Forge buys AI Infra Summit organizer Kisaco Research in 14-event deal

AI Infra Summit has a new owner behind its organizer. Forge, a business events and media company, acquired London-based Kisaco Research and its 14-event portfolio, it announced on October 27, 2026. The deal brings a gathering of AI hardware, software and systems companies into Forge’s wider events and digital business.

Financial terms were not disclosed. The acquisition covers Kisaco’s broader conference business, rather than AI Infra Summit alone. Kisaco builds events and professional communities across technology, healthcare, wellness and legal markets.

An AI gathering inside a wider portfolio

AI Infra Summit is Kisaco’s flagship event. It brings together companies building the hardware, software and systems used to run artificial intelligence. Forge says the 2026 summit attracted more than 6,500 attendees and 260 sponsors, giving the acquisition an established audience and sponsor base in AI infrastructure.

The acquired portfolio also includes an AI Drug Discovery conference and Medical Cost Containment meetings. Forge says those events will deepen its Healthcare & Life Sciences group. Beauty Connect and the Medspa series fit a different part of the buyer’s business: its Hospitality, Design and Wellness portfolio.

14 eventsKisaco’s event portfolio

Forge acquired Kisaco Research’s portfolio of 14 events, including AI Infra Summit.

Forge’s pitch extends beyond conference days

Forge CEO Paul Miller described Kisaco’s ability to identify emerging markets and build specialist communities as a central attraction. He said that research-led approach fits Forge’s strategy, offering both an existing collection of events and a model for developing communities in new markets.

The expansion he outlined would combine Kisaco’s market expertise with Forge’s live events, digital platforms, content, data and one-on-one meetings. Miller said the combination offers opportunities to grow internationally and create more ways for buyers and sellers to connect throughout the year. Those are management’s ambitions for the acquisition, not announced new services.

Kisaco founder Sarah Clayton framed the sale as a way to take the company’s existing approach further. She said Kisaco was built around finding markets where innovation moves quickly and connecting the people shaping them. Joining Forge, she said, pairs that specialist knowledge with a larger international business spanning events, media, data and digital products.

A recently formed buyer

Forge itself took shape only months before this deal. Apollo Funds formed the company in July 2026 by combining Emerald and Questex. Kisaco is its second acquisition since that combination, according to Forge. The purchase adds specialist conference brands to a business whose stated model already combines live gatherings with media, digital products and year-round professional communities.