Workday to acquire C1.ai for AI identity governance

Workday has agreed to acquire C1.ai, an identity platform, to manage AI agent access in HR, finance, and IT workflows. The deal, expected to close by Jan. 31, 2027, aims to govern AI agent permissions across enterprise systems. Workday did not disclose the purchase price or financial details. C1.ai's role is to control access for both employees and AI agents, addressing governance challenges in AI automation.

Workday announced new AI agent capabilities and the acquisition of C1.ai, a developer of agentic identity technology, at its annual event. The acquisition aims to enhance identity and access management for Workday's cloud applications. Financial terms were not disclosed, and the deal is expected to close in Q4 2027. Workday also unveiled AI autopilot agents for HR, payroll, and finance tasks, leveraging its recent acquisition of Sana.

Mizuho reiterated an Outperform rating and $210 price target for Workday (WDAY) after its Rising 2026 conference, citing AI progress and a growing AI portfolio. Workday reported 13% revenue growth, a 75.8% gross margin, and a P/E ratio of 38.33. Analysts have mixed views on WDAY's potential, with price targets ranging from $201 to $230.

Workday (WDAY) agreed to acquire C1.ai to enhance AI agent access governance. C1.ai's tech manages employee and AI agent permissions across business apps. Workday aims to integrate C1.ai's capabilities into its workflows for real-time access control. The deal is expected to close by January 2027. Workday also launched Work Intelligence, a tool to map AI's impact on jobs, supported by its Skills Cloud.

Workday (WDAY) is acquiring C1.ai, an identity governance platform, to enhance its Agent System of Record. The acquisition aims to streamline access management for humans and AI agents, improving security and compliance. Workday executives believe this will position them as leaders in the identity and security space, with significant growth potential in the AI-driven future. The deal is expected to close early next year, subject to approvals.

Workday CEO Aneel Bhusri announced the acquisition of C1.ai, focusing on AI governance. Workday reported Q2 fiscal 2027 subscription revenue of $2.471B, up 13.9%, with AI contributing over 25% of new contract value. The company introduced Sana as the new default home screen, reducing leave request time by 80% and saving 1.6M hours annually.