Global Sales Force Automation Sector Overview


Sector Definition:

Sales Force Automation (SFA) refers to software solutions designed to help sales teams streamline and optimize their sales processes across three key channels: channel sales, field sales, and inside sales. These solutions primarily cater to B2B2B (business-to-business-to-business) models rather than B2B2C (business-to-business-to-consumer).


Industry Snapshot:


The sector comprises 17,454 companies, including major players like Salesforce, HubSpot, DocuSign, Calendly, and Dialpad.

2,842 companies in the sector have received funding, with 1,331 securing Series A investments.

36 Unicorns (privately held companies valued at over $1 billion) have emerged in this space.

The United States leads in the number of Sales Force Automation companies (6,326), followed by India (2,048) and the United Kingdom (1,246).

Over the past decade, an average of 1,056 new startups have entered the market annually.

Many of these startups have been founded by alumni from Stanford University, Harvard University, and the University of California, Berkeley.


Here is a List of top  companies in Sales Force Automation


 1. Salesforce Sales Cloud


Cloud-based CRM platform designed for sales automation, customer relationship management, and lead management. It provides AI-driven insights, pipeline tracking, workflow automation, and forecasting tools. The platform integrates with various third-party applications and offers extensive customization.


Key facts about Salesforce Sales Cloud


Founded Year: 1999

Location: San Francisco, United States

Stage: Public

Total Funding till date: $65.4M

Investors: Emergence Capital, Sequoia Capital, and Others

Latest Funding Round: IPO, June 23, 2004, $110M

Competitors Rank: 1 of 5,514 Competitors


2. Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales


A comprehensive SFA solution that integrates with Microsoft’s ecosystem, providing tools for sales automation, AI-powered insights, customer engagement, and analytics. It helps businesses streamline sales processes and improve forecasting.


Key facts about Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales


Founded Year: 1975 (as Microsoft Corporation)

Location: Redmond, United States

Stage: Public

Total Funding till date: N/A (Self-funded)

Investors: N/A

Latest Funding Round: N/A

Competitors Rank: 2 of 5,514 Competitors


3. Zoho CRM


A cloud-based CRM platform that offers sales automation, multichannel communication, workflow management, and AI-powered analytics. It is known for its affordability and integration with other Zoho applications.


Key facts about Zoho CRM


Founded Year: 1996

Location: Chennai, India

Stage: Private

Total Funding till date: Bootstrapped

Investors: N/A

Latest Funding Round: N/A

Competitors Rank: 3 of 5,514 Competitors


4. HubSpot Sales Hub


A sales automation tool designed to enhance productivity with email tracking, meeting scheduling, automated workflows, and AI-powered lead scoring. It integrates with HubSpot’s marketing and customer service tools.


Key facts about HubSpot Sales Hub


Founded Year: 2006

Location: Cambridge, United States

Stage: Public

Total Funding till date: $100.5M

Investors: Sequoia Capital, Google Ventures, and Others

Latest Funding Round: IPO, October 9, 2014, $125M

Competitors Rank: 4 of 5,514 Competitors


5. Pipedrive


A sales CRM and pipeline management tool designed to help teams track deals, automate tasks, and improve conversion rates. It is known for its user-friendly interface and customization options.


Key facts about Pipedrive


Founded Year: 2010

Location: New York, United States

Stage: Private

Total Funding till date: $90.2M

Investors: Atomico, Bessemer Venture Partners, and Others

Latest Funding Round: Acquired by Vista Equity Partners, November 2020

Competitors Rank: 5 of 5,514 Competitors


6. Oracle Sales


A sales force automation solution that provides AI-powered insights, pipeline analytics, and customer engagement tools. It is part of Oracle’s Customer Experience (CX) Cloud suite.


Key facts about Oracle Sales


Founded Year: 1977

Location: Austin, United States

Stage: Public

Total Funding till date: N/A (Self-funded)

Investors: N/A

Latest Funding Round: N/A

Competitors Rank: 6 of 5,514 Competitors


7. Vtiger One


A cloud-based CRM that combines sales, marketing, and customer support features. It offers automation, analytics, and integrations to streamline business operations.


Key facts about Vtiger One


Founded Year: 2004

Location: Bangalore, India

Stage: Private

Total Funding till date: Bootstrapped

Investors: N/A

Latest Funding Round: N/A

Competitors Rank: 7 of 5,514 Competitors


8. Insightly CRM


A CRM solution that focuses on managing customer relationships, workflow automation, and sales pipeline tracking. It is widely used by small and mid-sized businesses.


Key facts about Insightly CRM


Founded Year: 2009

Location: San Francisco, United States

Stage: Private

Total Funding till date: $38M

Investors: Emergence Capital, Cloud Apps Capital Partners, and Others

Latest Funding Round: Series C, September 2016, $25M

Competitors Rank: 8 of 5,514 Competitors


9. Creatio


A low-code CRM and process automation platform that helps businesses optimize sales, marketing, and service workflows. It is designed for mid-sized and large enterprises.


Key facts about Creatio


Founded Year: 2011

Location: Boston, United States

Stage: Private

Total Funding till date: N/A

Investors: Volition Capital

Latest Funding Round: Growth Equity, February 2021

Competitors Rank: 9 of 5,514 Competitors


10. Leadfeeder


A sales intelligence tool that helps businesses identify website visitors, track engagement, and convert leads into customers. It integrates with various CRM systems.


Key facts about Leadfeeder


Founded Year: 2012

Location: Helsinki, Finland

Stage: Private

Total Funding till date: $4.1M

Investors: Superhero Capital, Vendep Capital

Latest Funding Round: Series A, February 2020

Competitors Rank: 10 of 5,514 Competitors