon and Jean-Noel Grandval, specialized in multi-channel knowledge applications for automating content and knowledge delivery. Its flagship product, Dimensions, used multidimensional data cubes to categorize customer information, helping contact centers and self-service portals provide faster, more relevant responses.
InStranet’s acquisition aimed to improve customer service and support by integrating its technology into Salesforce’s CRM. After the acquisition, InStranet’s software was rebranded as Salesforce Knowledge Base, offered as a service, and continued supporting existing on-premises installations.
As of now, InStranet is fully integrated into Salesforce and no longer operates as a separate entity.
2011:
· Heroku:
January 3, 2011: Salesforce completed its acquisition of Heroku for $212 million.
Heroku, founded in 2007 by James Lindenbaum, Adam Wiggins, and Orion Henry, is a cloud platform as a service (PaaS) that enables developers to build, run, and scale applications using various programming languages, including Node.js, Ruby, Java, PHP, Python, Go, Scala, and Clojure.
Heroku’s acquisition aimed to expand cloud application development by integrating its platform into Salesforce’s ecosystem. After the acquisition, Heroku continued operating as a standalone service while enhancing Salesforce’s capabilities in app deployment, scalability, and developer productivity.
As of now, Heroku continues to operate as a subsidiary of Salesforce, offering a fully managed platform that simplifies application deployment and scaling.
· Radian6:
May 2, 2011: Salesforce completed its acquisition of Radian6 for $326 million.
Radian6, founded in 2006 by Marcel LeBrun, Chris Newton, and Chris Ramsey, was a leader in social media listening, providing businesses with insights into customer conversations across platforms like Facebook, Twitter, blogs, and forums. Its platform enabled brands to track, analyze, and engage in real-time social media interactions.
Radian6’s acquisition aimed to strengthen Salesforce’s social CRM strategy, allowing businesses to integrate social media insights into customer engagement and support. Following the acquisition, Radian6 became a core component of Salesforce Marketing Cloud, helping brands monitor online sentiment and improve customer relationships.
As of now, Radian6 is fully integrated into Salesforce Marketing Cloud and no longer operates as a separate entity.
2012:
· Buddy Media:
August 13, 2012: Salesforce completed its acquisition of Buddy Media for $689 million.
Buddy Media, founded in 2007 by Michael Lazerow, Kass Lazerow, Jeff Ragovin, and Joe Ciarallo, was a social media marketing platform that helped brands manage and optimize their presence on social networks like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Its platform enabled businesses to create, publish, and analyze content while engaging with audiences effectively.
Buddy Media’s acquisition aimed to enhance Salesforce Marketing Cloud by providing a complete solution for social media marketing, complementing the capabilities of Radian6. Following the acquisition, Buddy Media’s features were integrated into Salesforce Marketing Cloud, strengthening social marketing automation and content management.
As of now, Buddy Media is fully integrated into Salesforce Marketing Cloud and no longer operates as a separate entity.
2013:
· ExactTarget:
July 12, 2013: Salesforce completed its acquisition of ExactTarget for $2.5 billion.
ExactTarget, founded in 2000 by Scott Dorsey, Chris Baggott, and Peter McCormick, was a leading provider of email marketing, automation, and digital marketing solutions. Its platform enabled businesses to create, personalize, and automate marketing campaigns across email, mobile, social media, and web channels.
ExactTarget’s acquisition aimed to strengthen Salesforce Marketing Cloud, providing a robust platform for multi-channel marketing automation. Following the acquisition, ExactTarget became the foundation of Salesforce Marketing Cloud, integrating capabilities from Radian6 and Buddy Media to deliver a comprehensive digital marketing solution.
As of now, ExactTarget is fully integrated into Salesforce Marketing Cloud and no longer operates as a separate entity.
2016:
· SteelBrick:
February 1, 2016: Salesforce completed its acquisition of SteelBrick for $360 million.
SteelBrick, founded in 2009 by Max Rudman, was a Configure, Price, Quote (CPQ) software provider that helped businesses automate quoting, pricing, and billing processes. Its cloud-based solution enabled sales teams to quickly generate accurate quotes, streamline approvals, and close deals faster.
