‘Salesforce is in advanced takeover talks with Slack’

Salesforce is said to be in advanced talks with Slack for an acquisition. Not much is known about the acquisition, but the business software maker would like to take over the chat app for an undisclosed amount.

The companies could reach a deal within days, the Wall Street Journal writes, based on sources in the negotiations. Salesforce will publish its quarterly figures on December 1. Perhaps more information about the deal will also appear.

Many details about the possible deal are not yet known. The value of Slack shares rose 22 percent after the news. As a result, the company is now worth about 17 billion euros. That would make the deal one of the biggest in the tech industry. Slack has been approached by various parties for takeovers for some time. Microsoft also preyed on the company, but it never resulted in a concrete deal.

The deal is not yet complete and could still go awry, according to the Wall Street Journal’s sources. A major voice in the acquisition process is Stewart Butterfield, the founder and current boss of Slack. He owns 42 percent of the shares.