Anticipating broader uses for autonomous agents, SoundHound expanded beyond voice recognition through targeted acquisitions. The purchase of Amelia added industry-specific virtual agents already deployed in healthcare, financial services, and other regulated sectors. A subsequent acquisition of a workflow-automation provider supplied back-end tools needed to connect conversational interfaces with business processes.
By merging these assets, SoundHound launched a voice-first AI agent platform designed to deliver end-to-end customer service. Management is marketing the suite as a single solution that understands spoken requests, executes related workflows, and relays results without requiring an employee to intervene. Although the initiative is in its early stages, revenue growth has accelerated: sales more than doubled during the past nine months compared with the prior-year period.
The rapid expansion carries a premium valuation. Shares currently trade at roughly 15 times analysts’ 2026 revenue estimates, based on the forward price-to-sales ratio. Investors are therefore paying a substantial multiple for a company that is still proving its ability to convert technical expertise into sustainable, large-scale contracts.
Salesforce: Leveraging the System of Record
Salesforce (NYSE: CRM) approaches agentic AI from the vantage point of a customer relationship management pioneer. Its platform already serves as the core database where many organizations store customer interactions, marketing activity, and sales pipelines. By integrating AI agents directly into that central repository, Salesforce aims to become the primary source of truth for enterprise data while enabling automated workflows that draw on historical records.
Despite its entrenched position, Salesforce faces skepticism that software-as-a-service providers could lose ground in an AI-dominated landscape. Two concerns dominate the debate. First, companies deploying advanced AI may operate with fewer employees and, by extension, require fewer subscriptions (“seats”) to traditional SaaS products. Second, some observers argue that firms could replace packaged applications altogether by using large language models to generate so-called “vibe code,” or natural-language-driven programming that builds custom tools.
Salesforce has responded by embedding generative AI features across its cloud suite and by promoting its data cloud as the master record from which agentic systems can draw accurate information. The strategy centers on persuading customers that a unified platform reduces fragmentation and ensures compliance — benefits that may be harder to replicate with ad-hoc, in-house code.
Comparative Outlook
SoundHound and Salesforce each control assets tailored to different aspects of the agentic AI value chain. SoundHound’s strength lies in real-time natural-language interaction coupled with an integrated workflow engine, positioning the firm to deliver autonomous customer-facing agents. Salesforce, meanwhile, capitalizes on its extensive installed base and consolidated data infrastructure, enabling back-office agents that rely on existing enterprise records.
Market metrics underscore the contrast. SoundHound’s small-cap status and higher growth rate support a lofty sales multiple, reflecting investor expectations for significant future expansion. Salesforce, a large-cap incumbent, trades at lower relative valuation levels but must demonstrate that AI will enhance rather than erode its subscription model.
Both companies continue to invest in research, partnerships, and product rollouts to capture early demand for autonomous agents. Over the next several quarters, adoption rates, contract sizes, and customer retention will offer clearer signals about which approach resonates more with enterprises seeking to automate workflows while maintaining accuracy and compliance.
As organizations experiment with AI strategies, industry analysts are monitoring whether a single platform will dominate or if specialized providers will coexist. According to a recent report from Gartner, enterprises are expected to spend heavily on AI solutions that integrate seamlessly with existing data architectures, a trend that could favor companies offering comprehensive ecosystems.
For now, the agentic AI era remains in its formative stage. SoundHound is betting on conversational fluency coupled with vertical industry expertise, whereas Salesforce emphasizes its role as custodian of enterprise data. How quickly each firm can translate its respective advantages into recurring revenue will likely determine investor sentiment as the technology matures.
Crédito da imagem: Getty Images
