Why Informatica Was Too Important for Salesforce to Ignore

Salesforce on Tuesday announced it will acquire data management company Informatica in an $8 billion all-cash transaction, the largest deal the software giant has undertaken since acquiring Slack in 2021. The move comes as Salesforce doubles down on artificial intelligence—not just by expanding what its AI agents can do, but by investing in the one thing that determines whether they can function at all: enterprise data infrastructure. The acquisition is expected to close in early fiscal 2027, pending regulatory approvals, and will be funded through a combination of cash and new debt. Under the terms, Salesforce will pay $25 per share for Informatica, representing a 30% premium to its May 22 closing price. While Informatica is far from a household name, its role in the enterprise so