Seismic & Highspot to merge in AI sales software deal

Sales enablement software provider Seismic has agreed to merge with rival Highspot, bringing together two companies that build tools for revenue teams.

The combined business will trade under the Seismic name once the transaction closes. Seismic Chief Executive Officer Rob Tarkoff will lead the merged group, and Highspot Founder and Chief Executive Officer Robert Wahbe will join the board.

Permira, an investor in Seismic since 2020, will remain the controlling shareholder after completion. The deal is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals.

Both businesses will continue to operate independently until closing and will continue to support both platforms after the transaction completes.

Platform overlap

Seismic and Highspot sell software used by sales, marketing and customer success teams. Their products sit within the broader revenue operations market, which has attracted rising investment as companies seek more consistent reporting and execution across commercial functions.

Both groups have positioned artificial intelligence as central to their product strategy. They said the combined company plans to offer a platform spanning enablement, content, learning, coaching, analytics and insights across the full revenue lifecycle.

They also plan to increase investment in AI-focused product development after closing, targeting areas such as productivity and execution across revenue-generating teams.

Leadership plans

Tarkoff said the combination reflects demand for software that links sales strategy with execution and measurement across large organisations. He added that customer relationships will be a focus during integration planning.

"There is a growing demand for technologies that help organisations connect sales strategy to execution and drive consistent revenue performance at scale. This proposed merger is about meeting that increasing demand and raising the bar for how technology can enable revenue organisations to plan, execute, perform, and scale," said Tarkoff, Chief Executive Officer, Seismic.

"I'm excited to continue partnering with both Seismic and Highspot customers as we build the platform that advances the future of AI-driven revenue performance and operations," Tarkoff said.

Wahbe said the two companies share a view of enablement as a core operating layer for revenue teams. He described the post-close opportunity in terms of product development and customer outcomes.

"Highspot and Seismic share a belief that enablement sits at the center of how modern revenue teams operate," said Wahbe, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Highspot.

"Following closing, we will have the opportunity to move the revenue enablement space forward by giving customers more innovation, more insights leading to actions, and more confidence in how they drive performance across their GTM teams," Wahbe said.

Ownership and advisers

Permira said it will continue backing Seismic through what it called the company's next stage. It described the two platforms as complementary and said it expects continued investment in an AI-focused product roadmap.

"We've greatly enjoyed our partnership with Rob and the Seismic team and look forward to continuing to support the business through this next chapter," said Jason Thorn, Managing Director, Permira.

"This transaction brings together two highly complementary, customer-centric platforms with a shared ambition to invest heavily behind an AI-first product roadmap and serve customers with best-in-class solutions," Thorn said.

Seismic is headquartered in San Diego and has offices across North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. It said it is trusted by about 2,000 organisations worldwide.

Highspot said its product includes a unified AI and analytics engine called Nexus. It markets its software as a go-to-market performance platform that connects strategy, execution and outcomes.

The companies named Latham & Watkins and Skadden as counsel, with Fried Frank providing tax advice. Qatalyst Partners, Wells Fargo and J.P. Morgan were listed as financial advisers. Both businesses will continue to operate separately until the transaction closes.