Statement of Changes in Beneficial Ownership (Form 4)

FORM 4 Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b). Check this box to indicate that a transaction was made pursuant to a contract, instruction or written plan that is intended to satisfy the affirmative defense conditions of Rule 10b5-1(c). See Instruction 10.

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

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(Print or Type Responses)

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person * SCHOTT GREGORY GEORGE 2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol Confluent, Inc. [CFLT] 5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) __X__ Director _____ 10% Owner _____ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below) (Last) (First) (Middle) C/O CONFLUENT, INC., 899 W. EVELYN AVENUE 3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year) 03/17/2026 (Street) MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA 94041 4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed (Month/Day/Year) 6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line) _X_ Form filed by One Reporting Person ___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person (City) (State) (Zip) Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned

1.Title of Security (Instr. 3) 2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8) 4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5) 5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4) 6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4) 7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4) Code V Amount (A) or (D) Price Class A Common Stock 03/17/2026 D 12,559 D (1) 0 D Class A Common Stock 03/17/2026 D 2,466 D (1) 0 I By Trust Restricted Stock Units 03/17/2026 D 8,302 D (2) 0 D

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
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Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)

1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3)

2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security

3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)

3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)

4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)

5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4, and 5)

6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)

7. Title and Amount of Underlying Securities (Instr. 3 and 4)

8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)

9. Number of Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4)

10. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)

11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)

Code

V

(A)

(D)

Date Exercisable

Expiration Date

Title

Amount or Number of Shares

Stock Option (Right to Buy)

$4.71

03/17/2026

D

450,944

(3)

05/14/2030

Class A Common Stock

450,944

(3)

0

D

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address	Relationships
	Director	10% Owner	Officer	Other
SCHOTT GREGORY GEORGE C/O CONFLUENT, INC. 899 W. EVELYN AVENUE MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA 94041	X

Signatures

/s/ Weilyn Wood, Attorney-in-Fact		03/19/2026
**Signature of Reporting Person		Date

Explanation of Responses:

*	If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v).
**	Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1)	Pursuant to the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated December 7, 2025, by and among the Issuer, International Business Machines Corporation and Corvo Merger Sub, Inc. (the "Merger Agreement"), each share of Issuer Class A Common Stock was canceled and converted into the right to receive $31.00 per share in cash (the "Merger Consideration" or the "Per Share Price"), without interest and subject to applicable withholding taxes.
(2)	Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, the RSUs were canceled in exchange for the right to receive an amount in cash, subject to applicable withholding taxes, equal to the product of (a) the Per Share Price multiplied by (b) the total number of shares of Class A Common Stock covered by the RSUs.
(3)	The shares subject to the option are fully vested and immediately exercisable. Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, the option was canceled in exchange for the right to receive an amount in cash, subject to applicable withholding taxes, equal to the product of (1) the total number of shares of Issuer common stock covered by such option immediately prior to the effective time multiplied by (2) the excess of (A) the Per Share Price over (B) the per share exercise price of such option.

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