Salesforce is betting on artificial intelligence developed by Brunello Cucinelli. The American cloud computing giant recently announced an investment in Callimacus, the platform developed by Solomei AI—the research center founded by the Umbrian fashion designer in 2024—with the aim of accelerating its technological development and supporting its commercial expansion in Europe and North America.
The agreement will enable Callimacus to strengthen its engineering capabilities and expand its research into artificial intelligence, furthering the path Cucinelli has embarked upon to combine technological innovation with a humanistic vision. “It is with a sense of pride and sincere satisfaction that I present a project that opens up extraordinary prospects for technology in the coming years,” said Brunello Cucinelli, president of Solomei AI, on his Instagram. “Three years ago, together with Marc Benioff, we embarked on a journey that brought together mathematicians, philosophers, humanists, and technologists. Callimacus was born from this collaboration. The idea was to develop a simple and intuitive tool capable of speaking the language of people: a sort of new web, free of pages, categories, or predetermined paths, capable of following each user’s intent. I look forward with confidence to the future that this platform will help build, thanks to Salesforce’s support. Its applications will extend to numerous sectors and offer new ways to learn, choose, and act in the digital world.”
Back in January, Cucinelli had already unveiled the brand’s new e-commerce platform, developed by Solomeo AI. The project thus represents an evolution of the website launched in 2024 and is the result of work carried out by the research center established at the Solomeo headquarters to explore the creative, scientific, and technological applications of artificial intelligence. The principle behind Callimacus turns the traditional online browsing experience on its head: there are no predefined pages or paths. Through a network of artificial intelligence agents, the platform interprets the user’s intentions in real time and builds a personalized experience, integrating with existing digital systems and e-commerce infrastructure. Solomei AI is also in the process of patenting the technology that enables this dynamic content generation.
The name Callimacus pays homage to the Greek poet and scholar Callimachus, an iconic figure of the Library of Alexandria, renowned for his work in cataloging and preserving knowledge: a reference that reflects the project’s ambition to organize and make knowledge accessible through new digital tools. ““Brunello has always maintained that technology should enhance the human experience, and it is precisely this conviction that lies at the heart of Callimacus,” said Marc Benioff, president and CEO of Salesforce. “The team has developed an innovative platform that redefines AI-powered experiences, combining conversational AI, business context, and real-time personalization to create new ways for businesses to engage with their customers. We are proud to partner with Brunello and the Solomei AI team in developing this new generation of digital experiences.”
Through this transaction, Salesforce will acquire a stake in the company alongside the founders and seed-stage investors, including Foro delle Arti S.p.A., the Cucinelli family’s holding company. In recent years, Brunello Cucinelli has built a close relationship with some of Silicon Valley’s leading figures, not only as a luxury entrepreneur but also as one of the foremost advocates for reflecting on the relationship between innovation and humanistic values. Among them are Marc Benioff and Jeff Bezos, with whom he shares the goal of “humanizing technology,” while exploring the role of innovation in contemporary society.
The dialogue with Benioff dates back to 2016, when the CEO of Salesforce and Kevin Systrom, co-founder of Instagram, invited Cucinelli to San Francisco to discuss his humanistic vision of business. That meeting led to further collaborations, including the Italian entrepreneur’s participation in Dreamforce, Salesforce’s annual conference, and the Universal Symposia on the Soul and the Economy held in Solomeo. These events brought together some of the leading figures in the international tech world, including Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn, and Kevin Scott, Chief Technology Officer at Microsoft, to discuss digital ethics, artificial intelligence, and the future of innovation. The investment falls under Italy’s “golden power” regulations, which govern transactions involving technology assets deemed strategic to the national interest. The finalization of the agreement therefore remains subject to authorization by the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, in addition to the fulfillment of the customary conditions required for the closing of the transaction.
[📷 Instagram: brunellocucinelli]
