Salesforce has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Braze, a leading customer engagement platform, for approximately US$5.66 billion in enterprise value. The all-cash transaction values Braze Class A common stock at US$47.50 per share and is expected to close in Salesforce's fiscal year 2028. The acquisition is designed to strengthen Salesforce Marketing Cloud with real-time, AI-powered customer engagement capabilities.
Strategic Rationale
Braze helps marketers build deeper customer relationships by responding to customer behavior in real time across mobile apps, websites, email, SMS, and WhatsApp. Its cloud-native, event-streaming architecture continuously updates customer profiles and supports trillions of messages and journey actions each year. BrazeAI extends these capabilities with AI-powered optimization across content, offers, channels, and timing to make each interaction more relevant.
Leadership Perspectives
Patrick Stokes, President of Applications and Marketing at Salesforce, said every interaction is a chance to impress customers through better timing and personalization. He noted that Braze turns live customer behavior into personalized engagement at scale and that combining it with Salesforce Marketing Cloud, CRM, and Data 360 would deliver that impact. Bill Magnuson, CEO and Co-Founder of Braze, said Salesforce shares Braze's commitment to marketers and will help the company innovate faster for its customers and partners.
Platform Integration
After closing, Braze is expected to complement all four layers of Salesforce's architecture: Data 360, Customer 360, Agentforce, and SIForce. Within Customer 360, Braze would strengthen Marketing Cloud's cross-channel personalization, helping brands turn deeper customer insights into richer experiences optimized in real time. The companies also share an open, composable approach that gives customers flexibility across the data, tools, and partners they rely on.
AI and Customer Engagement
AI is raising expectations for marketers, who now need agentic solutions that can understand customers, make decisions, and act in real time. Salesforce is moving to lead that shift through organic innovation and acquisitions that meet its M&A framework of advancing customer success, fitting within its strategy, accelerating innovation, and creating long-term value. The combination with Braze is expected to advance Salesforce's vision for a more complete Customer 360 and expand high-volume B2C customer experiences.
Customer Scale
Braze serves approximately 2,770 customers, including Canva, Dairy Queen, Equinox, Instacart, Urban Outfitters, and Venmo. The company would bring deep expertise in mobile experiences, data engineering, and customer engagement to Salesforce Marketing Cloud. Its co-founders, Bill Magnuson and Jon Hyman, would join the combined organization and help advance Salesforce's high-volume B2C engagement capabilities.
Transaction Details
The transaction is expected to close in Salesforce's fiscal year 2028, subject to approval by Braze shareholders and receipt of required regulatory clearances. Salesforce stated there is no anticipated change to its fiscal year 2027 guidance, has not guided fiscal year 2028, and has no update to long-term targets at this time. J.P. Morgan Securities is serving as exclusive financial advisor to Salesforce, while Qatalyst Partners is serving as exclusive financial advisor to Braze.
The acquisition reflects Salesforce's effort to lead the shift toward agentic marketing solutions that understand customers, make decisions, and act in real time. By bringing Braze's real-time engagement and AI decisioning into its ecosystem, Salesforce aims to help businesses deliver more relevant experiences across high-volume B2C channels. The deal remains subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals, but it signals a significant expansion of Salesforce's marketing cloud capabilities.