AI research startup Listen Labs scrubbed a $1.5B funding round for Salesforce talks
Listen Labs, an AI-driven market research startup, has reportedly abandoned a $125 million funding round amid acquisition discussions with Salesforce. The CRM giant is considering a $2 billion purchase of the company to bolster its AI-powered customer insight capabilities.
Why it matters
This highlights the intense valuation pressure and M&A activity in the AI startup sector, where companies are increasingly choosing acquisition over independent venture financing.
Listen Labs, a market research startup that uses voice AI to conduct customer interviews, recently signed a term sheet for a $125 million Series C at a $1.5 billion valuation, with Menlo Ventures set to lead the round, according to several people with knowledge of the matter.
But that round never closed, the people said. Listen Labs walked away from the signed term sheet, a rare occurrence in the venture world and one that is generally frowned upon, according to VCs.
The financing likely collapsed because of acquisition talks with Salesforce. The CRM giant has recently held talks to buy Listen Labs for around $2 billion , Business Insider reported. The discussions are not finalized, however, and may not result in a deal, the outlet notes.
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