Salesforce just dropped $8 billion on Informatica. Here’s why it’s key to Marc Benioff’s ambitious bet on AI agents

• Salesforce already possesses an extraordinary amount of data on the world’s biggest companies. The software giant’s acquisition of data management and analytics firm Informatica, however, signals its AI-agent platform, dubbed “Agentforce,” might need a boost.

Salesforce’s dramatic pivot to AI agents seems to have stalled in its early days. The software giant is betting its $8 billion purchase of data-management firm Informatica, however, can help turbocharge the Silicon Valley stalwart’s transformation.  

Generally, investors have richly rewarded companies for pioneering agentic AI, or artificial intelligence that could autonomously perform tasks on a human’s behalf without constant intervention, a technology that could fundamentally change white-collar work. Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff—and his historical penchant for aggressive acquisitions—has proved polarizing, though, and the company’s stock has struggled mightily in 2025 as the firm has so far failed to meet lofty expectations.

When reports of a potential deal first surfaced last April, Informatica shares traded at nearly $40. Now, Salesforce will pay stockholders $25 per share, according to a joint press release. At that price, Wall Street’s foremost tech bull thinks the deal is a “no-brainer.”

“Informatica is a gold mine of data,” Dan Ives, a managing director and senior equity research analyst at Wedbush Securities, told Fortune. “Salesforce is acquiring data, [Informatica’s] customer base, and the ability to cross-sell. And in the AI revolution, data is king.”

As the industry leader in so-called customer relationship management, or CRM, Salesforce already possesses an extraordinary amount of data on the world’s biggest companies. For Ted Mortonson, managing director and technology desk sector strategist at Baird, the acquisition signals Salesforce doesn’t have the pieces internally to make its AI-agent platform, dubbed “Agentforce,” an immediate success. 

“Think about it as the toolset to jumpstart their data cloud operations,” he told Fortune.  

The company’s shares ticked up over 1.5% on the news but are still down roughly 16% this year. Informatica’s stock, meanwhile, has risen over 20% to trade around the $24 mark since The Wall Street Journal reported discussions between the two companies on Friday.

“Together, Salesforce and Informatica will create the most complete, agent-ready data platform in the industry,” Benioff said in the press release.

What is Informatica?

Mortonson described Informatica as a company that helps customers manage the inflow of their data onto the cloud and then specializes in running analytics on that data. Founded in 1993, the company has also focused on offering artificial intelligence capabilities like Claire GPT, its generative-AI tool to assist clients.

The acquisition comes as Salesforce tries to rapidly reinvent itself to prevent its products from becoming obsolete. The software-as-a-service behemoth faces fierce competition when it comes to agentic AI, including OpenAI, Google DeepMind, Meta, Microsoft, Anthropic, and a host of others.

In this looming AI-agent world, having the best data is only half the battle, Angelo Zino, senior vice president and technology equity analyst at CFRA Research, told Fortune. It’s also critical to ensure customers get personalized insights delivered in the most useful way possible.

“This acquisition is highly complementary in terms of having a data provider and then having more the company that manages this data,” he said.

Buying Informatica, Zino said, can also help Salesforce scale its AI offerings without a host of outside partnerships with other tech companies.

“You’ve got essentially the total solution there in your hand,” he said.

Ives, meanwhile, cited the benefits of Informatica’s strong customer base, which includes over 80% of the Fortune 100. Salesforce will now have an opportunity, he said, to sell “Agentforce” to these clients.

Not everyone on Wall Street is sold, however. Mortonson questioned why Benioff is spending billions on a company that has missed badly on earnings expectations over its last two quarters.

“They have not delivered as a standalone company,” he said of Informatica.

Salesforce has acquired over 70 companies since 2006, according to data from FactSet cited by the Journal, and Benioff has previously faced heat for his aggressive M&A strategy. Two years ago, pressure from activist investors like Elliott Investment Management and Starboard Value forced the company to pivot and instead focus on expanding margins and returning cash to shareholders.

“Then, the activists got their hide out of [Salesforce], and they left,” Mortonson said. “Now, Benioff’s doing the exact same thing he did before the activists.”

Salesforce’s leader will have the opportunity to convince investors otherwise on the company’s earnings call after the bell Wednesday.

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com