TLDR: Salesforce has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Waii, a natural language-to-SQL platform. This strategic move aims to democratize enterprise data access, enabling non-technical users to query complex databases using plain language and fostering AI-driven insights across Salesforce’s Data Cloud, Agentforce, and Tableau platforms.
Salesforce Inc. (NYSE: CRM) has announced a definitive agreement to acquire Waii, a pioneering natural language-to-SQL platform. This acquisition, revealed in early August 2025, marks a significant step in Salesforce’s strategy to enhance its data accessibility and AI capabilities, particularly within its Data Cloud and other core platforms.
Waii’s innovative technology is designed to translate everyday, plain-language questions into complex, production-ready SQL queries. This capability is crucial for businesses that store vast amounts of data in intricate databases, often requiring specialized technical skills to access and analyze. By removing this technical barrier, Waii empowers non-technical users, such as sales representatives or service agents, to directly interact with their data. For instance, a user could simply ask, ‘Which customers in region A are up for renewal?’ and Waii would generate the necessary SQL code to retrieve the answer.
At the core of Waii’s platform is a dynamic metadata knowledge graph. This sophisticated system meticulously maps an enterprise’s entire data landscape, including database schemas, table relationships, business metrics, and governance rules. It also features a dialect-aware SQL compiler and advanced query optimization features, ensuring accuracy and efficiency in data retrieval. This self-learning knowledge graph adapts to a business’s unique structure, making data more relevant and accessible to all employees.
Salesforce plans to integrate Waii’s technology deeply into its Data Cloud platform. This integration is expected to support agentic workflows and deliver AI-driven insights across various Salesforce offerings, including Agentforce and Tableau Next. Notably, Waii’s technology is slated to form the foundational semantic engine for Tableau, enabling language-driven data exploration and conversational analytics. This aligns with Salesforce’s vision for agentic analytics, where users can explore trends and unpack insights conversationally, pulling them into specific workflows at opportune moments.
Raveendrnathan Loganathan, Executive Vice President of Salesforce Data Cloud, emphasized the strategic importance of this acquisition, stating, ‘The future of business isn’t about having the most data; it’s about making that data speak a common language.’ He further elaborated on the company’s vision: ‘Our vision is to empower every employee, from the boardroom to the frontline, to have a trusted conversation with their data. At Salesforce, we know that a deep understanding of metadata is the key to this future. With Waii, we’re not just augmenting our stack; we’re acquiring the catalyst that makes this vision a reality.’
Gunther Hagleitner, Co-founder and CEO of Waii, expressed enthusiasm for the future, remarking, ‘Joining Salesforce will allow us to bring that mission to millions of users, powering the next era of trusted, intelligent systems.’
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The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions and is anticipated to finalize in Salesforce’s third fiscal quarter of 2026. Financial terms of the deal have not been publicly disclosed. This move underscores Salesforce’s commitment to democratizing data access and solidifying its position as a leader in the enterprise AI landscape, following other strategic acquisitions in 2025 aimed at bolstering its AI agent ambitions.
