Digital M&A activity raised record $87bn in 2021, says Ciesco
Deal making activity in the technology, digital, media and marketing sectors jumped 56 per cent to $87bn (£63.7bn) in 2021 according to new data.
Globally almost 1,750 deals were completed last year marking a 60 per cent increase compared to 2020 and 30 per cent compared to pre-pandemic levels, according to new data from Ciesco which excluded mega deals with a value over $10bn.
In the UK, deals with a publicly available value raised a combined $2.2bn in 2021 as the number of M&As climbed to 230, up by 61 per cent compared to the previous year.
Commenting on the data Chris Sahota, chief executive of Ciesco, said: “2021 was a year of significant opportunity for those who had planned ahead to stay relevant in a ‘new world’ which had witnessed a structural change in relationship between businesses and their customers. Digitisation, data and technology were at the forefront of that evolution and M&A was a key part of the transformation strategy for many companies through 2021.
“We expect continued strong appetite for M&A activity within the sector in 2022,” Sahota continued.
Ciesco speculated that the pace of the UK’s economic recovery and the weakening of the pound following Brexit has helped to turn Britain into a hot bed for M&A activity. UK deal volumes accounted for 13 per cent of the global total last year, trailing only the US which accounted for 44 per cent of M&A volumes worldwide.
In one of the largest British deals of the year, Kantar Group snapped up Numerator through an estimated $1.5bn leveraged buy out, one of a total 33 deals worldwide valued above $1bn this year.
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