Salesforce to invest $6bn in UK AI, making London its European hub and projecting 500,000 jobs

Salesforce's $6bn AI Plan Makes the UK a European Innovation Hub

Salesforce will invest an additional US$6bn in the UK through 2030, doubling its 2023 commitment and formalising London as its European AI innovation centre. The company is tying product R&D, customer adoption, and ecosystem growth to the UK market-its largest outside the US.

This is a strategic bid to speed enterprise AI deployment across Europe. Expect faster product cycles, deeper local partnerships, and a stronger push toward AI agents in core business workflows.

Inside the $6bn plan

The investment builds on Salesforce's first AI centre in London and commits more resources to Data Cloud and Agentforce-technologies designed to let AI agents work alongside teams across sales, service, marketing, and ops. The goal: an "Agentic Enterprise" where AI drives productivity and new revenue.

The London AI centre already supports hundreds of UK clients, including Capita, Formula 1, and Simplyhealth. Recent acquisitions-Convergence.ai and Own Company-expand the centre's capabilities, while the pending Informatica integration signals a broader data ecosystem play. Salesforce AI

Why it matters for executives

AI agents have moved past experimentation. According to Salesforce, 78% of UK C-suite leaders are already using them-pointing to a shift from pilots to operational deployment.

For European enterprises, having an AI hub in London means closer access to product teams, specialised talent, and partner networks. That shortens feedback loops and accelerates time to value.

Ecosystem bets: Ventures and social impact

Through Salesforce Ventures, more than US$200m has gone into UK AI start-ups including ElevenLabs (AI audio), Climate X (climate adaptation), and Covecta (AI for financial services). This brings executives a richer partner and acquisition pipeline to build on top of the platform.

Salesforce has also launched a £1m Accelerator for non-profits in the UK, and globally the programme has provided over US$10m to 38 organisations-aimed at scaling AI for social impact alongside commercial growth.

Jobs, skills and the growth outlook

IDC projects Salesforce's UK footprint will deliver over US$41bn in economic benefits and create more than 500,000 jobs by 2028. That scale calls for serious investment in data literacy and AI fluency across functions.

Salesforce is backing skills through training initiatives and advocating a national digital skills platform in partnership with the UK government. The takeaway for leaders: workforce capability becomes a primary constraint-or advantage-in AI execution.

What leaders are saying

"We are doubling down on our long-standing commitment to the UK with this significant investment," says Marc Benioff, Chair, CEO and Co-Founder of Salesforce. "We're delighted that the UK, already a vital talent and innovation centre, will become our AI hub for Europe, driving product innovation for customers across the region."

"The UK has long been a pioneer in driving global AI breakthroughs and I'm thrilled that Salesforce is contributing to this legacy," says Zahra Bahrololoumi, CEO of Salesforce UK & Ireland. "With our deep pool of talent, we will power responsible AI innovation and help our European customer base transform their organisations."

"Salesforce's decision to expand its investment in the UK underlines the strength of our economy, people and our ambition to be a global leader in technology and AI," says Kanishka Narayan, the UK's Under-Secretary of State for Technology.

What to do next

• Prioritise one high-volume workflow for AI agents (e.g., service triage, sales qualification, case resolution) and set a 90-day pilot with clear KPIs.
• Tighten your data foundation: unify customer, product, and interaction data in a governed environment to feed AI agents reliably.
• Establish policy and risk controls now-model usage, human-in-the-loop, audit trails, and compliance for UK/EU regulations.
• Co-innovate with the London AI centre and vetted partners from Salesforce Ventures to reduce build risk and accelerate deployment.
• Stand up an AI skills plan for leaders, product owners, and frontline teams. If you need a structured path, explore role-based options at Complete AI Training.

Key facts at a glance

• US$6bn additional UK investment through 2030; builds on a prior US$4bn commitment.
• London designated as Salesforce's European AI innovation centre.
• 78% of UK C-suite leaders are using AI agents.
• IDC: >US$41bn in economic benefits and 500,000+ jobs by 2028.
• Ventures: US$200m+ invested in UK AI start-ups; £1m Accelerator for non-profits.