The hottest Acquisitions Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Letter #71: Brad Jacobs (2011)

A Letter a Day • 1 HN point • 08 Apr 23
💼 Business Entrepreneurship Investing Management Logistics Acquisitions
  1. Brad Jacobs is a successful entrepreneur known for founding multiple billion-dollar companies and making successful acquisitions.
  2. He transformed Express-1 Expedited Solutions into XPO, a multi-billion dollar logistics company with three separate business divisions.
  3. Jacobs's strategy includes acquisitions, organic growth, and focusing on IT to optimize operations and drive profitability.

Databricks acquires AI startup MosaicML in $1.3 billion deal

Machine Economy Press • 1 implied HN point • 27 Jun 23
🕹 Technology AI Startups Acquisitions Open Source Data science
  1. Databricks acquires AI startup MosaicML in a $1.3 billion deal to make generative AI accessible for all organizations.
  2. Major companies are investing in open-source AI tools to stay competitive in the rapidly growing AI sector.
  3. The acquisition of MosaicML by Databricks significantly enhances Databricks' credibility in large language models and generative AI.

How America's Most Inspirational Brand Sold Its Soul to the Devil

funnybusiness • 2 HN points • 13 Jul 21
💼 Business Fraud Acquisitions
  1. Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment ($CSSE) is a separate public entity from the original privately-owned Chicken Soup for the Soul brand, with questionable practices including alleged stock promotion and self-dealing by CEO Bill Rouhana.
  2. CSSE's CEO, Bill Rouhana, has a history of involvement in failing companies like MCEG and Winstar, displaying a pattern of fraud allegations, self-dealing, and misleading financial disclosures.
  3. CSSE's acquisitions, like Screen Media and Sonar Entertainment, appear to be overvalued assets, contributing to the company's mounting financial losses and debt, along with insider selling signaling lack of confidence in the company's future.
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Risky Biz News: Turkish APT group Sea Turtle returns

Risky Business News • 0 implied HN points • 08 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Cybersecurity Malware Vulnerabilities Acquisitions Tools
  1. Hackers associated with the Turkish government in the Sea Turtle group have resumed cyber-espionage operations targeting governments and IT service providers.
  2. Recent cyber incidents include Russian hackers targeting Ukraine, hacks in the telecom sector, and cyberattacks on US museums and crypto platforms.
  3. New malware discoveries, ransomware attacks, and cybercrime incidents underscore the importance of strong passwords, security updates, and vigilance against cyber threats.

Integrity Tech become the largest external shareholder of Wing Shield Intelligence

CyberSecurityMew • 0 implied HN points • 16 May 23
🕹 Technology Cybersecurity Acquisitions AI IOT Tech Partnerships
  1. Integrity Tech has acquired a stake in Wing Shield Intelligence, becoming its largest external shareholder. They aim to collaborate on secure application of new technologies like IoT and AI in the digital economy.
  2. Wing Shield Intelligence specializes in secure AI products and solutions, focusing on areas like smart cities, energy, and manufacturing. Their technologies include chip fingerprints for identity security and intelligent interconnection systems.
  3. Integritytech, a prominent network testing enterprise in China, is joining forces with Wing Shield Intelligence to enhance IoT and AI security measures. This partnership will boost technological advancements and market growth for Wing Shield Intelligence.

Et tu SSRN?

Joshua Gans' Newsletter • 0 implied HN points • 17 May 16
💼 Business Acquisitions Publishing Platforms Capitalism
  1. SSRN, a social science paper repository, is being acquired by Elsevier, a legacy publisher, which may cause concerns about potential changes to SSRN's open-access policies.
  2. Academic platforms like SSRN provide valuable services, but they also need financial support to sustain their operations, often leading to acquisitions by larger entities.
  3. The acquisition of SSRN by Elsevier reflects the balance between providing accessible research platforms and the necessity for financial sustainability in the academic publishing ecosystem.

Precognitive Antitrust and Disruption

Joshua Gans' Newsletter • 0 implied HN points • 11 Feb 16
💼 Business Antitrust Acquisitions Competition Investment Regulation
  1. Incumbents facing disruption may choose to acquire disruptive entrants to avoid being disrupted themselves.
  2. Privately held companies being acquired by competitors rather than going public can stifle innovation and competition.
  3. Acquisitions as an exit strategy for startups can impact antitrust considerations and drive entry into markets.

Les 7 Portes Du Corporate Venture

Venture Prose • 0 implied HN points • 01 Feb 16
💼 Business Investment Innovation Strategy Acquisitions
  1. It's crucial for companies to stay updated with technological advancements and industry changes to avoid rapid decline.
  2. Corporate Venture can offer solutions to cope with fast, unexpected changes through avenues like incubators, VC fund investments, and strategic direct investments.
  3. The Corporate Venture model involves various approaches like Spin-Offs, thematic investments, majority investments, and Corporate Studios, each serving different purposes in fostering innovation and adaptation within companies.

Walmart's India (Flipkart) Gambit: Growth Rebirth or Costly Facelift?

Musings on Markets • 0 implied HN points • 22 May 18
💼 Business Retail Mergers Acquisitions Startups Market Trends
  1. Walmart bought a big stake in Flipkart to enter the growing Indian retail market. They hope this investment will help them compete against Amazon, which is also trying to grow in India.
  2. Flipkart has been growing quickly but is losing a lot of money. This raises concerns about whether it can survive on its own without Walmart's support.
  3. Walmart's decision to acquire Flipkart shows their effort to fight against Amazon's dominance. However, some investors worry that they may have overpaid and that this move could signal Walmart's struggles rather than its strength.

Fairness Opinions: Fix them or Flush them!

