"International Business Machines Corp. is buying the data-streaming platform Confluent Inc. for about $9.3 billion, marking one of its largest takeovers yet and a major bet on the kind of enterprise software that artificial intelligence tools need to perform tasks in real time. IBM will pay $31 a share, according to a statement issued Monday. The enterprise value, which includes debt, is $11 billion, it said."
"If the transaction fails or is terminated, IBM will pay Confluent a breakup fee of $453.6 million, according to an accompanying regulatory filing. The acquisition could significantly improve IBM's AI portfolio, and subsequently its software unit's sales growth, Bloomberg Intelligence analysts Anurag Rana and Andrew Girard wrote Monday after the Wall Street Journal reported the deal talks. Confluent shares rose as much as 29% to $29.86 after markets opened in New York, more than a dollar below the offer price. IBM shares rose as much as 2.4%."
IBM is acquiring data-streaming platform Confluent for about $9.3 billion, paying $31 per share and valuing the company at $11 billion enterprise value including debt. The deal is expected to close by mid-2026 and includes a $453.6 million breakup fee if the transaction fails or is terminated. The acquisition aims to strengthen IBM's AI offerings and accelerate software-unit sales growth by adding real-time data-streaming capabilities. Confluent's platform enables companies to gather, stream and analyze data in real time rather than in batches, supporting use cases like inventory optimization and fraud detection. Customers such as Michelin and Instacart use the platform for live inventory management, real-time fraud detection and product-availability visibility. The AI boom has driven large deals across an ecosystem of data center developers, software makers, generative AI tool developers and data management firms, increasing demand for real-time data infrastructure.
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