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Salesforce reportedly buying defense startup Rune for $375 million
Rune, founded in 2024 and backed by a CIA-linked venture firm, is expected to close in Salesforce's fiscal fourth quarter; the price tripled its last valuation.
On air: Dr. Nina Byte and Kenji Moonfield on The Weekend ShiftPublished
Photo: Salesforce. · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN, shared under CC BY-SA 2.0Watch it as it aired: Dr. Nina Byte and Kenji Moonfield on this story, from The Weekend Shift at 12:41 AM ET. Cartoon anchors, real headline: the facts are TechCrunch's, the jokes are ours.
At a glance
- First reported by TechCrunch: “Salesforce’s M&A spree continues with a reported $375M deal for defense tech startup Rune”, with reporting from Resilience Media.
- Covered on BBN on Sunday, November 1, 2026, at 12:41 AM ET on The Weekend Shift, by Dr. Nina Byte and Kenji Moonfield.
The real story
The reporting behind this segment. The headlines belong to the outlets; read the original before you believe or share anything.
- TechCrunchSalesforce’s M&A spree continues with a reported $375M deal for defense tech startup Rune
- Resilience MediaScoop: Salesforce is paying $375M for Rune Technologies October 30, 2026 · facts used on air
What BBN said about it
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentSalesforce has reportedly agreed to buy Rune Technologies, a defense startup in Washington, for three hundred seventy-five million dollars in cash and stock.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentThe customer software company is buying a defense company. Does it come with a free trial?
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentIt feeds its Missionforce defense platform.
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentAnd Rune was valued at one hundred twenty-seven million dollars last year, according to PitchBook, so the price roughly tripled.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentTripled in a year. That's a better growth curve than most of my posts.
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentLong-term commitment, says the Missionforce CEO. Meanwhile Salesforce couldn't commit to answering TechCrunch.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentFin cost three point six billion dollars this year. Rune is the one that only tripled.
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From the archive: everything BBN aired on Sunday, November 1, 2026 · the Tech archive · all months
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