- Ascendx completes acquisition, integrating GRAX with CapStorm, as two enterprise-focused data management platforms unite
- With 54% of data stored in the cloud classified as sensitive (an increase from 47% in 2024)*, there are increasing governance complexities around data storage, with the average cost of a data breach currently reaching $4.88 million**
- This acquisition helps businesses to reduce this risk by giving businesses full data control and ownership
- Acquisition follows $110M Ascendx fundraise which was announced in May
Ascendx, the global operator of enterprise software solutions in the Salesforce ecosystem, today announced it has completed its acquisition of GRAX, the US-based Salesforce data management leader. Having raised $13M at its most recent funding round***, GRAX will now integrate with CapStorm, an Ascendx portfolio company as part of a broader data management platform strategy. GRAX and CapStorm will provide enterprises real-time control of their Salesforce data, enabling instant backup, recovery and replication.
Businesses today face mounting risks from poor SaaS data governance, with the average cost of a data breach currently reaching $4.88 million. This newly formed entity will enable businesses to safeguard their Salesforce data through robust backup, recovery, and lifecycle management, reducing both compliance risks and the potential financial impact of breaches.
The move expands the company’s global reach and unites two high-growth teams, collectively serving over 500 enterprise clients across 40 countries. Together, GRAX and CapStorm have achieved more than 500% growth over the past five years, setting the stage for continued expansion as category leaders.
The newly integrated company will enable enterprises to fully own, control, and manage their Salesforce data. It will focus on highly regulated sectors, including healthcare, financial services, and federal agencies, helping organizations meet strict compliance requirements by maintaining secure, off-platform data replicas.
While headquartered in the U.S., the unified GRAX brand is extending its footprint to the UK and Europe, where data sovereignty and compliance innovation are accelerating fastest, particularly under GDPR and AI governance frameworks.
The combined company will continue under the leadership of Ted Pappas as CEO, with GRAX Founder Joe Gaska taking the Chief Product Officer role to drive innovation and AI-powered capabilities.
Ted Pappas, CEO of CapStorm, who will lead the combined organization, said: “The thesis of this merger is simple: to provide Salesforce customers with an improved experience for end-to-end Salesforce data lifecycle management. With GRAX and CapStorm working together, companies like Mölnlycke, Jazz Pharmaceuticals and other major multinationals are transforming their Salesforce data from a compliance burden into a competitive asset. Together, we cover everything from backup, archive and analytics to security & compliance using advanced AI capabilities. Together, CapStorm and GRAX give enterprises a trusted way to achieve complete data independence.”
Joe Gaska, Founder of GRAX, added: “From the start, GRAX was built on the belief that customers should own their data, not rent access to it. Our enterprise customers report up to 70% faster analytics delivery and tens of thousands of dollars in storage cost savings after unifying CRM data in their own cloud. This merger under Ascendx enables us to accelerate these improvements, giving Salesforce customers the control, security, and freedom they’ve been demanding, while better preparing their data for the future of compliance, analytics, and AI.”
Ufuk Civilo, CEO of Ascendx, said: “Grax is the second acquisition under our data cloud suite to give enterprise organizations their data freedom back. With this acquisition, we’re offering best in class data management and AI capabilities to our customers. CapStorm alone already delivers sub-five-minute data recovery, unmatched in the category so I look forward to see the value CapStorm and GRAX deliver together, turning data protection into data power.”
Alantra acted as exclusive financial advisor to GRAX in this transaction.
* https://cpl.thalesgroup.com/cloud-security-research
** https://www.ibm.com/reports/data-breach *** https://www.grax.com/blog/why-we-raised-a-12-8m-series-a-with-volition-capital/
Notes to Editors:
For more information, please contact ascendx@founderscomms.co
Amy Grenham, Head of Marketing, Ascendx, amy.grenham@Ascendx.cloud
About CapStorm
CapStorm is a leading provider of Salesforce data management solutions, specializing in backup & restore, data pipelines, integrations, and compliance. Trusted by Global 2000 enterprises in highly regulated industries worldwide, CapStorm enables organizations to take control of their Salesforce data with unmatched independence, flexibility, and trust.
About GRAX
GRAX is a pioneer in Salesforce data management, empowering enterprises to protect, preserve, and maximize the value of their data. With a relentless focus on customer data ownership, GRAX helps organizations achieve compliance, improve resilience, and unlock the full potential of their Salesforce data.