Tech M&A with Fexingo: Software Acquisitions, Strategic Buyers, and Tech Deals

In this episode of Tech M&A with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna examine why large technology companies are increasingly acquiring small startup teams for their intellectual property rather than for talent or revenue. They discuss the recent acquisition of a niche AI-driven design tool by Adobe, the $2.2 billion deal for a data orchestration platform by Salesforce, and how this trend is reshaping venture capital returns. Lucas shares specific deal structures, including earnouts tied to product integration milestones, and explains why this shift signals a maturing tech M&A market in 2026. #TechMAndA #SoftwareAcquisitions #IntellectualProperty #Adobe #Salesforce #StartupAcquisitions #Earnouts #VentureCapital #BusinessAndTechnology #TechDeals #DataOrchestration #AIDesignTools #StrategicBuyers #Patents #MAndAStrategy #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #TechMergers Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

In this episode of Tech M&A with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna explore why Palantir, a company that has long insisted it will never be acquired, suddenly looks like a plausible takeover target in 2026. With Palantir's stock up 4.8% in the past week and the company posting accelerating revenue from its AIP platform, Lucas breaks down the structural shift: the U.S. government is consolidating defense tech vendors, and Palantir's AI-powered operating system sits at the center of that push. Luna challenges whether the cultural and contractual barriers that made Palantir 'unbuyable' for years have really fallen away. They discuss a hypothetical bid from a strategic buyer like Oracle or a defense prime like Lockheed Martin, the regulatory hurdles of any deal, and what a Palantir acquisition would mean for the broader tech M&A landscape. Specific numbers, specific names, and a real debate about whether this deal makes sense. #Palantir #TechMergerAndAcquisition #DefenseTech #AIPlatform #Oracle #LockheedMartin #GovernmentVendor #AI #DataAnalytics #BusinessAndTechnology #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #SoftwareAcquisitions #StrategicBuyer #TechDeals #AcquisitionTarget #DefenseConsolidation #MAndADeals Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

In Tech M&A, earnouts are supposed to bridge the valuation gap between buyers and sellers. But as Lucas and Luna explore in this episode, they often become a source of conflict. Using the recent $1.5 billion acquisition of a cybersecurity startup as a case study, they unpack why 40% of earnouts fail to pay out in full, the accounting headaches they create, and why some acquirers now avoid them entirely. Listeners will learn the three structure types — revenue-based, product-milestone, and retention-based — and why the last one is the most contentious. Lucas shares data from a 2025 study showing that earnout disputes have risen 60% in the last three years, while Luna questions whether the earnout is really a 'goal alignment tool' or just a way for buyers to de-risk their own balance sheets. Whether you're a founder considering an exit or an investor evaluating deal terms, this episode will change how you read an M&A term sheet. #Earnouts #TechM&A #Cybersecurity #StartupExit #AcquisitionStructures #ValuationGap #DealTerms #Founders #PrivateEquity #StrategicBuyers #RevenueTargets #ProductMilestones #RetentionCliffs #MADisputes #Business #Finance #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

When a big tech company buys a startup, the founders often get part of their payout tied to future performance targets—an earnout. In this episode, Lucas and Luna break down why earnouts have become more common in software acquisitions, how they can backfire, and what the rise of earnouts says about today's M&A market. With Oracle up nearly 3% this week and ServiceNow down slightly, the hosts look at recent earnout structures in deals like Snowflake's acquisition of Neeva and Adobe's failed Figma deal to understand why earnouts are a double-edged sword. Plus, a brief look at how the current regulatory environment is pushing buyers toward earnout-heavy structures. #Earnout #TechMA #SoftwareAcquisitions #Oracle #Snowflake #ServiceNow #Figma #Adobe #Neeva #MergersAndAcquisitions #Business #Technology #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #StartupExit #FounderPayout #DealStructures #EarnoutTrap Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

Lucas and Luna explore the rising trend of blocked tech acquisitions, using the recent collapse of Adobe's $20 billion Figma deal as a central case. They break down why regulators are pushing back harder, how stock prices react when deals fall apart (Adobe shares jumped 4.3% in one day), and what Microsoft's abandoned $69 billion Activision play tells us about the new antitrust era. Plus: what startups should do when their exit plan hits a regulatory wall. #TechMergers #Antitrust #Adobe #Figma #RegulatoryRisk #Microsoft #Activision #FTC #DOJ #MAndA #DealBreak #EnterpriseSoftware #BusinessStrategy #Podcast #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #StartupExit #MergerControl Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

Episode 6 of Tech M&A with Fexingo examines the accelerating trend of U.S. tech giants acquiring European AI startups. Lucas and Luna focus on the recent case of Peec, a Berlin-based startup that doubled its annualized revenue to $10 million in months and is now attracting acquisition interest. They explore why European startups are increasingly targets: favorable talent pools, lower valuations than Silicon Valley, and regulatory advantages under the EU AI Act. Lucas connects Peec's growth to broader data, noting that Microsoft and Alphabet have each completed more than a dozen European AI deals this year. Luna questions whether these acquisitions are about technology or talent hoarding. The episode also touches on how the EU's evolving AI framework makes compliance a selling point for startups. A concrete look at how geography is reshaping tech deal flow. #TechM&A #EuropeanAI #Peec #BerlinStartups #AIAcquisitions #Microsoft #Alphabet #EUAIAct #SoftwareAcquisitions #TalentHoarding #StartupValuations #CrossBorderDeals #Business #Technology #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #MAStrategy #TechDeals Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

