Acquisition, We has found this word often in the recent years. A corporate action in which a company buys most, if not all, of the target company’s ownership stakes in order to assume control of the target firm. Once I heard the word on a daily basis. This company acquired that company and that company acquired this company, blah blah blah.
Acquisitions are often made as part of a company’s growth strategy whereby it is more beneficial to take over an existing firm’s operation and niche compared to expanding on its own. Acquisitions are often paid in cash, the acquiring company’s stock or a combination of both.
In the recent years, we hear more start-up stories. Many were not not even recognized at the same time. But, when you’re on the track each and every tech giants will have an eye on you. These are the examples.
- Facebook acquired NYC-based social start-up Branch Media today!
Branch, A link sharing services and the sister service Potluck have agreed to be acquired by Facebook for around $15m. CEO Josh Miller broke the news in a Facebook post this morning, but didn’t disclose a price. The Branch’s team of nine will remain in New York, Miller says, and will form a new team at Facebook called “Conversations,” whose goal will be to help users “Connect around their interests.”
It’s been an Acquisition month for Facebook. They acquired a Bangalore-based start-up company called Little Eye Labs making it the social networking giant’s first acquisition in India. Little Eye is a tool that helps Android app developers to measure, analyze and optimize their apps.
- Yahoo Acquired Android App Launcher Aviate!
Aviate is a company which makes a Smartphone app that automatically brings up relevant information or other apps to suit a user’s activity. Yahoo Chief Executive Marissa Mayer Speaking in a keynote at the annual technology industry gathering in Las Vegas announced that they bought the company and didn’t disclose the price. “Imagine if your phone can deliver the right experience to you at the right time instead of you having to search for it,” Mayer said. “What if your phone suggested music and map apps when you got in your car or fitness apps when you got into the gym?”
Shares of Yahoo, which have gained more than 160 percent since Mayer took over in 2012, were up 19 cents at $41.11 in extended trading.
- Group-On announced today that it has acquired Ideeli!
Ideeli, an online fashion retailer that specializes in flash sales, for $43 million in cash. The company was founded in New York in 2007 and they’re allowed to run their website though they have been acquired by Group-On. “Ideeli extends our fashion presence and brings great relationships with many of the top brands in apparel,” Group-on CEO Eric Lefkofsky said. “Our customers have a demonstrated appetite for these offers, and by broadening our reach in this space Group-on is even better positioned.”
To celebrate the acquisition, ideeli is offering 20 percent off your next purchase through January 14. This is the second acquisition in this month for Group-On. They announced that it has completed the acquisition of Ticket Monster, a leading Korean e-commerce company, for $260 million in cash and stock.
- Oracle buys Corente!
Corente is a leading provider of software-defined networking (SDN) technology for wide area networks (WANs). ”Oracle customers need networking solutions that span their data centers and global networks,” Oracle Chief Corporate Architect Edward Screven said in a statement.”Enterprises will be able to easily and securely deliver applications and cloud services to their globally distributed locations.”
Corente’s software is meant to be used to manage connections among data centers, not necessarily inside of a single data center. Lot of happening inside Oracle in these days and they are planning a big thing in the future. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but it should close later this year.
The year 2014 is going to be an Acquisition year. We at @zombieslounge predict.