Finance

Australia's M&A market has become extremely heated in recent times, with deals being done at a pace not seen before.

Flippa, an marketplace for buying and selling businesses, has raised $15 million, as COVID-19 leads to an uptick in small-scale acquisitions.

Queensland video editing startup Clipchamp has been acquired by US$2 trillion international tech Goliath Microsoft.

Aussie family-run tech company Task has been acquired by Kiwi marketing software company Plexure Group, for a whopping $120 million.

ACCC chair Rod Sims says Australia’s outdated merger laws allow corporate behemoths to scoop up their competitors.

Aussie social media startup Linktree has acquired Odesli, moving ahead in its strategy to provide a “one-stop shop” to musicians seeking to monetise their art.

The founders of digital bank Up have agreed to sell their fintech Ferocia to Bendigo and Adelaide Bank for $116 million.

The owners of Australian swimwear brand Lilly and Lime have decided to sell their business after COVID-19 travel restrictions caused sales to plunge.

Property developer LK Group’s acquisition of fashion retailer Brand Collective shows the future of retail is changing, with more non-retail companies buying fashion businesses.

Retail conglomerate Wesfarmers has made a $687 million bid at buying up Priceline’s parent company Australian Pharmaceutical Industries – an offer which will net API’s shareholders a 21% premium.

Campos Coffee has been acquired by listed multinational giant JDE Peet’s, almost 20 years after it opened its first Sydney cafe in 2002.

Many international dealmakers now believe ESG is a key consideration when making investment and M&A decisions.