Deal brings real-time data streaming, governance and hybrid-cloud intelligence under one unified AI-ready platform
IBM has announced the acquisition of Confluent in an $11 billion all-cash deal, marking one of the company’s most significant strategic moves in the era of generative and agentic AI. The deal, priced at $31 per share, brings Confluent’s market-leading real-time data streaming platform under IBM’s hybrid cloud and AI portfolio, positioning the combined entity to deliver what IBM calls a “smart data platform” for enterprise AI workloads.
As organizations shift toward AI-driven operations, the ability to move, clean, connect and govern data in real time has become the core driver of business productivity. According to IDC, more than one billion new logical applications will be created globally by 2028. This explosion, fueled by AI agents and automation, underscores the need for unified data architecture capable of spanning hybrid, public and private cloud environments.
“This acquisition puts trusted, real-time data at the center of enterprise AI.”
IBM Chairman and CEO Arvind Krishna said the acquisition will significantly strengthen IBM’s ability to help enterprises operationalise AI at scale. “With the acquisition of Confluent, IBM will provide the smart data platform for enterprise IT, purpose-built for AI,” he said.
Confluent CEO and Co-founder Jay Kreps emphasized that real-time data streaming is foundational for the next era of computing. “We are excited by the potential to join IBM and to accelerate our strategy with IBM’s go-to-market expertise, global scale and extensive portfolio,” Kreps said.
The acquisition unlocks synergy across IBM’s AI infrastructure, automation software, data governance stack and consulting business. Confluent’s capabilities, built on Apache Kafka, include streaming analytics, connectors, governance tools, and multiple deployment models—from Confluent Cloud to the hybrid WarpStream and Confluent Private Cloud.
With 6,500+ customers, including over 40% of the Fortune 500, Confluent’s real-time data platform is already embedded across financial services, retail, telecom, and digital-native enterprises. IBM expects the deal to be accretive to adjusted EBITDA within the first year after close, and to free cash flow by year two.
Pending regulatory and shareholder approvals, the transaction is expected to close by mid-2026.