SteelBrick’s acquisition aimed to strengthen Salesforce’s sales automation tools, leading to the launch of Salesforce CPQ & Billing. Following the acquisition, SteelBrick was rebranded as Salesforce CPQ, becoming a core part of Sales Cloud to help businesses improve pricing accuracy and revenue management.
As of now, SteelBrick is fully integrated into Salesforce and no longer operates as a separate entity.
· Metamind:
April 1, 2016: Salesforce completed its acquisition of Metamind for an undisclosed amount.
MetaMind, founded in 2014 by Richard Socher, was an AI and deep learning startup focused on natural language processing (NLP), computer vision, and predictive analytics. Its technology helped businesses automate tasks like sentiment analysis, image recognition, and customer support automation.
MetaMind’s acquisition aimed to strengthen Salesforce’s AI strategy, becoming a key part of Salesforce Einstein, the company’s AI-powered analytics and automation platform. Following the acquisition, MetaMind’s technology was integrated into Salesforce Einstein, powering AI-driven insights across Salesforce products.
As of now, MetaMind is fully integrated into Salesforce and no longer operates as a separate entity.
· Demandware:
July 11, 2016: Salesforce completed its acquisition of Demandware for $2.8 billion.
Demandware, founded in 2004 by Stephan Schambach, was a cloud-based e-commerce platform that enabled businesses to build and manage online stores. It provided retailers with tools for product management, order processing, personalization, and omnichannel shopping experiences.
Demandware’s acquisition aimed to strengthen Salesforce’s presence in digital commerce, leading to the launch of Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Following the acquisition, Demandware’s technology became the foundation of Commerce Cloud, enabling businesses to deliver seamless shopping experiences across web, mobile, social, and in-store channels.
As of now, Demandware is fully integrated into Salesforce and no longer operates as a separate entity.
· Quip:
August 26, 2016: Salesforce completed its acquisition of Quip for $750 million.
Quip, founded in 2012 by Bret Taylor and Kevin Gibbs, was a collaborative productivity software platform that combined documents, spreadsheets, chat, and task management into a single interface. It was designed to help teams work together seamlessly without relying on multiple apps.
Quip’s acquisition aimed to strengthen Salesforce’s productivity and collaboration tools, providing a modern, integrated workspace for teams. Following the acquisition, Quip was integrated into Salesforce’s suite of products, enabling real-time document collaboration directly within Salesforce Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, and other CRM applications.
As of now, Quip continues to operate as a part of Salesforce, offering enhanced collaboration features for Salesforce users.
· Krux:
November 1, 2016: Salesforce completed its acquisition of Krux for $700 million.
Krux, founded in 2010 by Tom Chavez, Vivek Vaidya, and Mark Torres, was a data management platform (DMP) that enabled businesses to collect, analyze, and activate audience data across various channels. Its AI-driven technology empowered marketers to deliver personalized experiences by utilizing real-time customer insights.
Krux’s acquisition aimed to strengthen Salesforce Marketing Cloud by providing advanced data management and audience targeting capabilities. Following the acquisition, Krux was rebranded as Salesforce DMP (part of the Salesforce Customer Data Platform) and integrated into Salesforce Marketing Cloud to help businesses optimize customer engagement.
As of now, Krux is fully integrated into Salesforce and no longer operates as a separate entity.
2018:
· CloudCraze:
April 6, 2018: Salesforce completed its acquisition of CloudCraze for an undisclosed amount.
CloudCraze, founded in 2009, was a B2B e-commerce platform built natively on Salesforce. It enabled businesses to create digital storefronts, manage online sales, and deliver personalized B2B shopping experiences with deep CRM integration.
CloudCraze’s acquisition aimed to enhance Salesforce Commerce Cloud, expanding its capabilities beyond B2C retail to include B2B digital commerce. Following the acquisition, CloudCraze was integrated into Salesforce B2B Commerce, providing enterprises with scalable and customer-centric online sales solutions.
