“Acqui-hire” transactions, which are particularly prevalent in the context of start-up technology-related M&A transactions in the U.S., focus on acquiring a company primarily to obtain its employees and their skills, in addition to other possible assets (see our earlier post on acqui-hires). In these type of transactions, it is thought that the greatest perceived value … Continue reading
As technology has become embedded into most parts of our lives, the majority of companies have completed a digitization process. Maintaining a digital platform has become the new norm, and increasingly sophisticated technologies continue to be developed. Accenture’s Technology Vision 2019 (Vision Report), describes this as the transition to the “post-digital era,” where “digital” is … Continue reading
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has immense potential as a solution for cybersecurity vulnerabilities in M&A deals. Generally, M&A deals generate value and as such, understanding vulnerabilities on the acquirer and target sides is important for completion of the transaction. With the common usage of networks and servers to store high volumes of data by corporations, vetting for cybersecurity attacks has become a … Continue reading
On February 21, 2019, Blackberry completed its acquisition of Cylance, a privately-held artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity company. Acquisitions of AI companies like Cylance are becoming increasingly common as businesses seek to realize the opportunities in offering much-improved products or services to their customers. Canada, in particular, has become a hotspot for activity in the … Continue reading
A relentless parade of new technologies is unfolding on many fronts – one of which includes the M&A scene. While not every emerging technology will alter a business’ landscape, certain technologies have the potential to disrupt the status quo, alter the way companies operate and rearrange value pools. These “disruptive technologies” can quickly displace established … Continue reading
Voluminous information in M&A transactions M&A transactions can be time-intensive, often involving contract discovery and analysis, due diligence, data room preparation, verification of representations and warranties, privacy issues and multijurisdictional privacy legislation and intellectual property protection, among other important aspects. As deals become larger in value and scope, the review and analysis of the foregoing … Continue reading
PwC has recently released the 2017 MoneyTree Canada report for Q3 2017 (the Report), which provides insight into the landscape for equity financings in emerging venture capital (VC) backed companies headquartered in Canada. While it may come as no surprise that financing activity has increased in Q3 2017, the magnitude of the increase, especially for … Continue reading
Earlier this year, we discussed the increasing use of technology in the M&A deal process. To recap, a recent Mergermarket study revealed that the use of technology and big data were likely factors in the increasing frequency of unsolicited bids and corresponding decrease in frequency of broad auctions. Building on our earlier discussion, we now … Continue reading
In today’s market, there is significant buzz around phrases such as automation, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, robotics and the like. Many businesses are investing in the fast-paced technology sector and innovating outdated systems for customer engagement. For example, earlier this year, the first U.S.-based robotic café opened its (figurative) doors to patrons in San Francisco, … Continue reading
While many people are still in shock after discovering that there is actually no human controlling the steering wheel in autonomous cars, tech companies, including Google, IBM, Yahoo, Intel and Apple, have found themselves in the middle of a gold rush for artificial intelligence (AI) companies. According to recent research by CB Insights, around 140 … Continue reading