IBM is reportedly in advanced discussions to acquire Confluent, a data infrastructure company, in a deal worth around $11bn, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Based in California, Confluent operates an open-source platform designed to process large streams of real-time data, such as bank transactions and website clicks.
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The company has built a cloud-native platform to unlock real-time data, serving as a kind of central nervous system that connects all applications around live data streams. This enables businesses to react and respond intelligently to everything happening across their operations.
Confluent reported subscription revenue of $286m for the third quarter of this year and anticipates earning $295.5m–$296.5m in the fourth quarter.
The company’s market capitalisation stands at approximately $8.09bn, based on LSEG data. IBM’s valuation, meanwhile, is around $287.84bn.
In October 2025, Reuters reported that Confluent was considering a possible sale and had engaged an investment bank to manage the process after receiving interest from potential buyers.
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By GlobalDataIBM has faced investor caution following slower growth in its core cloud software business reported in October.
The interest in Confluent comes amid increased demand for data infrastructure companies, driven by the corporate push towards generative AI.
Earlier in 2025, IBM completed the previously announced $6.4bn acquisition of HashiCorp in a move to expand its cloud software offerings.
IBM named critical ICT provider under EU’s DORA
In a separate development, IBM has been designated by the European Supervisory Authorities (EBA, EIOPA, ESMA) as a critical information and communication technology (ICT) third-party provider under the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA).
DORA is an EU regulation intended to ensure that financial entities such as banks, insurance companies and investment firms and their critical ICT providers can withstand and recover from technology disruptions including cyber incidents and technical failures.
This designation means IBM will be subject to direct supervision by these authorities as a critical third-party provider.
IBM will work with the ESAs to meet operational and technical resilience requirements essential to Europe’s financial system.
For clients, this designation means IBM is required to comply with DORA’s operational resilience standards and regulatory obligations.
IBM said that it will engage with European Supervisory Authorities on DORA compliance and use its expertise in risk management, cybersecurity, and regulatory compliance to support clients in meeting evolving regulatory requirements.
