U.S. IBM agreed to acquire real-time data streaming platform corporations Confluent for about $11.0 billion (about 16.1 trillion won). The move is seen as a strategy to speed up a shift to AI-centered business by securing data stream technology essential for Generative AI and agent AI.
IBM said on the 8th (local time) that it signed an acquisition agreement with Confluent and set the purchase price at $31 per share. Confluent provides real-time data stream management technology used across industries such as retail, technology and finance, and is regarded as core infrastructure in the AI era.
The transaction is the largest among the M&A deals IBM has pursued over several years as it pushes a shift to an AI-centered structure. Arvind Krishna, IBM chief executive officer (CEO), said, "IBM, together with Confluent, will help corporations deploy Generative AI and agent AI faster and more efficiently."
IBM is reshaping its portfolio around enterprise AI platforms, Hybrid Cloud and Quantum Computing. Last year, it agreed to acquire cloud software corporations HashiCorp for $6.4 billion.
After news of the acquisition broke, Confluent's share price on the New York stock market jumped to around $30 intraday, surging about 30% from the previous session.