Salesforce Pledges $15 Billion to Propel San Francisco as the Global AI Capital
In a bold move to solidify San Francisco’s position as the epicenter of artificial intelligence, Salesforce (NYSE: CRM), the world’s leading AI-powered CRM platform, has announced plans to invest $15 billion in the city over the next five years. This landmark commitment underscores Salesforce’s dedication to fostering AI innovation, driving workforce development, and empowering businesses to thrive in the age of agentic enterprises. The announcement comes just ahead of Dreamforce 2025, the company’s annual flagship event, which is expected to draw nearly 50,000 attendees to San Francisco from October 14-16.
Dreamforce, now in its 23rd year, is billed as the world’s largest AI event and serves as a platform for customers, partners, and industry leaders to share insights on harnessing AI to transform businesses. This year’s event is projected to generate $130 million in revenue for San Francisco while creating 35,000 local jobs, further cementing its role as an economic engine for the city.
“San Francisco is a city of innovation, talent, and vision,” said Marc Benioff, Chair and CEO of Salesforce. “This $15 billion investment reflects our deep commitment to our hometown — advancing AI innovation, creating jobs, and helping companies and our communities thrive in this incredible new era. As we welcome nearly 50,000 people, and millions more online to Dreamforce, we’re investing in the future of San Francisco and leading the next great technology transformation — where humans and AI work together to drive productivity, growth, and meaningful change.”
From Humble Beginnings to AI Powerhouse
What began in 1999 as a startup with a simple idea to deliver online customer relationship management (CRM) services has evolved into a global powerhouse with over 76,000 employees. Salesforce pioneered the cloud revolution and is now at the forefront of the AI-driven transformation reshaping industries worldwide. Today, Salesforce stands as San Francisco’s largest private employer, occupying 30 floors of the city’s tallest building and serving as a cornerstone of the local economy.
The company’s impact extends beyond its own operations. Salesforce has played a pivotal role in nurturing the Bay Area’s tech ecosystem through acquisitions of innovative startups such as MuleSoft (2018), Slack (2021), Airkit (2023), Tenyx (2024), and PredictSpring (2024). In 2025 alone, Salesforce has acquired several local companies, including Bluebirds, Waii, and Regrello, while also signing a definitive agreement to acquire Informatica. These investments underscore Salesforce’s commitment to fostering innovation within the region.
Catalyzing AI Innovation and Workforce Development
As part of its $15 billion pledge, Salesforce will establish a state-of-the-art AI Incubator Hub on its San Francisco campus. This hub will serve as a launchpad for early-stage startups, providing them with resources, mentorship, and access to cutting-edge tools to accelerate their development and drive transformative AI applications.
The company is also focused on preparing the workforce for the AI-driven future. Through its 4Rs Playbook, Salesforce is helping organizations become Agentic Enterprises by redesigning workflows, reskilling employees, redeploying talent for greater agility, and rebalancing work between humans and machines. To support this transition, Salesforce has introduced entirely new roles tailored for the agentic AI era, including Agentic Data Specialist, Agentic Integration Specialist, AI Architect, Agentforce Technical Architect, and Agentic Experience Specialist.
To ensure that individuals are equipped with the skills needed to succeed in this evolving landscape, Salesforce offers Trailhead, its free online learning platform. Trailhead has already empowered over 5 million learners globally, including 3,300 in San Francisco, to build AI-relevant skills and prepare for the future of work. Additionally, Salesforce’s Career Connect initiative provides employees with AI-powered upskilling opportunities through its internal talent marketplace.
Salesforce Ventures, the company’s venture capital arm founded in 2009, continues to play a vital role in fueling AI innovation across the Bay Area. The fund has invested in some of the region’s most promising AI startups, including Anthropic, Together AI, Writer, Pano, and Fal, further expanding the AI ecosystem.
A Force for Good in the Community
Salesforce’s commitment to San Francisco extends beyond business and technology. The company was founded on the belief that business can be a powerful force for positive change. Through its 1-1-1 model, Salesforce donates 1% of its equity, product, and employee time to support communities. To date, this model has enabled over 60,000 nonprofits worldwide to access Salesforce technology for free or at a discounted rate, while employees have contributed more than 10 million volunteer hours.
In conjunction with the $15 billion investment, Salesforce announced a new $39 million pledge to education and healthcare initiatives in the Bay Area. This contribution brings the combined all-time donations of Salesforce and the Benioff family to over $1 billion, reinforcing their dedication to improving the quality of life in the region.
The 1-1-1 model has inspired the broader business community, growing into the Pledge 1% movement, which now includes over 19,000 companies and has catalyzed more than $3 billion in philanthropy globally.
Driving Economic Growth Through Dreamforce
Dreamforce 2025 exemplifies Salesforce’s dual commitment to innovation and community impact. By bringing thousands of attendees to San Francisco, the event not only showcases groundbreaking AI advancements but also injects significant revenue into the local economy. With an estimated $130 million in economic activity and 35,000 temporary jobs created, Dreamforce highlights the symbiotic relationship between Salesforce and its hometown.
As AI continues to reshape industries and redefine the future of work, Salesforce’s $15 billion investment in San Francisco positions the city as a beacon of technological progress and social responsibility. By fostering innovation, empowering the workforce, and giving back to the community, Salesforce is charting a course for a brighter, more inclusive future — one where humans and AI collaborate to unlock unprecedented potential.
About Salesforce
Salesforce helps organizations of any size become agentic enterprises — integrating humans, agents, apps, and data on a trusted, unified platform to unlock unprecedented growth and innovation. Visit www.salesforce.com for more information.
