03 May The Biggest Tech M&A Deals of 2021 So Far
The beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic brought many deals to a screeching halt, and dragged many companies to their knees. Tech was a rare exception. A steady flow of deals remained consistent. Last year’s global tech M&A deals totaled $634 billion, marking a 91.8% increase year to year. This year is also looking to be a banner year for players in the tech industry. Here are the biggest deals we’ve seen so far:
- Microsoft acquires Nuance for $19.7 billion. Making the biggest acquisition so far this year, Microsoft revealed in early April that it would be purchasing AI and speech recognition platform Nuance. Nuance works primarily in the healthcare sector.
- ServiceNOW acquires Intellibot. In March, ServiceNow purchased the Indian robotic process automation company Intellibot. It says it hopes to build Intellibot into its own Now Platform, enabling the automation of more business functions.
- Aveva acquires OSIsoft for $5 billion. British software company Aveva acquired its US rival OSIsoft in March. OSIsoft’s specialization in real-time industrial operational data is a valuable complement to Aveva’s business.
- Hitachi purchases GlobalLogic for $9.6 billion. Hitachi in March announced it would acquire GlobalLogic, a tech outsourcing company. The deal includes repayment of debt, and GlobalLogic currently works with customers such as Reuters and McDonald’s.
- Dropbox purchases DocSend for $165 million. Helping to further corner the market on cloud file storage, Dropbox acquired the secure document sharing business in early March.
- VMware purchases Mesh7. Vmware in March announced its intent to purchase Mesh7, a security vendor, for an undisclosed sum.
- Xero purchases Planday for €183.5 million. Xero, a small business accounting software firm, purchased Planday in a mixed stock and cash deal. Planday boasts an SaaS workforce management and rota scheduling business that works primarily with hospitality companies.
- Square purchases Tidal for $297 million. Square will take a majority ownership stake in Tidal, a music streaming platform. Purchased by Jay-Z in 2015, it promises quality streams and better compensation for artists.
- Okta acquires Auto0. Okta announced in March that it would acquire Auth0, an identity management competitor, for $6.5 billion. Auth0 was previously valued at just $1.92 billion in July while seeking $120 million in funding.
- Atlassian purchases Chartio. Atlassian will purchase Chartio, a data visualization tool, for an undisclosed sum.
- Autodesk buys Innovyze for $1 billion. Autodesk will acquire software manufacturer Innovyze, which specializes in programs to simulate, model, and analyze water infrastructure. A popular 3D modeling service, Autodesk is hoping to gain inroads in the water industry.
- Cisco purchases Acacia for $4.5 billion. The deal was originally announced last July, with lots of negotiation. Cisco ended up paying an additional $1.9 billion to close the deal. Acacia sells high-speed optical systems.
