Confluent builds and sells a data streaming platform that moves data continuously and in real time across an organization's applications, databases, and systems. The platform is built on Apache Kafka, an open source technology that Confluent's founders originally created at LinkedIn and which is now widely used across the Fortune 500. Confluent re-architected Kafka for the cloud using a proprietary engine called Kora, and built a broader suite of capabilities around it — including stream processing via Apache Flink, data connectors, and data governance tools — packaged together as its Data Streaming Platform (DSP). Common use cases include real-time fraud detection, inventory management, data pipelines for AI applications, and real-time personalization. Confluent has over 6,000 customers across more than 100 countries and sells primarily through a direct enterprise sales force, supplemented by cloud marketplace listings and a growing partner ecosystem. Confluent generates revenue through two main components: Confluent Cloud, a fully managed SaaS offering with consumption-based pricing (~56% of subscription revenue), and Confluent Platform, a ratable enterprise subscription for on-premises or private cloud deployments (~44%). The key growth dynamic is account expansion — customers typically start with one use case and expand as they add more data streams and adopt additional DSP products. Confluent is in the process of being acquired by IBM for $31.00 per share in cash, with the deal expected to close by mid-2026.