As of now, CloudCraze is fully integrated into Salesforce and no longer operates as a separate entity.
· MuleSoft:
May 2, 2018: Salesforce completed its acquisition of MuleSoft for $6.5 billion.
MuleSoft, founded in 2006 by Ross Mason, was a leading integration platform that helped businesses connect applications, data, and devices across cloud and on-premises environments. Its Anypoint Platform enabled organizations to build and manage APIs, streamline data flows, and create a unified digital ecosystem.
MuleSoft’s acquisition aimed to strengthen Salesforce’s ability to connect disparate systems, allowing businesses to integrate customer data across multiple platforms seamlessly. Following the acquisition, MuleSoft became a core part of Salesforce Integration Cloud, powering data-driven digital transformation.
As of now, MuleSoft continues to operate as a Salesforce company, offering its integration and API solutions.
· Datorama:
August 20, 2018: Salesforce completed its acquisition of Datorama for $800 million.
Datorama, founded in 2012 by Ran Sarig, Katrin Ribant, and Efi Cohen, was an AI-powered marketing intelligence platform that helped businesses unify, analyze, and optimize marketing data across multiple channels. It provided real-time insights, automated reporting, and predictive analytics to improve marketing performance.
Datorama’s acquisition aimed to strengthen Salesforce Marketing Cloud, enabling marketers to gain deeper insights into campaign performance and customer engagement. Following the acquisition, Datorama became a core part of Salesforce Marketing Cloud Intelligence, helping businesses optimize marketing spend and drive better ROI.
As of now, Datorama is fully integrated into Salesforce and no longer operates as a separate entity.
2019:
· MapAnything:
May 30, 2019: Salesforce completed its acquisition of MapAnything for an undisclosed amount.
MapAnything, founded in 2009 by John Stewart and Ben Brantly, was a geo-mapping and location intelligence platform built natively on Salesforce. It provided businesses with tools for route optimization, territory planning, and location-based analytics, helping sales and service teams improve productivity and efficiency.
MapAnything’s acquisition aimed to strengthen Salesforce’s field service and sales automation tools by integrating advanced mapping and geolocation capabilities into its CRM. Following the acquisition, MapAnything was rebranded as Salesforce Maps, providing users with real-time location insights for better decision-making.
As of now, MapAnything is fully integrated into Salesforce and no longer operates as a separate entity.
· Tableau:
August 1, 2019: Salesforce completed its acquisition of Tableau for $15.7 billion.
Tableau, founded in 2003 by Chris Stolte, Pat Hanrahan, and Christian Chabot, was a leading analytics platform that enabled users to visualize and understand data through interactive dashboards and reports. Its drag-and-drop interface made data analysis accessible to both technical and non-technical users.
Tableau’s acquisition aimed to strengthen Salesforce’s analytics offerings, allowing businesses to gain deeper insights from their data. Following the acquisition, Tableau continued to operate as a standalone product while integrating with Salesforce Analytics and Salesforce Einstein AI to enhance data-driven decision-making.
As of now, Tableau remains an independent brand under Salesforce, continuing to develop and expand its data visualization solutions.
· ClickSoftware:
October 1, 2019: Salesforce completed its acquisition of ClickSoftware for $1.35 billion.
ClickSoftware, founded in 1997 by Dr. Moshe BenBassat, was a leader in field service management software, helping businesses schedule and optimize mobile workforce operations. Its AI-driven platform enabled companies to improve service efficiency, dispatch technicians, and enhance customer satisfaction.
ClickSoftware’s acquisition aimed to strengthen Salesforce Field Service, providing advanced scheduling, workforce optimization, and real-time analytics for service teams. Following the acquisition, ClickSoftware’s technology was integrated into Salesforce Field Service, enhancing its ability to manage complex service operations.
As of now, ClickSoftware is fully integrated into Salesforce and no longer operates as a separate entity.
2020:
· Evergage:
February 3, 2020: Salesforce completed its acquisition of Evergage for an undisclosed amount.
