Slack
Slack is a team messaging and collaboration platform owned by Salesforce, headquartered in San Francisco. Acquired by Salesforce in 2021 for $27.7 billion, it is the dominant enterprise messaging tool in the US market.
Brand Identity Data
Verified on August 2, 2026
Corporate Lineage
Founded
Slack was launched by Stewart Butterfield and colleagues as a pivot from the gaming company Tiny Speck.
IPO
Slack Technologies goes public on the NYSE via a direct listing.
Acquisition
Salesforce acquires Slack for approximately $27.7 billion.
AI Integration
Launch of Slack GPT and increased integration of generative AI across the Salesforce ecosystem.
European Alternatives to Slack
Wire
Wire is a Swiss end-to-end encrypted messaging platform for enterprises and governments, headquartered in Zug. It requires no phone number, is GDPR-compliant, and is used by European government bodies as a secure alternative to Slack and Microsoft Teams.
Compare Slack vs. WireElement
Element is a UK-based secure messaging platform built on the open Matrix protocol. Used by European governments and enterprises, it offers end-to-end encryption and decentralized federation as an alternative to Slack and Microsoft Teams.
Compare Slack vs. Element