In this episode of Tech M&A with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna explore why Adobe has almost completely sat out the software acquisition frenzy of the past two years. While rivals like Salesforce, Oracle, and Microsoft have spent billions on transformative deals, Adobe has funneled cash into share buybacks—$18 billion since 2023. Lucas breaks down Adobe's internal calculus: its product suite is already dominant, integration risk is high, and the company prefers building over buying. Luna challenges whether this approach is a bet on organic innovation or a lack of ambition. They discuss the recent Adobe-Figma deal collapse, the generative AI arms race, and how Adobe's stock performance compared to its M&A-happy peers. By the end, you'll understand why the biggest move in tech M&A right now might be the one a company didn't make. #Adobe #TechM&A #SoftwareAcquisitions #ShareBuybacks #Figma #GenerativeAI #OrganicGrowth #CapitalAllocation #Microsoft #Salesforce #Oracle #IntegrationRisk #BusinessPodcast #Business #Finance #FexingoBusiness #TechDeals #StockBuyback Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

Tech M&A has a new dominant player: not Microsoft or Salesforce, but private equity firms piling into vertical software and specialized B2B tools. Lucas and Luna break down the specific mechanics — the high recurring revenue, the low churn, the buy-and-hold (not flip) strategy — that have PE funds writing massive checks for companies like the one that just sold for $12 billion. Lucas brings numbers: since 2024, PE-backed software deals have doubled as a share of total tech M&A, hitting nearly 40% by Q1 2026. He explains why a subscription-model ERP serving mid-market factories is more attractive than a high-growth consumer app. Luna pushes back on the 'financial engineering' critique — and they land on a surprising insight: the best-run PE-owned software firms actually spend more on R&D than their public peers. If you work in B2B SaaS, this episode will change how you think about your company's exit options. #PrivateEquity #TechMA #SoftwareAcquisitions #PE #VerticalSoftware #B2BSaaS #RecurringRevenue #LBO #ThomaBravo #VistaEquity #SilverLake #SaaS #TechDeals #BusinessPodcast #FexingoBusiness #MergersAndAcquisitions #SoftwareInvesting #DigitalTransformation Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

Episode 3 of Tech M&A with Fexingo examines Oracle's transformation into a disciplined acquirer. Lucas and Luna break down how Oracle has spent over $50 billion on acquisitions since 2020, focusing on cloud infrastructure and healthcare IT. They discuss the Cerner acquisition's integration challenges, the strategic rationale behind buying startups like Adatao and Aconex, and how Oracle's approach differs from Salesforce's splashier deals. With Oracle's stock down 1.6% over the past five days, they consider whether the market is skeptical of its M&A strategy or simply waiting for returns. The hosts also touch on the broader software deal landscape, referencing the IGV's 0.8% five-day gain and Palantir's 2.6% rise as counterpoints. A must-listen for anyone tracking enterprise software consolidation. #Oracle #TechM&A #SoftwareAcquisitions #Cerner #CloudInfrastructure #HealthcareIT #M&AStrategy #EnterpriseSoftware #LarryEllison #Adatao #Aconex #SafraCatz #Business #Technology #MergersAndAcquisitions #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #TechDeals Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

Lucas and Luna dive into the mechanics of tech M&A in 2026, using ServiceNow's recent acquisition spree as a case study. ServiceNow's stock is up 14 percent over the past week — and the company has been on a buying tear, snapping up AI startups and workflow tools. Lucas explains why strategic buyers like ServiceNow, Adobe, and Salesforce are outbidding venture capital for hot startups, and how the math works when a $200 billion market-cap company buys a $50 million startup. Luna pushes back on whether these deals actually deliver innovation or just consolidate market share. Along the way, they reference the latest data on M&A multiples, the role of earnouts, and why the 'acqui-hire' model is making a quiet comeback. If you work in tech, invest in tech, or just wonder where all the independent software companies go, this episode is for you. #ServiceNow #TechMAndA #SoftwareAcquisitions #StrategicBuyers #AIStartups #MAndAStrategy #AcquiHire #WorkflowAutomation #EnterpriseSoftware #VentureCapital #Innovation #Consolidation #BusinessAndTechnology #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #TechDeals #NowPlatform #AcquisitionMultiples Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

In this premiere episode of Tech M&A with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna dig into the defining theme of dealmaking in 2026: the shift from a zero-interest-rate-era feeding frenzy to a strategic, ROI-obsessed environment. They anchor the conversation around Salesforce’s recent $28.1 billion acquisition of Informatica — a deal that closed in April after a year of shareholder pushback and regulatory scrutiny. Lucas breaks down why this deal signals a new era of tech M&A, where buyers like Salesforce, Microsoft, and Adobe are focused on data infrastructure, integration, and measurable revenue synergies rather than land-grab growth. Luna points to Adobe's recent Figma deal collapse as a contrast, and the hosts discuss how regulatory climate and activist investors are reshaping deal terms. They reference Salesforce's stock performance, the drop in global tech M&A volume from $1.2 trillion in 2021, and the rise of earnouts and break-up fees. The episode establishes the show's voice: two sharp analysts who love the details of deal structure, market signals, and the personalities behind the biggest transactions in tech. #Salesforce #Informatica #TechM&A #LucasAndLuna #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #SoftwareAcquisitions #MergersAndAcquisitions #Adobe #Figma #DataInfrastructure #Earnouts #ActivistInvestors #RegulatoryScrutiny #DealStructure #TechDeals #PrivateEquity #StrategicBuyers Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo