IBM to acquire Confluent in $11 billion all-cash deal

IBM has agreed to acquire Confluent in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $11 billion, under which Confluent shareholders will receive $31 per share in cash.

Confluent, a California-based firm known for its real-time data streaming platform that helps enterprises process and manage massive data flows, will become part of IBM’s enterprise software stack. According to IBM, the acquisition will enhance its smart data platform for enterprise IT, enabling faster and more efficient deployment

of AI, cloud, and data-driven services.

The deal is expected to close by mid-2026, subject to regulatory and shareholder approval.

Following the announcement, Confluent’s shares surged nearly 30%, while IBM shares dipped slightly.

With this acquisition, IBM is looking to deepen its investment in building integrated, AI-ready infrastructure, leveraging Confluent’s real-time data streaming capabilities to support enterprise-grade AI workloads and cloud services.