Confluent invests USD $200 million to boost global data partners

Confluent has confirmed a commitment to invest USD $200 million over the next three years to expand and enhance its global partner ecosystem.

The initiative is set to drive increased collaboration with technology partners, cloud service providers, system integrators, managed service providers, and independent software vendors. The funding aims to help these partners develop new products and services leveraging data streaming, foster joint go-to-market solutions, and create deeper technical integrations.

Responding to AI demand

Businesses are undergoing rapid change as artificial intelligence becomes increasingly central to corporate strategy and operations. Confluent's investment comes in response to growing demand for real-time, AI-ready data solutions. The intention is to enable partners to position data streaming as a strategic part of their offerings, unlocking new revenue streams and potential use cases in a market estimated to exceed USD $100 billion.

According to the July 2025 IDC Perspective, the preparedness of organisational data infrastructure is fundamental to the successful adoption of AI at scale. The report states, "for organisations to fully realise the potential of artificial intelligence, they must first ensure they have 'AI-ready' data. This readiness is not solely about adopting AI tools but more about building the foundational infrastructure, processes, and culture required to support AI initiatives at scale."

Partner perspectives

"We're on a mission to drive trust and transparency in blockchain, and that is only achievable with quick, easy access to real-time, reliable data," said Ethan Chan, CEO and Co-Founder of Allium. "Confluent enables us to seamlessly connect diverse data sources, from blockchains and core financial systems to cloud-based analytics platforms. With the technology and expertise provided by Confluent and its partners, we've built a high-performance data backbone that enables us to grow rapidly and deliver trusted blockchain insights to more customers faster."

The role of partners in enabling customer innovation and operational improvements through data streaming was further underscored by Kamal Brar, Senior Vice President, Worldwide ISV and APAC at Confluent. He said, "Data streaming is the lifeblood of AI and the foundation for the next wave of transformative applications. The opportunity ahead is massive, and we believe it will be defined by those who can move and build together. We invite technology leaders, integrators, and domain experts to join us in helping organisations harness real-time data to innovate faster, operate smarter, and stay ahead of the curve."

Collaboration opportunities

The investment from Confluent will enable the co-development of new data streaming products and services. Partner organisations will have greater support to build on the Confluent data streaming platform, introducing integrated solutions into their existing offerings. Such cooperation promises to make it easier for businesses to access and benefit from real-time data workflows and modernised IT architectures.

Confluent has outlined several focus areas for the investment, including:

• Launching new data streaming products and services with partner support to embed the Confluent platform into partner solutions.
• Developing joint real-time use cases and go-to-market strategies with partners to better address the demand for data streaming solutions.
• Building deeper native platform integrations to help businesses work with real-time data across multiple parts of the enterprise ecosystem.

This investment follows a period of high partner activity for Confluent, including expanded collaborations with Infosys, alliances with EY, Databricks, and Jio Platforms, as well as the OEM Program partnership with sccc by stc. The company has also made targeted investments in regional system integrators such as Onibex and Psyncopate.

Partner ecosystem

Confluent's approach to its partner programme prioritises close collaboration, aiming to unify enterprise data in real time. The strategy reflects the company's belief that partners play a critical role in helping organisations modernise their operations, support real-time innovation, and manage the transition to cloud-based data infrastructure.