Workday, Inc. announced on October 12, 2026, that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire C1.ai. Under the terms of the agreement, Workday will acquire all of the outstanding capital stock of C1.ai, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions.
C1.ai is described as a leading agentic identity platform for people and agents. The company connects to the systems a business runs on, including email, CRM, code repositories, finance systems, and cloud infrastructure. The acquisition aims to help Workday govern access for every person and AI agent in an enterprise.
According to the filing, the transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of Workday’s fiscal year 2027, which ends on January 31, 2027. Workday’s President of Product and Technology, Gerrit Kazmaier, stated that the deal will help secure the combined workforce of people and AI agents by managing and enforcing who and what has access to connected apps and systems.
Workday is serving as the identity governance layer for people, money, and agents. The company noted that while 95% of large U.S. companies already run autonomous agents, only 21% report having a mature way to govern them. The acquisition is intended to provide organizations with visibility and control over agent access, ensuring that agents receive the access they need when they need it and lose it when their work or role ends.
Workday has engaged BofA Securities as its financial advisor and Orrick as its legal advisor. C1.ai has engaged Qatalyst as its financial advisor and Ashurst Perkins Coie as its legal advisor.