Evergage, founded in 2010 by Karl Wirth and Greg Hinkle, was a real-time personalization and customer data platform (CDP) that used AI and machine learning to deliver individualized experiences across web, mobile, email, and in-app interactions. It helped businesses analyze user behavior and dynamically tailor content to improve engagement and conversions.
Evergage’s acquisition aimed to strengthen Salesforce Marketing Cloud by integrating real-time personalization and AI-driven recommendations. Following the acquisition, Evergage was rebranded as Salesforce Interaction Studio, becoming a key part of Salesforce Marketing Cloud’s Personalization features.
As of now, Evergage is fully integrated into Salesforce and no longer operates as a separate entity.
· Vlocity:
June 1, 2020: Salesforce completed its acquisition of Vlocity for $1.33 billion.
Vlocity, founded in 2014 by David Schmaier, was a cloud-based software company that provided industry-specific CRM solutions for sectors like telecommunications, healthcare, insurance, energy, and government. Built natively on Salesforce, Vlocity offered pre-built industry applications to help companies accelerate digital transformation.
Vlocity’s acquisition aimed to strengthen Salesforce’s Industry Cloud offerings, enabling businesses to deploy tailored CRM solutions faster. Following the acquisition, Vlocity was rebranded as Salesforce Industries, integrating its vertical-specific solutions into the Salesforce Customer 360 platform.
As of now, Vlocity is fully integrated into Salesforce and no longer operates as a separate entity.
2021:
· Acumen Solutions:
February 1, 2021: Salesforce completed its acquisition of Acumen Solutions for an undisclosed amount.
Acumen Solutions, founded in 1999, was a global consulting firm specializing in Salesforce implementations, digital transformation, and enterprise solutions across industries like government, financial services, and retail. The company helped organizations optimize their Salesforce deployments to drive business growth and efficiency.
Acumen Solutions’ acquisition aimed to expand Salesforce Professional Services, enabling customers to accelerate digital transformation and adoption of Salesforce solutions. Following the acquisition, Acumen Solutions was integrated into Salesforce Professional Services, enhancing its ability to provide strategic guidance, implementation, and support.
As of now, Acumen Solutions is fully integrated into Salesforce and no longer operates as a separate entity.
· Slack:
July 21, 2021: Salesforce completed its acquisition of Slack for $27.7 billion.
Slack, founded in 2013 by Stewart Butterfield, Eric Costello, Cal Henderson, and Serguei Mourachov, was a team collaboration and messaging platform designed to enhance workplace communication. It provided real-time messaging, file sharing, integrations with third-party apps, and automation tools to improve productivity.
Slack’s acquisition aimed to transform the future of work by integrating Slack with Salesforce Customer 360, enabling businesses to communicate and collaborate more efficiently. Following the acquisition, Slack remained an independent brand while integrating deeply with Salesforce products, powering Slack-first Customer 360 for digital headquarters solutions.
As of now, Slack continues to operate as a Salesforce company, expanding its collaboration tools across industries.
2022:
· Troops.ai:
July 15, 2022: Salesforce completed its acquisition of Troops.ai for an undisclosed amount.
Troops.ai, founded in 2015 by Dan Reich, Scott Britton, and Greg Ratner, was a revenue communications platform that connected sales teams with real-time data and insights from CRM systems through messaging platforms like Slack and Microsoft Teams. It aimed to improve sales efficiency by delivering actionable insights directly into team communication channels.
Troops.ai’s acquisition aimed to strengthen Salesforce’s Slack offerings, enabling users to receive real-time alerts and insights within their collaborative workflows. Following the acquisition, Troops.ai’s technology was integrated into Slack, enhancing its capabilities for sales and customer service teams.
As of now, Troops.ai continues to operate under Salesforce, focusing on enhancing Slack’s revenue intelligence capabilities.
2023:
· Airkit.ai:
November 8, 2023: Salesforce completed its acquisition of Airkit.ai for an undisclosed amount.
Airkit.ai, founded in 2017 by Adam Evans and Stephen Ehikian, is a low-code platform that specializes in AI-powered customer engagement solutions. The company enables businesses to build and automate self-service digital experiences, leveraging conversational AI and automation to enhance customer interactions across multiple channels.
