IBM said on Monday it would acquire data streaming platform Confluence for $11 billion, which will help strengthen the technology company’s artificial intelligence strategy.
The companies said they signed a “definitive agreement” under which IBM will acquire all of Confluence Inc.’s issued and outstanding common stock for $31 per share in cash, representing an enterprise value of $11 billion.
Mountain View, Calif.-based Confluence is an open source data streaming platform that can “connect, process and manage” data and events in real time, the companies said in a joint statement. It specializes in preparing data for artificial intelligence and keeping it “clean and connected across systems and applications,” they say.
IBM CEO Arvind Krishna said in a statement that the deal means IBM’s client companies can deploy artificial intelligence services better and faster “by providing trusted communication and data flow between environments, applications and APIs.” “Data is distributed across public and private clouds, data centers and countless technology providers.”
The transaction is expected to close in mid-2026. It still requires approval from Confluence shareholders as well as regulatory approval.
Confluence shares closed at $23.14 on Friday, having soared 29% in premarket trading. IBM shares fell less than 1%.