Confluent (CFLT) taken private by IBM subsidiary; Form 15 filed

Rhea-AI Filing Summary

Confluent, Inc. filed a Form 15 certifying termination of its registration under Section 12(g) and suspension of reporting duties under Sections 13 and 15(d) after it was taken private by a merger.

Effective March 17, 2026, Corvo Merger Sub, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of International Business Machines Corporation, merged with and into Confluent, Inc., converting Confluent from a public to a private corporation. The Form 15 was signed on March 27, 2026.

Insights

M&A Counsel

Merger closed; registration terminated under Section 12(g).

The filing confirms a classic reverse-merger/going-private closing: Corvo Merger Sub, Inc. merged into Confluent, with Confluent surviving as a private company effective March 17, 2026. The Form 15 notifies the SEC that periodic reporting obligations under Sections 13 and 15(d) are suspended.

Key dependency: post-closing corporate governance and SEC recordkeeping obligations remain in place for certain filings; any residual disclosures will appear only if required by statute or as part of subsequent regulatory steps.

Corporate Finance Analyst

Transaction removes public reporting obligations and public float.

Confluent’s conversion to a private company ends its obligation to file periodic reports, reducing public liquidity and disclosure frequency. The Form 15 documents the administrative step that follows a change in control closing.

Practical watch items include any post-closing escrow, indemnity, or earnout disclosures in future filings and whether any class of securities remains registered, though none are listed on this Form 15.

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 15

CERTIFICATION AND NOTICE OF TERMINATION OF REGISTRATION UNDER SECTION 12(g)

OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 OR SUSPENSION OF DUTY TO FILE REPORTS

UNDER SECTIONS 13 AND 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934.

Commission File Number:      001-40526

Confluent, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

899 West Evelyn Ave.

Mountain View, CA 94041

(800) 439-3207

(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)

Class A Common Stock, par value $0.00001 per share

(Title of each class of securities covered by this Form)

None

(Titles of all other classes of securities for which a duty to file reports under section 13(a) or 15(d) remains)

Please place an X in the box(es) to designate the appropriate rule provision(s) relied upon to terminate or suspend the duty to file reports:

	Rule 12g-4(a)(1)	☒
	Rule 12g-4(a)(2)	☐
	Rule 12h-3(b)(1)(i)	☒
	Rule 12h-3(b)(1)(ii)	☐
	Rule 15d-6	☐
	Rule 15d-22(b)	☐

Approximate number of holders of record as of the certification or notice date: One.

Explanatory Note: Effective March 17, 2026, Corvo Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of International Business Machines Corporation, a New York corporation, was merged with and into Confluent, Inc., a Delaware corporation, with Confluent, Inc. continuing as the surviving corporation and thereby being converted from a public corporation into a private corporation.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this certification/notice to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned duly authorized person.

Date: March 27, 2026

	Confluent, Inc.
	By:	/s/ Mark Hobbert
		Name:	Mark Hobbert
		Title:	Treasurer

FAQ

What does Confluent (CFLT) filing a Form 15 mean?

A Form 15 notifies the SEC that Confluent has suspended periodic reporting obligations. It follows a corporate change that ends the company’s duty to file under Sections 13 and 15(d). The filing here is tied to the March 17, 2026 merger that converted Confluent to a private company.

When did Confluent become a private company?

Confluent became a private company effective March 17, 2026. That is the date Corvo Merger Sub, Inc., a wholly owned IBM subsidiary, merged with and into Confluent, with Confluent surviving as a private corporation.

Who executed the merger that took Confluent private?

Corvo Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware company and wholly owned subsidiary of International Business Machines Corporation, merged into Confluent, resulting in Confluent’s conversion from public to private effective March 17, 2026.

Will Confluent still have any SEC filing obligations after this Form 15?

The Form 15 suspends routine periodic reporting under Sections 13 and 15(d). Any remaining or special SEC obligations depend on statutory triggers; routine quarterly and annual reports cease following the effective privatization date listed in the filing.