Our Tech M&A Activity Report found that that 2277 private technology companies were acquired globally in 2012. A deeper dive into cross-border M&A activity of US technology firms in 2012 shows Canada and the UK were the top acquirers. India, Japan and Germany round out the top 5.
The majority of cross-border tech M&A activity involving US companies was in the internet sector (48% of transactions). Software saw the second-highest cross-border tech M&A activity representing 18% of deals globally. However, on a country-by-country basis, we see some interesting deviations and trends. For instance, 38% of US tech companies acquired by Japanese firms were in the electronics (chips & semis and components) sector.
A geographic breakdown of cross-border tech M&A data from last year reveals that 32% of companies acquired by foreign owners were based in California with NY-based companies making up 12% of overall cross-border M&A deal activity. Interestingly, innovation hub Massachusetts which is the consistent #2 or #3 for tech venture capital investment was not in the top 5 for cross-border M&A activity.
The graphic below illustrates a sub-section of international companies that acquired U.S.-based entities in 2012, ranging from British publishing and education conglomerate Pearson to South Korean tech conglomerate Samsung.
