Salesforce Strengthens AI Voice

Tech With Tenx Acquisition

 

 

 

Salesforce has acquired Tenx to improve its AI-powered customer service voice agents. Learn how this deal boosts its Service Cloud and talent acquisition strategy.

Salesforce Acquires Tenx to Boost AI Voice Agents

Salesforce has announced the acquisition of Tenx, a startup known for its AI-powered voice agents. This strategic move is designed to enhance Salesforce’s AI-driven customer support solutions.

With this acquisition, Tenx’s technology and team will integrate into Salesforce’s ecosystem. Specifically, their tools will be added to Agentforce Service Agent, increasing the platform’s autonomous agent capabilities.

The goal is clear: streamline customer interactions and create smarter, more intuitive voice-based support.

Leadership and Talent Join Salesforce

This isn’t just about technology. Salesforce confirmed that Tenx co-founders, CEO Itamar Arel and CTO Adam Earle, will join the company. Their expertise will help build new AI-powered products within Salesforce.

In a statement, Salesforce emphasized how Tenx’s deep experience in speech AI will help raise the bar for Service Cloud’s customer experience.

The deal is expected to close by Q3 of Salesforce’s fiscal year, ending October 31, 2024, subject to standard conditions.

Following a Pattern: Strategic AI Moves by Salesforce

This acquisition follows a familiar pattern. Over the past few years, Salesforce has acquired multiple AI companies to solidify its market position.

For example, in September 2023, Salesforce announced a deal with Airkit.ai, a company offering no-code tools for building customer support agents. By October, Airkit.ai was fully integrated into Service Cloud, led by its co-founder and CTO, Adam Evans.

Such moves show Salesforce’s intent to rapidly enhance its platform by absorbing innovative tech and skilled teams.

Salesforce’s AI Investment Strategy

Beyond acquisitions, Salesforce has made significant investments in AI startups. These include:

• $270 million in a Series C round for Anthropic

• $400 million for Cohere

These investments reflect Salesforce’s long-term commitment to developing powerful AI-driven enterprise solutions.

A Shift in Talent Acquisition Strategy

Salesforce’s recent moves also signal a shift in how tech giants approach talent acquisition. Rather than just absorbing intellectual property, Salesforce is increasingly hiring key talent from the startups it acquires or invests in.

Microsoft has followed a similar path. In 2024, after investing in Inflection, Microsoft recruited the startup’s chief AI executive, Mustafa Suleyman, along with two other co-founders.

This trend reflects a growing realization: Human talent matters as much as technology.

Expert Insights: Why Acquiring Talent is Crucial

Richard Conway, founder of Elastacloud and CTO at Acora, shared his perspective with ITPro. According to Conway:

“Across the tech industry, we’re seeing a shrinking pool of skilled professionals. As senior experts retire or move to non-technical roles and junior hiring stalls the skills gap widens.”

This shortage makes it more attractive for companies to buy talent through acquisitions, especially in fields like AI, data science, and engineering.

IP vs. Human Skill: What Matters More?

Conway argues that while IP is valuable, its true potential is only realized when supported by a strong, experienced team. He elaborated:

“Purchasing code or AI models is easy. But without the right talent, companies struggle to integrate or expand on those assets effectively.”

He emphasized that technically proficient staff who understand development cycles can help rebuild, refine, and grow the acquired IP more efficiently.

Conclusion: Why This Deal Matters

The Tenx acquisition is more than another AI deal. It highlights Salesforce’s multi-layered strategy combining:

• Cutting-edge AI tools

• Strategic investments

• Smart talent acquisition

By integrating Tenx’s voice AI tech and leadership team, Salesforce is positioning itself as a leader in next-gen customer service.

This move not only boosts its AI capabilities but also ensures the company is well-equipped with the human expertise needed to innovate faster and better.

Key Takeaways:

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