Salesforce is expanding its platform and announced two major acquisitions in the marketing space in autumn 2026. The purchase of the composable content platform Contentful has already closed. The acquisition of the customer engagement platform Braze for 5.66 billion US dollars is still pending. For teams in the B2B mid-market this means a tighter integration of real-time data, dynamic content and AI directly in the CRM.
- Salesforce is acquiring the customer engagement platform Braze for around 5.66 billion US dollars.
- The acquisition of Contentful has been officially closed since 1 September 2026.
- Contentful provides a native content layer that lets AI agents assemble personalised content dynamically across all channels.
- Braze orchestrates campaigns in real time across channels such as email, SMS and WhatsApp.
What is Braze and what does the B2B mid-market use it for?
Braze is a platform for personalised customer engagement in real time. It evaluates user behaviour and steers campaigns across channels such as email, SMS, WhatsApp and mobile apps. Around 2,770 customers currently use the software. A comparison under “Salesforce vs Braze” shows: Braze does not work as a classic CRM. It is a specialised engagement solution designed for high volumes in B2C and B2B environments.
Braze registers digital interactions immediately and triggers the matching action. That way you reach decision-makers at exactly the right moment via their preferred channel and automate complex marketing operations.
What is Contentful and how does it help in marketing?
Contentful is a composable content platform with more than 4,800 customers. It strictly separates content from presentation and delivers it through an API-first architecture. Salesforce is now integrating Contentful into its platform as a native content layer.
Until now many B2B companies maintain their copy and images separately for each channel. Contentful centralises these building blocks across all channels (email, web, mobile) and use cases (marketing, sales, commerce). That removes fragmentation and secures consistent brand communication.
If you use Agentforce in the future, the AI agents access this structured content library directly. They move away from static content towards dynamic orchestration: the agents assemble 1:1 experiences based on context, channel and language, without manual publishing steps.
What changes now for existing Marketing Cloud customers?
In the short term nothing changes for you. The acquisition of Braze has not closed yet and is expected to be finalised only in Salesforce fiscal year 2028. For now you continue to connect the systems via a standard connector or open interfaces. Once the deal is done, Salesforce plans to integrate Braze’s real-time and AI capabilities deeply into Marketing Cloud and Customer 360.
In the long run these purchases create an architecture that removes data silos between marketing, sales, service and analytics.
Keep your current architecture and tool selection for now and wait for the native integrations.
How is Salesforce’s business model evolving?
Anyone looking for answers to “What is Salesforce’s business model?” currently sees a shift: Salesforce is moving away from purely static databases towards an agentic architecture. AI solutions are meant not only to display data in the future but to make decisions on their own and act in real time.
In the short term the market reacted sceptically to the high spending. After the announcement of the Braze deal, Salesforce shares lost more than three percent in US pre-market trading. Investors ask “Why is Salesforce falling?”. That is often linked to consolidation after large acquisitions and the re-evaluation of AI investments.
| Company | Deal status | Purchase price | Core function | Planned integration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contentful | Closed (1 Sept 2026) | Not disclosed | Composable content / API-first | Customer 360, Agentforce |
| Braze | Announced (closing FY 2028) | approx. 5.66 bn USD (47.50 USD per share) | Real-time customer engagement | Marketing Cloud, Data 360 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Braze similar to Salesforce?
No, Braze does not serve as a CRM system. It is a specialised platform for cross-channel customer engagement. Both systems complement each other, which is why Salesforce is now bringing Braze into its own ecosystem.
Is there already a Salesforce Braze connector?
Yes, even before the acquisition closes, both systems can be connected via existing connectors and APIs. A deeper, native integration will only follow after the official closing of the deal.
When will the acquisition of Braze close?
The transaction is expected to close in Salesforce fiscal year 2028. Until then, among others, Braze’s shareholders and the relevant authorities still have to approve it.
