# Databricks and SAP Expand Partnership to Integrate AI Tools New data foundation and AI features aim to streamline enterprise business intelligence workflows. - **Source:** [The Next Web](https://brifing.si/source/afe24b20-b275-4c19-b9a6-8bb3c8babae7) - **Published:** 2026-10-30 - **Topic:** [Data & AI](https://brifing.si/c/data-ai) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/e96ede66-2175-4e19-995e-096e0e4cc2e4 ## Expanded Strategic Partnership Databricks and SAP announced an expansion of their collaborative partnership during the TechEd conference in Berlin. This move integrates four new tools into the existing SAP Databricks environment, which originally launched in February 2025. The initiative focuses on embedding advanced AI capabilities directly within SAP's established Business Data Cloud infrastructure. ## New Toolset Integration The integration introduces Genie as an AI assistant, Lakeflow for building data pipelines, and Unity Gateway for managing AI agents and operational costs. Additionally, Lakebase serves as a dedicated database for AI applications. These components aim to provide a more cohesive environment for processing complex business data within the SAP ecosystem. ## Interoperability with Joule Databricks plans to link its Genie assistant with Joule, SAP's proprietary AI assistant. This integration allows users to receive AI-generated answers directly within SAP software interfaces. While the technical roadmap is clear, neither company has provided specific release dates for when these combined functionalities will be available to their customers. ## Application Data Foundation SAP unveiled the Application Data Foundation to simplify access to data stored in business software, whether hosted in the cloud or on-premises. Previously, firms were forced to build custom pipelines to extract data, often resulting in a loss of critical business context. This new foundation aims to preserve that essential data integrity. ## Addressing Legacy Migration This partnership is critical as SAP encourages customers to transition away from older ECC software before mainstream support concludes in 2027. With over 90% of Fortune 500 companies utilizing SAP systems, the ability to move data efficiently into Databricks is a significant factor for enterprises planning their upcoming digital infrastructure migrations. ## Performance and Scalability Trailer parts manufacturer SAF-Holland reported a fivefold increase in analysis speed after migrating over 100 million records into the SAP Databricks environment. This real-world application demonstrates the potential efficiency gains for large-scale enterprises. Such performance metrics highlight the value of reducing latency when processing massive volumes of historical business data. ## Strategic AI Objectives SAP is advancing its Autonomous Enterprise plan by embedding AI agents throughout its software suite, supported by the acquisition of Prior Labs. Databricks, currently valued at $190 billion, seeks to capture more of the data these agents require. Both companies are aligning their roadmaps to dominate the enterprise AI data market. ## Future Market Impact The collaboration signals a shift toward unified data architectures for large enterprises. By reducing the need for custom extraction pipelines, the partnership addresses a major pain point for SAP users. The success of this integration will likely influence how Fortune 500 companies manage their AI-driven business intelligence strategies moving forward. ## Sources covering this story - https://thenextweb.com/news/databricks-and-sap-expand-their-deal-to-put-ai-on-sap-data — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._