Salesforce Ventures

Name

Salesforce Ventures

Legal name

Salesforce, Inc.

Website

https://www.salesforceventures.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Venture Capital

NAICS

Other Investment Pools and Funds (5259)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Early-Stage Venture Capital (Series A/B) (FSANAAAB)

Keywords

• Venture capital investing
• Enterprise software funding
• Corporate venture capital
• Generative AI investments
• Seed to growth capital

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Venture Capital Returns from Portfolio Exits: Salesforce Ventures generates returns through exits from portfolio companies, including IPOs and M&A transactions. Of the more than 630 investments made to date, the firm has guided 35 to IPO and 190+ to M&A exits, with the mandate to generate top-tier venture returns for its sole limited partner (Salesforce, Inc.). The fund operates under an evergreen funding model with patient capital that does not aim to make quick returns.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Salesforce Ventures is the corporate venture capital arm of Salesforce, Inc., deploying patient capital from seed through growth stages into enterprise software companies. Investment check sizes range from under $5M for seed rounds to $50M+ for growth-stage rounds, with the firm operating under an evergreen funding model funded solely by Salesforce as its sole limited partner. The firm also operates thematic sub-funds including a $1B AI Fund and a $100M Impact Fund, while providing portfolio companies with privileged access to Salesforce's enterprise customer base, Innovation Advisory Board, and co-selling ecosystem. To date the firm has invested $6B+ across 700+ companies in 32 countries, guiding 35 to IPO and 190+ to M&A exits.

Product overview

Salesforce Ventures is a single, unified enterprise-focused venture capital platform — not a SaaS product suite — that combines a core multi-stage investment offering with several specialized thematic funds and value-add services. The core Salesforce Ventures investment platform (founded 2009) provides patient capital from seed through growth and is augmented by the Generative AI Fund (later folded into the $1B Salesforce Ventures AI Fund announced in 2024), the $100M Salesforce Ventures Impact Fund, and the consolidated Slack Fund. Around this capital stack, Salesforce Ventures offers a Platform Team of services (Financial Operations, Marketing, Portfolio Development), the Innovation Advisory Board, the Enterprise Edge newsletter, and curated content programs such as Cloud 100. Together these funds and platform services form the firm's offering to enterprise software founders from seed to IPO.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Salesforce Ventures Impact Fund: Impact-focused venture fund under Salesforce Ventures supporting companies driving positive social change (climate tech, edtech, health tech, financial inclusion). Expanded with a $100M Impact Fund in 2017/2018.
• Slack Fund
• Salesforce Ventures Generative AI Fund
• Elevate
• Enterprise Edge

Products and services

• Salesforce Ventures Core Investment Platform The main Salesforce Ventures fund, providing patient capital from seed through growth (checks from under $5M to $50M+) to enterprise software founders, plus privileged access to Salesforce's customer base and ecosystem. Has invested $6B+ across 700+ companies in 32 countries and guided 35 IPOs and 190+ M&A exits.
• Salesforce Ventures AI Fund Expanded $1 billion AI investment commitment encompassing the earlier Generative AI Fund, focused on transformative and responsible AI solutions; over $850M deployed across the AI portfolio as of early 2026.
• Salesforce Ventures Impact Fund $100M impact fund supporting companies driving positive social and environmental change across climate tech, edtech, health tech, and financial inclusion. Portfolio companies facilitated $72.8M in grants and donations in 2023, with 150+ portfolio companies adopting Pledge 1% contributing over $2B in new philanthropy.
• Innovation Advisory Board Cross-ecosystem advisory body of senior enterprise executives and Salesforce leaders launched to strengthen the enterprise software ecosystem and provide portfolio companies with go-to-market guidance, product feedback, and partnerships.
• Salesforce Ventures Platform Team Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Guided 35 portfolio companies to IPO and 190+ to M&A exits since 2009
• +4 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Salesforce, Inc.flagship - parent company and sole limited partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerSalesforce Ventures was founded in 2009 by Marc Benioff and John Somorjai as the venture capital arm of Salesforce. Salesforce is the sole source of capital for Salesforce Ventures, providing patient, evergreen funding. The relationship provides portfolio companies with privileged access to Salesforce's enterprise customer base, Innovation Advisory Board, executive mentorship, and co-selling opportunities. Less than 5% of portfolio companies have been acquired by Salesforce, with Airkit being a notable example (acquired 2023).

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Google Ventures (GV): Alphabet's corporate venture arm investing across enterprise software and AI from seed to growth. Directly comparable to Salesforce Ventures as a hyperscaler-affiliated CVC with global deal flow, multi-stage check sizes, and privileged access to Google's enterprise customer base and AI infrastructure.
• M12 (Microsoft Ventures): Microsoft's venture fund investing in enterprise software, AI, and cloud. Comparable to Salesforce Ventures as a software-giant CVC with similar check sizes, multi-stage coverage, and deep enterprise distribution leverage through Microsoft Azure, Copilot, and the Fortune 500 customer base.
• NVIDIA NVentures: NVIDIA's corporate venture arm focused on AI infrastructure, applied AI, and enterprise software. Comparable to Salesforce Ventures because both are CVCs co-investing in the same AI portfolio companies (Anthropic, Cohere, ElevenLabs, Upwind) and offer strategic value through ecosystem access rather than pure capital.
• Intel Capital: Intel's corporate venture arm investing across enterprise software, AI, semiconductors, and deep tech. Comparable to Salesforce Ventures as a CVC with multi-stage coverage, a global team, and strategic value-add tied to the parent's enterprise ecosystem.

Broad incumbents

• Sequoia Capital: Premier independent multi-stage venture firm investing across enterprise software, AI, and consumer. Comparable to Salesforce Ventures in deal profile (multi-stage, enterprise-focused, large growth checks) but operates as an independent partnership with external LPs rather than a corporate CVC.
• Andreessen Horowitz (a16z): Large independent multi-stage venture firm with deep enterprise software and AI coverage. Salesforce Ventures frequently co-invests with a16z (e.g., Mintlify Series B co-led together) and competes for similar enterprise AI deals, making it a relevant independent peer.
• Accel: Leading global venture firm with strong enterprise software, fintech, and AI franchises. Frequently co-invests with Salesforce Ventures across enterprise rounds (PointFive, Rocket, Mintlify, Legora) and competes for similar early-to-growth stage enterprise deals.
• Bessemer Venture Partners: Iconic multi-stage venture firm with deep enterprise cloud, security, and AI coverage. Directly comparable in stage coverage and check sizing; co-hosts the Cloud 100 with Salesforce Ventures and Forbes, and co-invests in deals like Upwind and Sixfold.
• Insight Partners: Large-scale venture and growth firm specializing in enterprise software and AI. Comparable to Salesforce Ventures in growth-stage focus and check sizing, and has co-invested in Writer alongside Salesforce Ventures in enterprise AI agent platforms.
• General Catalyst: Multi-stage venture firm with broad enterprise software, fintech, and AI coverage. Comparable in stage profile and enterprise focus, and is a frequent co-investor in Salesforce Ventures' rounds (e.g., Legora Series D).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/salesforcevc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/salesforce-ventures

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1038 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Salesforce Ventures