IBM Buys Confluent for $11 Billion to Bolster AI Offerings

IBM’s latest acquisition reflects broader industry appetite for data companies.A sign marks the entrance to IBM Corporate Headquarters in Armonk, N.Y. Stan Honda/AFP via Getty Images12/8/2025|Updated: 12/8/2025IBM said on Dec. 8 that it will purchase real-time data-streaming platform Confluent in an all-cash deal worth $11 billion.The new agreement will see IBM purchasing all issued and outstanding common shares of Confluent for $31 per share in cash, with the transaction expected to close by mid-2026.Andrew Moran has been writing about business, economics, and finance for more than a decade. He is the author of “The War on Cash.”Author’s Selected Articles