Apache Kafka is an open-source distributed event streaming platform designed for high-performance data pipelines and real-time analytics. Initially developed by LinkedIn, it has become a vital tool for organizations seeking to process and manage large volumes of data efficiently. Kafka operates as a publish-subscribe messaging system, allowing applications to send and receive messages in real-time. Its architecture supports fault tolerance, scalability, and high throughput, making it suitable for various use cases, including log aggregation, stream processing, and event sourcing. With its robust capabilities, Kafka is widely adopted across industries for mission-critical applications.