Digital Media M&A and financing activity continued at a strong pace in Q1’17, with 292 M&A transactions and more than 1,280 disclosed global financings. Key industry trends driving investments and acquisitions include:
- Increased activity from financial sponsors, with transaction volume from technology-focused private equity firms and their portfolio company’s increasing approximately 15% over Q1’16;
- Disruption of traditional retail markets by emerging businesses offering novel delivery models;
- Large financing rounds by venture capital firms in established targets, such as Airbnb, SoFi and Instacart; and
- Continued investment in virtual and augmented reality.