Salesforce has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Waii, a leading enterprise platform that translates natural language into SQL, designed to make complex data accessible and actionable for any user more easily and efficiently.
The transaction, which is expected to close in the third fiscal quarter of 2026, will strengthen the Salesforce Data Cloud ecosystem and lay the foundation for a new semantic engine for Tableau Next, powered by a dynamic knowledge graph that maps an organization’s entire data landscape.
The challenge: making data speak the language of business
Currently, organizations produce more data than ever, but much of its value remains “locked” behind technical and semantic barriers. Business users often depend on technical teams to translate their questions into SQL queries, slowing decision-making processes.
Waii has addressed this issue by creating a metadata knowledge graph that not only reflects the structure of databases but also the relationships between tables, columns, business metrics, and governance rules. This approach enables translating natural language questions into high-precision SQL queries with deep business context.
Additionally, their platform includes a dialect-aware SQL compiler, automatic query optimization, and full integration with the enterprise stack.
Statements from key figures
“Business’s future isn’t about having more data but making those data speak a common language,” said Raveendrnathan Loganathan, Executive Vice President of Salesforce Data Cloud. “With Waii, we’re acquiring the catalyst that will bring this vision to life for our customers, thanks to a deep understanding of metadata.”
Meanwhile, Waii co-founder and CEO Gunther Hagleitner highlighted:
“Every database speaks a different SQL dialect. Our knowledge graph will create a unified semantic layer allowing users and AI agents to communicate with any data source. Integrating into Salesforce will enable us to bring this mission to millions of users.”
Integration into the Salesforce ecosystem
After closing, Salesforce plans to embed Waii’s technology into Data Cloud, enhancing “agentic” workflows and AI-led analytics across the platform, including Agentforce and Tableau Next.
The goal is for the system not only to interpret user words but also to understand their intent, facilitating faster, more relevant, and intuitive data exploration. This technology will serve as the core of Tableau’s upcoming semantic engine, capable of providing real-time insights from a living knowledge graph.
A qualitative leap in enterprise AI
The acquisition reinforces Salesforce’s commitment to a more contextual and reliable AI, capable of unifying dispersed data and removing technical barriers. Waii’s founding team’s expertise in data infrastructure, engineering, and knowledge graph systems provides a competitive advantage in addressing one of enterprise AI’s key challenges: enabling people and systems to communicate in the same data language seamlessly, securely, and scalability.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Waii?
It’s a platform that transforms natural language questions into precise, optimized SQL queries using a knowledge graph that maps all organizational data and metadata.How will it integrate with Salesforce?
Its technology will be incorporated into Data Cloud and Tableau Next, enhancing data analysis and exploration capabilities via natural language and AI agents.Why is this relevant for businesses?
It reduces reliance on technical teams to access complex data, accelerates decision-making, and consolidates dispersed information.When will the acquisition close?
Expected to finalize in the third fiscal quarter of 2026, subject to customary closing conditions.
via: salesforce