How Much Did salesforce Raise? Funding & Key Investors

Date August 22, 2025
S

salesforce

COMPANY INFO

Salesforce, Inc. is an American cloud-based software company founded in 1999 by Marc Benioff, Parker Harris, Dave Moellenhoff, and Frank Dominguez. It specializes in customer relationship management (CRM) technology and enterprise cloud computing solutions, serving over 76,000 employees globally with a focus on sales, customer service, marketing automation, e-commerce, analytics, and artificial intelligence. The company is headquartered in San Francisco, California, operates in the cloud computing and enterprise software industry, and its website is salesforce.com.

How Much Did Salesforce, Inc. Raise? Funding & Rounds and Investors

Salesforce, Inc. is a leading American cloud-based software company founded in 1999 by Marc Benioff, Parker Harris, Dave Moellenhoff, and Frank Dominguez. Specializing in customer relationship management (CRM) and enterprise cloud computing, Salesforce serves over 76,000 employees globally. Its platform covers a broad range of business solutions including sales, customer service, marketing automation, e-commerce, analytics, and artificial intelligence. Headquartered in San Francisco, California, Salesforce is a prominent name in the cloud computing and enterprise software industry.

Salesforce, Inc. has a storied funding history, raising approximately $65.4 million over 15 funding rounds before going public, with the latest reported funding activity in October 2022. The company’s journey from initial seed rounds through substantial late-stage investments demonstrates a strategic approach to scaling innovation and expanding into new markets. Salesforce leveraged early venture capital to propel CRM technology development and later executed post-IPO equity financing to support acquisitions and shareholder value growth. This blend of aggressive early-stage fundraising and adaptive post-IPO strategy helped shape Salesforce into a global cloud leader.

Funding Rounds

Post-IPO Equity - Undisclosed - October 2022

This post-IPO equity round, led by Starboard Value, was aimed at corporate growth and enhancing shareholder value, reflecting Salesforce’s strategy to remain competitive in the evolving enterprise software sector.

Post IPO - $83K - March 8, 2020

A smaller post-IPO round, led by Solstein Capital, used for minor strategic investments and incremental growth initiatives.

Post IPO - $317M - August 20, 2018

Salesforce raised $317 million in a major post-IPO round focused on supporting company growth and expanding through strategic acquisitions.

Post IPO - $582M - August 26, 2016

A significant post-IPO round that raised $582 million to facilitate strategic investments, fuel expansion, and capture new opportunities in the global market.

Venture Round - $1M - January 2003

Led by Emergence Capital, this venture round was devoted to continued growth and product development as Salesforce solidified its position in the CRM space.

Series D - $46.9M - June 2001

This pivotal round enabled major expansion and scaling efforts, supplying the capital needed to build out infrastructure and support rapid client acquisition.

Series C - $13.2M - November 1999

This funding round was used for scaling operations and enhancing the Salesforce product offering following initial market validation.

Series B - $3.8M - June 1999

Led by Halsey Minor, the Series B round supported Salesforce’s early market expansion and customer growth strategy.

Series A - $517K - April 1999

Marc Benioff led this round to fund initial product development and the company’s official launch.

Key Investors

Marc Benioff

As Salesforce’s founder and current CEO, Marc Benioff was not only instrumental as an early investor but also in shaping the company’s vision and global reach. His seed investments and ongoing leadership have been crucial to Salesforce’s funding and growth trajectory.

Halsey Minor

A notable technology entrepreneur, Halsey Minor was a lead investor in Salesforce’s Series B round, providing crucial capital for early market expansion and validation at a technical inflection point.

Emergence Capital

Emergence Capital led Salesforce’s venture round in January 2003, backing the company as it transitioned from startup to market leader. Their strategic guidance and capital fueled the next phase of development and growth.

Starboard Value

As a prominent hedge fund, Starboard Value led the most recent post-IPO equity round in October 2022. Their involvement centers on maximizing corporate growth and securing enhanced shareholder value, underscoring the evolving nature of Salesforce investment partnerships.

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