IBM to acquire Confluent for $11B to build smart data platform for enterprise AI
Summary
IBM announced a definitive agreement to acquire data streaming company Confluent for $31 per share in cash, valuing the deal at $11 billion and making it IBM’s largest software acquisition since Red Hat. The company says Confluent’s Kafka-based real-time data streaming will be integrated with its hybrid cloud and watsonx stack to provide an end-to-end 'smart data platform' for generative and agentic AI applications, with the deal expected to close by mid‑2026 pending shareholder and regulatory approvals.
Related Deals
IBM will acquire Confluent in an all‑cash $11 billion deal to provide a unified real‑time data platform underpinning enterprise generative and agentic AI.
Multi‑year strategic partnership in which IBM provides AI platforms and consulting to run Riyadh Air as an AI‑native airline across operations and customer experience.
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