News: Press Releases, Industry News & Events

The latest Artificial Intelligence market report from Hampleton Partners, the international M&A and corporate finance advisory firm for software and technology companies, reveals that fundraising for AI companies is now on the rise after a period of diminished deal volumes.

The report shows that, following an initial boom in fundraising which accompanied the first wave of excitement around AI in 2021 and 2022, the flow of investor capital into the sector slowed, only to pick up again in 1H2024. This trajectory can be seen both on an overall global level and in specific regions.

The recently published Artificial Intelligence market report by Hampleton Partners gets into granular detail on the trends and deals shaping this space, but the general lay of the land is perhaps best summed up in the report’s introduction:

“The recent surge in AI funding is setting the stage for a future where artificial intelligence will enhance virtually every single industry. As investment continues to flow into AI companies, they are positioned to lead groundbreaking innovations and forge a new age of economic growth and technological progress.”

Yet amid the sense of genuine exhilaration surrounding AI – how often do we get to see a proper, bona fide industrial revolution unfold in real time before our eyes? – there has also been no small degree of uncertainty about take-up of the technology, and just how deeply it will be woven into the everyday lives of individuals and businesses.

Earlier this year, Gartner adjusted its estimate of total global IT spending in 2024, with the previous forecast of $5.06 trillion being bumped up to $5.26 trillion – in large part thanks to the motivating factor that’s omnipresent in the tech industry right now: generative AI.

While the current “AI moment” is certainly a major theme of the latest IT & Business Services M&A report from Hampleton Partners, our analysts have also underscored another factor which is propelling both IT spending and M&A deal activity within this space. That factor is cybersecurity, which according to a survey of global by TechTarget/Enterprise Strategy Group published this year is the highest-priority spending target of senior IT decision makers around the world.

Anyone who’s read our latest Digital Commerce M&A Report probably won’t have been surprised to see generative AI highlighted as one of the major developments energising the sector. As the report puts it, “the seismic implications of generative AI on Digital Commerce are becoming apparent”, with more and more companies looking to leverage AI solutions “to improve inventory management, plan campaigns, streamline supply chain processes and engage with customers”.

There’s particular excitement around the latter application, with AI agents increasingly being utilised to manage data relating to their customers and to act as a human-like first point of contact for B2B and B2C purchases and queries. The key word here is “human-like”. Agents are fast evolving to be uncannily naturalistic and genuinely helpful – a far cry from chatbots which deploy a stock number of rigid responses, lack a distinctive tone of voice and are frankly in no danger of ever passing the Turing test.

The recently-published Autotech & Mobility M&A Report 2H2024 by Hampleton Partners shines a spotlight on several megatrends defining the sector right now, including how urban mobility is presenting a “critical challenge for today’s cities”.

As the report puts it, “The climate emergency and rising population densities present a daunting challenge for policy makers and city planners who must develop sustainable solutions for cutting greenhouse gasses while also ensuring communities function in an efficient, comfortable way.”

The latest Enterprise Software M&A report from Hampleton Partners, the international M&A and corporate finance advisory firm for software and technology companies, reveals that 892 deals took place in 1H2024. This was only fractionally less than what was seen in the previous reporting period and indicates that the Enterprise Software sector has retained momentum.

Miro Parizek, Founder and Senior Partner at Hampleton Partners, said: “The sector maintained momentum, with Enterprise Software tools playing increasingly vital roles in allowing businesses to meeting mission-critical objectives and realize efficiencies.”

The latest Autotech & Mobility M&A report from Hampleton Partners, the international M&A and corporate finance advisory firm for software and technology companies, reveals that 38 deals took place in 1H2024. This is the second consecutive decline in half-year deal numbers since the 77 transactions recorded in 1H2023, which was the second-highest volume on record.

The shift in activity reflects a general caution among investors and acquirers, with macroeconomic and geopolitical pressures instilling a more risk-averse approach. However, soaring global sales of electric vehicles, which reached a record-high in Q2 2024, together with the concurrent demand for next-gen automotive technologies such as ADAS and vehicle-to-everything (V2X) systems, indicate that the Autotech M&A market is poised for an upwards trajectory.

Waves of consolidation are also expected to energise dealmaking, particularly within the highly fragmented EV charging segment where a plethora of smaller players are ripe targets for acquisition.

Hampleton Partners, the international M&A and corporate finance advisory firm for software and technology companies, is pleased to announce the appointment of Michael Brecht as Sector Principal for Autotech, Mobility, Infrastructure, and Energy.

With more than 25 years of executive experience in IT and software services, digital commerce, and smart mobility and infrastructure solutions, Michael is globally known as a panel host and keynote speaker at events ranging from e-mobility and EV summits to the World Economic Forum Seoul.

The latest IT & Business Services M&A report from Hampleton Partners, the international M&A and corporate finance advisory firm for software and technology companies, reveals that the blistering activity seen in the sector in recent years has slowed, with 558 deals recorded within the sector in 1H2024. This is notably lower than what was recorded for 2H2023, and comes after a two-year period where IT & Business Services companies were acquired in record-breaking numbers.

While the subdued momentum can largely be attributed to continuing inflationary and geopolitical pressures impacting the tech industry as a whole, it may also represent a normalisation in deal activity following the boom which accompanied the worldwide digitalisation of workplaces – a phenomenon accelerated by the pandemic.

The latest Digital Commerce M&A report from Hampleton Partners, the international M&A and corporate finance advisory firm for software and technology companies, reveals that 1,089 deals were struck in the sector in 1H2024, compared to the 1,063 deals recorded in the previous six-month period.

The modest uptick in M&A activity reflects a degree of market recovery following the post-pandemic decline. However, macroeconomic challenges and geopolitical tumult continue to have an impact, as can be seen in a fall in the trailing 30-month median revenue multiple, which has dropped for the second six-month period in a row.