IBM Buys Confluent for $11 Billion to Push AI

IBM will buy data streaming platform provider Confluent in a deal worth $11 billion. The tech giant outlined an ambition to create a smart platform to aid enterprises in deployments of GenAI applications and agents.

The purchase would provide the means for it to deliver an end-to-end platform for businesses to connect, process, and govern data used in systems, IBM said in a statement. Confluent provides a leading open-source enterprise data streaming platform that can conduct its activities in real time.

IBM chair, president, and CEO Arvind Krishna highlighted that its post-completion offering would enable enterprises to deploy generative and agentic AI better and faster by providing trusted communication and data flow between environments, applications, and APIs. “Data is spread across public and private clouds, data centres and countless technology providers,” he added. “With the acquisition of Confluent, IBM will provide the smart data platform for enterprise IT, purpose-built for AI”.

Under the terms of the agreement, IBM will pay $31 per share for the company. The deal was already approved by each company’s board and Confluent’s largest investors, which represent 62% of shareholder votes. IBM expects completion in mid-2026, subject to regulatory approvals and other closing conditions. It also has to go through a full Confluent shareholder vote.