Salesforce to Buy Braze for Nearly $5.7 Billion, Boosting AI Marketing Push

WHO:

Fast Company - Salesforce Inc. announced plans to acquire Braze, a digital marketing company that operates an AI-powered multichannel marketing platform.

Fast Company - Braze has around 2,770 customers, including Venmo, Dairy Queen, Instacart, and Canva.

Fast Company - Braze was founded in 2011, remained private for its first decade, and went public on Nasdaq in 2021.

Techmeme - Bloomberg’s Dana Wollman reported that Salesforce agreed to acquire Braze.

IJR - Salesforce agreed to buy Braze; Braze shares rose over 50% premarket, while Salesforce shares fell about 3%.

WHAT:

Fast Company - Salesforce offered $47.50 in cash per share to Braze Class A common stockholders; the deal values Braze at about $5.66 billion.

Techmeme - The acquisition’s enterprise value is nearly $5.7 billion, with Salesforce paying $47.50 per share.

IJR - The $47.50-per-share cash offer is about 58% above Braze’s last close.

Fast Company - Braze shares closed just above $30 and rose more than 50% to $45.33 after the announcement. They had traded near $100 after the 2021 IPO and were still down around 48% from that level despite the rise.

Fast Company - Salesforce plans to integrate Braze’s AI-powered marketing solutions into its core offerings.

Fast Company - Salesforce said Braze’s capabilities are expected to complement its Data 360, Customer 360, Agentforce, and SIForce architecture layers.

Fast Company - Salesforce stated: “AI is raising the bar for marketers, who now need agentic solutions that can understand customers, make decisions, and act in real time.”

WHERE:

Fast Company - Braze is headquartered in New York and serves enterprise customers with multichannel marketing tools, including WhatsApp, email, and mobile websites.

WHEN:

Fast Company - Salesforce expects the acquisition to close during its 2028 fiscal year, which runs from February 1, 2027, to January 31, 2028; it did not specify a closing date within that period.

WHY:

Fast Company - Salesforce said integrating Braze’s marketing and AI decisioning capabilities could strengthen its enterprise offerings.

Fast Company - The article said concerns about a “SaaSpocalypse” reflect fears that businesses are turning to AI solutions and threatening legacy software-as-a-service business models.

HOW:

Fast Company - Braze enables companies to communicate with customers across multiple channels and has increasingly shifted toward AI offerings to help clients engage with consumers.

Fast Company - The transaction remains subject to regulatory approval and completion of the payment; Salesforce said it would not close during its then-current fiscal year.

(UPDATED October 21, 2026 00:29 UTC)

Salesforce has agreed to buy New York-based marketing technology company Braze for $47.50 a share in cash, valuing the deal at about $5.66 billion. Salesforce plans to integrate Braze’s AI-powered tools, which help companies reach customers through channels such as email, WhatsApp and mobile websites, into its broader offerings; Braze shares jumped more than 50 percent after the announcement. The acquisition is subject to regulatory approval, and Salesforce expects it to close during its fiscal year running from February 1, 2027, to January 31, 2028.