After we broke the story last week that Apple was acquiring London-based music and image recognition service Shazam, Apple will be confirming the news today, we have heard. It is purchasing the startup — one of earliest players in the world of mobile music — as part of its bigger ambitions in the music business. We have been told by multiple sources that the news should be out… Read More
Category: M&A
Intuit’s “rise of the rest” M&A strategy means large paydays outside the Valley
This morning, Frederic reported that Intuit has acquired Tsheets, a time-tracking service, for $340 million. That’s one of the highest prices that Intuit has ever paid for an acquisition, roughly equal to the cost of the company’s acquisition of Mint Bills / Check in 2014, and slightly smaller than the acquisition of Demandforce in 2012 for $423 million (which Intuit has since… Read More
Mashable laying off 50 people as it refocuses toward tech news after fire sale to Ziff Davis
Publishing conglomerate Ziff Davis has officially bought online news site Mashable for a mere $50 million, according to Recode. The all-out sale of Mashable comes after the publisher reportedly tried and failed to secure additional funding throug…
View More Mashable laying off 50 people as it refocuses toward tech news after fire sale to Ziff DavisMashable laying off 50 people as it refocuses toward tech news after fire sale to Ziff Davis
Publishing conglomerate Ziff Davis has officially bought online news site Mashable for a mere $50 million, according to Recode. The all-out sale of Mashable comes after the publisher reportedly tried and failed to secure additional funding throug…
View More Mashable laying off 50 people as it refocuses toward tech news after fire sale to Ziff DavisAssa Abloy finalizes purchase of smart lock maker August Home
Swedish lock maker Assa Abloy completed its acquisition of August Home this week. The deal, first announced back in October, has the U.S.-based smart lock startup rolling into the world’s largest lock maker, though the company says it will continue to operate as a somewhat independent entity under the much bigger brand. Read More
Zeta Global acquires commenting service Disqus
Marketing tech company Zeta Global is making good use of its recent $140 million Series F funding round. After acquiring Boomtrain, the company today announced it has acquired Disqus, a service you’re probably familiar with thanks to its ubiquitous online commenting service that powers the commenting sections of sites that range from TMZ to The Atlantic and Entertainment Weekly. Read More
European investor NordicEye wins big with Proofpoint’s $60 million offer for Weblife
Cybersecurity company Proofpoint is buying the Los Angeles-based security company Weblife.io in a $60 million all-cash deal. Backed by a slew of investors led by the new venture firm NordicEye, an investment firm that looks to build a bridge between Northern European technology hubs and U.S. markets, the acquisition is a big return on investment for the little fund. Read More
European investor NordicEye wins big with Proofpoint’s $60 million offer for Weblife
Cybersecurity company Proofpoint is buying the Los Angeles-based security company Weblife.io in a $60 million all-cash deal. Backed by a slew of investors led by the new venture firm NordicEye, an investment firm that looks to build a bridge between Northern European technology hubs and U.S. markets, the acquisition is a big return on investment for the little fund. Read More
Mapping company Here buys ATS to boost its over-the-air tech
Here, the mapping company that powers location services in 100 million cars, is today announcing an acquisition to vastly improve how it distributes and updates its data. The company is buying Advanced Telematic Systems (ATS), a Berlin-based developer of secure over-the-air (OTA) technology, the basis for how wireless devices — including not just cars but smartphones and other… Read More
Security business Barracuda Networks acquired for $1.6 billion
Private equity giant Thoma Bravo has agreed to buy Barracuda Networks in a take-private deal valued at $1.6 billion. The company was offered $27.55 per share, about 16% above Friday’s close. This is above Barracuda’s 52-week high, but it’s down from the over $40 share the stock was trading at in 2015. Barracuda went public in 2013. Campbell, California-based Barracuda,… Read More
Apple acquired augmented reality headset startup Vrvana for $30M
As Apple reportedly ramps up work to ship an augmented reality headset in 2020, it has acquired a startup from Montreal, Canada that could help it get there. TechCrunch has learned that Apple has acquired Vrvana, maker of the Totem headset — which had rave reviews but never shipped. The deal was for around $30 million, two sources tell TechCrunch. We contacted Apple, and the… Read More
The US-based tech company that just went public in London
Boku, a U.S.-based carrier billing company, listed on the London Stock Exchange’s Alternative Investment Market recently, selling £45 million in stock. Only about one-third of those shares were from the company, however, with the rest sourced from extant shareholders. Let’s peek into the Boku offering to see what happened and what we might learn from it. Read More