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Confluent
Jay Kreps commercialized Apache Kafka as Confluent in 2014, building a data-streaming platform now used by Notion and SAS.
Confluent
At Confluent, we harness the full power of the Microsoft ecosystem to deliver intelligent, scalable, and future-ready business solutions. Our deep expertise enables us to automate processes, analyze data, and empower smarter decision-making in today’s AI-driven digital economy. We modernize operations through smart automation and cloud-native solutions, helping businesses streamline workflows, enhance insights, and accelerate digital transformation. Our agile, scalable applications maximize the value of your technology investments, enabling you to lead with confidence in a rapidly evolving world.
General information
Firm type
Asset Manager
Year founded
2014
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Scottsdale
Corporate office
899 West Evelyn, Mountain View, CA, United States
Additional offices
Reston, United States · London, United Kingdom · Dubai, United Arab Emirates · Barcelona, Spain · Bangalore, India · Singapore
Principals
Jay Kreps
Co-founder & CEO
Jun Rao
Co-founder
Neha Narkhede
Board Director
Matt Miller
Board Director
Mike Volpi
Board Director
Eric Vishria
Board Director
Jonathan Chadwick
Board Director
Greg Schott
Board Director
Lara Caimi
Board Director
Alyssa Henry
Board Director
Ryan Mac Ban
Management Team
Stephanie Buscemi
Management Team
Rohan Sivaram
Management Team
Rey Perez
Management Team
Shaun Clowes
Management Team
Colleen McCreary
Management Team
Rebecca Chavez
Management Team
Steve Deasy
Management Team
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs Confluent, and how did the company start?
Jay Kreps is Co-founder and CEO. He built Apache Kafka alongside Jun Rao and Neha Narkhede while all three were engineers at LinkedIn, where the internal messaging system needed to process trillions of events per day. They founded Confluent in 2014 to sell a managed, cloud-native version of Kafka.
Is Confluent a product company or a services firm?
Confluent is a product company that sells a data-streaming platform, available either as a fully managed cloud service (Confluent Cloud) or as self-managed enterprise software (Confluent Platform). It does not operate as a services or consulting firm, though it sells support and training for its product.
What is Confluent's relationship to Apache Kafka?
Confluent was founded by the original co-creators of Apache Kafka and uses Kafka as the core engine inside its platform. The firm maintains full compatibility with open-source Kafka but has rearchitected its cloud service on a proprietary engine called Kora, which it claims delivers 20-90% better throughput than vanilla Kafka. Cluster Linking lets customers mirror data between open-source and Confluent environments.
Who are Confluent's named institutional customers?
Confluent publicly highlights SAS and Notion as customers. SAS reported a 69% reduction in data infrastructure costs after replacing its legacy pipelines with Confluent. Notion said it uses Confluent to power real-time features for over 100 million daily users.
Does Confluent participate in fund commitments, or is it only a software vendor?
Confluent is purely a software vendor selling a data-streaming platform. It is not an investment firm and does not manage a fund, make direct investments, or participate in co-investment vehicles.
How does Confluent's cloud pricing compare to open-source Kafka?
Confluent positions its cloud service as cheaper than self-managed open-source Kafka when total cost of operations is included, citing throughput savings documented in its 2025 Data Streaming Report. It offers a $400 free credit for new cloud sign-ups and sells through a consumption-based pricing model.
What industry segments does Confluent explicitly target?
Confluent's website lists financial services, retail and e-commerce, manufacturing, telecommunications, healthcare, and software/technology. Within financial services, it specifically calls out fraud detection, real-time payments, and risk analysis as named use cases.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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