Airkit.ai’s acquisition aimed to strengthen Salesforce’s AI capabilities, particularly in Service Cloud, by integrating advanced AI-driven automation for customer engagement.
As of now, Airkit.ai continues to operate independently, focusing on expanding AI-powered automation within the Salesforce ecosystem while supporting businesses in delivering seamless digital experiences.
2024:
January 16, 2024: Salesforce completed its acquisition of PredictSpring for an undisclosed amount.
PredictSpring, founded in 2013 by Nitin Mangtani, was a modern POS (Point of Sale) and omnichannel retail platform designed to enhance in-store shopping experiences. The company specializes in unified commerce solutions, enabling retailers to offer seamless online-to-offline shopping, mobile checkout, and AI-driven customer engagement.
PredictSpring’s acquisition aimed to strengthen Salesforce’s retail offerings, particularly in Commerce Cloud, by integrating mobile-first POS and omnichannel retail solutions. This move aligned with Salesforce’s strategy to empower retailers with AI-powered, data-driven customer experiences.
As of now, PredictSpring continues to operate independently, focusing on expanding AI-driven retail technology within the Salesforce ecosystem while helping brands deliver frictionless and personalized in-store experiences.
· Spiff:
February 1, 2024: Salesforce completed its acquisition of Spiff for $419 million.
Spiff, founded in 2018 by Jeron Paul and Matt Stapleton, is a sales commission and incentive compensation management (ICM) platform that automates commission calculations and provides real-time visibility into sales performance. It enables companies to design, track, and manage sales compensation efficiently, helping sales teams stay motivated and aligned with company goals.
Spiff’s acquisition aimed to enhance Salesforce Sales Cloud by integrating automated commission tracking and performance insights into the platform. Following the acquisition, Spiff’s technology became part of Salesforce Sales Performance Management, helping businesses streamline their sales compensation processes.
As of now, Spiff continues to operate independently, providing innovative solutions for sales commission management.
· Zoomin:
November 1, 2024: Salesforce completed its acquisition of Zoomin for an undisclosed amount.
Zoomin, founded in 2016 by Gal Oron, was a knowledge orchestration platform that leveraged AI to help businesses deliver personalized and contextual product documentation. The company specializes in enhancing customer self-service experiences by integrating knowledge from multiple sources into a unified, searchable interface.
Zoomin’s acquisition aimed to strengthen Salesforce’s AI-powered knowledge management capabilities, particularly in Service Cloud, by enhancing self-service support and streamlining access to technical documentation. This move aligned with Salesforce’s broader AI strategy, improving knowledge accessibility for both customers and support teams.
As of now, Zoomin continues to operate independently, focusing on expanding AI-driven documentation and self-service solutions within the Salesforce ecosystem.
· Own Company:
November 18, 2024: Salesforce completed its acquisition of Own Company for $1.9 billion.
Own Company, founded in 2015 by Sam Gutmann and Ariel Berkman, was a data protection and management platform that provided backup, recovery, and compliance solutions for businesses using cloud services. The company helped organizations secure mission-critical data, ensure regulatory compliance, and recover from data loss efficiently.
Own Company’s acquisition aimed to enhance Salesforce’s data security offerings by integrating automated backup, recovery, and compliance solutions into the Salesforce platform. Following the acquisition, Own Company’s technology became part of Salesforce Security and Privacy solutions, providing businesses with enhanced data protection capabilities.
As of now, OwnBackup continues to operate independently, providing advanced cloud data protection solutions while expanding its capabilities within the Salesforce ecosystem.
In addition to the above acquisitions, Salesforce also acquired Sendia and Kieden in 2006, Koral in 2007, Jigsaw in 2010, Activa Live Chat and Dimdim in 2011, Rypple and GoInstant in 2012, RelateIQ in 2014, Toopher, Tempo, MinHash, and SteelBrick in 2015, Sequence in 2017, Rebel in 2018, Servicetrace in 2021, Phennecs in 2022, Tenyx in 2024 and more.