Customer relationship management giant Salesforce announced it will acquire AI company Braze for approximately 5.66 billion dollars (about 37.873 billion yuan at current exchange rates). The core of this deal is Braze's suite of tools that allow brands to push personalized messages and respond to customer behavior in real time — with these, Salesforce hopes to push its own artificial intelligence layout a step further.
The market voted yes with its money. After the deal was announced, Braze's share price soared more than 50% on Tuesday, local time. Under the specific terms, Braze shareholders will receive 47.50 dollars per share in cash, a premium of about 58.1% over the previous trading day's closing price. To lock in this marriage, the two sides also set termination fees: if Salesforce backs out it must pay 300 million dollars, and if Braze reneges it must pay 191.4 million dollars. Such a heavy premium reflects the CRM leader's craving for "real-time engagement capabilities."
A transformation chip under AI anxiety — and by no means the first
Why is Salesforce placing this bet now? The backdrop is investor worries — AI technology is spreading so fast that demand for traditional software is being eroded. This acquisition is precisely the latest chip it has wagered to accelerate its AI pivot. Braze holds about 2,770 customers, including Canva, Instacart, and Venmo, and its AI tools can help marketers optimize content, offers, and delivery channels. Futurum Securities chief market strategist Shay Boloor's comment hit the nail on the head: Salesforce has essentially bought "the real-time engagement layer that marketing businesses have always lacked."
This is not Salesforce's first shot on the AI track. Earlier this year, it took the AI agent platform Fin for 3.6 billion dollars, and last year it completed the 8 billion dollar acquisition of Informatica. With this string of moves, this San Francisco company's AI puzzle is being completed piece by piece.
Salesforce expects the deal to close in fiscal year 2028 and stressed that it does not affect its fiscal year 2027 performance outlook. J.P. Morgan Securities serves as its exclusive financial advisor, while Qatalyst Partners advised Braze. Amid the collective anxiety of "buy AI or fall behind," Salesforce has converted anxiety into a moat with real money — but when the moat of traditional software itself is being washed away by AI, only time will tell whether this premium acquisition can truly reinforce the city walls.