CX & SalesTech Spotlight: September 2025 highlights
Monthly highlights from the CX and SalesTech space
Sierra’s strong growth signals a new era of maturity in Conversational AI
Sierra, the once-stealthy conversational AI company is starting to lift the hood, revealing market traction and a new $350M funding round that pushed its valuation to $10B. With ARR approaching $100M and strong adoption in retail and e-commerce, Sierra is emerging as a standout in the conversational AI landscape.
Should software vendors ditch seat-based pricing?
One topic is dominating investor conversations: the shift from legacy per-seat SaaS pricing to usage- and outcome-based models. While pricing draws attention, the bigger story is how vendors can secure a strategic foothold with their customers as AI begins to reshape the landscape for software providers.
Verint + Calabrio: Thoma Bravo’s bet on building a CX Automation powerhouse
Thoma Bravo’s $2B all-cash acquisition of Verint, set to merge with Calabrio, is a major shake-up in CX, uniting two former competitors. Under one of the most prominent private equity investors, it positions Verint, an early mover in CX Automation, to seize a leadership role in this emerging market.