ServiceNow announced on Wednesday its second major artificial intelligence-focused acquisition this year, confirming a definitive agreement to purchase Data.World, a prominent cloud-native data catalog and governance platform.
Data.World, headquartered in Austin, Texas, was founded in 2015 and had raised over $130 million in funding from investors including Alumni Ventures, Shasta Ventures, and Prologis Ventures. The company was valued at roughly $350 million after raising a $50 million Series C round in 2022. Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.
Reflecting on the strategic aim behind the deal, ServiceNow’s senior vice president and general manager of data analytics, Gaurav Rewari said the move comes as part of the company’s broader effort to empower customers to better deploy AI throughout their operations. Specifically, ServiceNow intends to leverage Data.World’s technology to help organizations organize and maximize the utility of their data—essentially making enterprise data “AI-ready.”
Rewari highlighted that harnessing AI effectively often requires overcoming substantial data preparation challenges. “This path to agentic ‘AI heaven’ goes through some form of data hell—and that’s the grim reality,” he noted. ServiceNow evaluated multiple potential acquisition targets before choosing Data.World for its deep expertise in enterprise-scale metadata management, data organization, and governance processes.
“After looking extensively at the landscape, we came away deeply impressed with what Data.World had built,” Rewari explained. “Their comprehensive approach to metadata management, combined with robust governance capabilities, promises a transformative enhancement to our existing platform.”
ServiceNow plans to integrate Data.World’s offerings into its own product catalogue shortly after the acquisition closes. Customers can expect access to the newly integrated tools as part of ServiceNow’s continuing push to provide cutting-edge AI readiness capabilities.
The purchase of Data.World follows closely on ServiceNow’s earlier acquisition in March, when it agreed to buy Moveworks, an enterprise AI automation solutions provider, for $2.85 billion. Both deals align under a larger strategic direction outlined by ServiceNow executives—pursuing a balanced approach of internal development, strategic partnerships, and targeted acquisitions to accelerate the company’s position as a leader in enterprise AI technology.
Company leadership previously emphasized the importance of carefully considering build-versus-buy decisions. “It’s like playing three-dimensional chess to determine whether to build, buy, or partner,” explained Philip Kirk, ServiceNow’s senior vice president of corporate business development. “Our primary goal is to deliver differentiated, best-in-class capabilities that effectively support the long-term success of our customers.”
Following the public announcement, ServiceNow clarified an earlier communication misstep: the internal codename “Declan,” which was mistakenly shared publicly, is an internal designation and does not reflect Data.World’s official identity or branding.