Musings on Markets • 0 implied HN points • 14 Sep 16
💼 Business Valuation Mergers Acquisitions Finance Corporate Governance
  1. Fairness opinions are supposed to check if a deal is fair, but many appraisers do it poorly. They often rely on numbers from company management, which can lead to biased results.
  2. These opinions don't really protect shareholders like they were meant to. Instead, they're often just a way for boards to avoid scrutiny after a deal.
  3. To improve fairness opinions, there should be stricter rules and penalties for appraisers and managers who don't follow fair practices. This could help make the valuation process more trustworthy.

Winning at a Loser's Game? Control, Synergy and the ABInBev/SABMiller Merger!

Musings on Markets • 0 implied HN points • 23 Oct 15
💼 Business Mergers Acquisitions Valuation Finance Market Analysis
  1. When a company buys another, they usually want to control it better, believe it’s undervalued, or expect to create synergies. Understanding these reasons helps in assessing a merger's potential success.
  2. Synergy can mean combining strengths for better growth, but it requires careful planning and true benefits to actually work out. Just hoping for it isn't enough.
  3. Sometimes even smart businesses can overestimate the benefits of a deal. It’s important to look closely at the numbers and not just rely on excitement or confidence.

If we don't do it, our competitors will! Defensive Dealmaking or Panicky Preemption?

Musings on Markets • 0 implied HN points • 26 Feb 14
💼 Business Valuation Mergers Acquisitions Competition Strategy
  1. Companies often buy other businesses to prevent competitors from gaining an edge. This strategy, called defensive dealmaking, can sometimes be risky and expensive.
  2. For a defensive acquisition to be worth it, the company must be valuable, the threat must be real, and the deal should be the most cost-effective option.
  3. It’s not always the best idea to act quickly just because others might; sometimes doing nothing is the smarter choice and can save a lot of money.

Acquisition Alchemy: Creating value from deals

Musings on Markets • 0 implied HN points • 19 Dec 12
💼 Business Mergers Acquisitions Valuation Strategy Corporate Finance
  1. Acquiring smaller companies tends to lead to better success than merging with larger ones. Smaller targets usually come with less integration issues.
  2. It's important to assess the true value of a target company before making an offer. Paying too much can ruin a good acquisition, so understanding what you're paying for is key.
  3. Having a solid plan for after the acquisition is crucial. Integration needs resources and clear strategies for success, or the deal may not work out.

Acquisition Archives: Winners and Losers

Musings on Markets • 0 implied HN points • 02 Dec 12
💼 Business Mergers Acquisitions Corporate strategy Financial Performance Market Trends
  1. Acquisitions often don't benefit the buying company. When companies acquire others, their stock prices usually drop rather than rise.
  2. Most acquiring companies struggle to perform better after merging compared to their peers. Studies show a majority underperform in terms of profitability and stock price.
  3. Growth through acquisitions is often less effective than other strategies. Companies can create more value by developing new products instead of buying other companies.

HP's Deal from Hell: The mark-it-up and write-it-down two-step

Musings on Markets • 0 implied HN points • 26 Nov 12
💼 Business Mergers Acquisitions Accounting Corporate Governance Financial Analysis
  1. HP had a huge loss of $8.8 billion from buying Autonomy, which was a large part of the money they spent. This was mostly due to dishonesty in Autonomy's accounting practices.
  2. The market was really surprised by HP's announcement of the loss, and their stock dropped quickly. Usually, companies' losses from bad deals aren't a shock to investors, but this was a standout case.
  3. Many people involved in the deal are blaming each other for the mess. This highlights the problems in making big mergers and how important it is to have trust in financial reporting.

Is Skype worth $8.5 billion? An exercise in valuing young, growth companies

Musings on Markets • 0 implied HN points • 18 May 11
💼 Business Valuation Acquisitions Market Analysis Investment strategy Acquisitions Valuation Financial Analysis Investing
  1. Valuing a young company like Skype is tricky because there are many unknowns. The worth of such a company can depend on factors like future revenue growth and operating margins.
  2. When investing in young businesses, it's important to look for a large market and strong competition barriers. These can help the company grow and succeed in a tough marketplace.
  3. Young companies need good financial health and a capable team to survive. Companies with less debt and strong cash reserves have a better chance of making it long-term.

Corrected Headlines

Human Capitalist • 0 implied HN points • 09 Sep 24
💼 Business Corporate News Workforce Trends Acquisitions Tech industry Layoffs
  1. Every news story has deeper context than what you see in the headline. It's important to look beyond the surface to understand the full picture.
  2. Recent corporate changes and layoffs can drastically affect people's lives. Understanding the human impact behind these headlines is key.
  3. Promotion of human capital stories can encourage discussions on important workplace issues. Sharing ideas can bring attention to stories that might matter to many.

Apple’s fintech strategy; FedNow is under the "radar" of Stripe; 2023 Business payments barometer;

Fintech Wrap Up • 0 implied HN points • 21 Jun 23
💼 Business Fintech Payments Acquisitions Regulations
  1. Apple has experienced significant growth in its fintech offerings through partnerships and products like Apple Pay and Apple Card.
  2. FIS acquired the BaaS startup Bond, showcasing continued consolidation in the fintech industry.
  3. Venmo and Cash App are facing pressure from Senate Democrats to improve security measures due to concerns about fraud and consumer protection policies.

Law Enforcement Transcription Rollup

Captain's Log • 0 implied HN points • 08 Jul 23
💼 Business Acquisitions Automation Cost reduction Regulations Efficiency
  1. Acquiring and consolidating small transcription services into a single entity can optimize efficiency and reduce costs in the industry.
  2. Utilizing advanced transcription technologies like OpenAI's Whisper and ChatGPT can lead to significant cost savings and improved productivity.
  3. Centralizing operations through acquisitions and technology adoption can enhance competitiveness and profitability in the transcription industry.