Salesforce is acquiring Rune Technologies, a US-based artificial intelligence firm specializing in military supply chain optimization, for $375 million in cash and stock, according to reporting by Resilience Media. The transaction marks Salesforce's largest investment in the defence sector to date and builds on existing relationships: both the US Army and Marine Corps currently deploy Rune's technology, and the Army granted the startup a $99 million contract in June.
Rune's core product, TyrOS, uses AI to forecast resource requirements for frontline military units and optimize distribution and logistics routing. The software maintains functionality even with minimal or no network connectivity, automatically synchronizing data once connectivity is restored. The acquisition was announced Thursday and positions Rune within Missionforce, Salesforce's defence division launched twelve months ago.
Salesforce is doubling down on national security with our most significant acquisition in this space.
Kendall Collins, chief executive of Missionforce and Government Cloud
Rune's Background and Funding
David Tuttle and Peter Goldsborough established Rune in 2024, both having previously held senior positions at defence technology firm Anduril. The startup has secured $30 million in funding from investors including Andreessen Horowitz, Point72 Ventures, and IQT (formerly In-Q-Tel), with its most recent valuation estimated at $134 million.
The Army's June contract award to Rune, valued at $99 million, came through a sole-source procurement process, meaning the military received only one bid for the TyrOS platform.
With Salesforce, we can take what we've built further, connecting operational logistics from the frontline to the enterprise.
David Tuttle, Rune's chief executive
Salesforce's Expanding Defence Presence
Salesforce's defence operations are expanding at an 80 percent annual growth rate, with deployments across all six branches of the US military. The company also holds a ten-year Army contract with a potential ceiling value of $5.6 billion. Missionforce serves as the primary system of record at military headquarters, while Rune's acquisition adds capabilities at the operational frontline level.
Salesforce is positioning Rune's capabilities within its "super intelligence" framework, the branding strategy behind the company's recent SIForce relaunch. This acquisition follows Salesforce's October 20 agreement to purchase marketing platform Braze for approximately $5.7 billion and the September completion of its Fin acquisition.
The transaction is anticipated to close during the fourth quarter of Salesforce's 2027 fiscal year.
Source: The Next Web
