Acquire this: Technology startup deals are getting pricier, shows data

Deals to acquire startups have had a 30 per cent higher average price in 2024 than before. There have been 21 acquisitions with an average price of $76.5 million, compared to $58.5 million in 2023. The analysis, based on data from Tracxn, tracked technology sector acquisitions in the first three months of 2024. The latest numbers are as on March 29, the last working day of the quarter. Most acquisitions in 2024 were for business reasons: Not one was an acqui-hire, which is buying a company for its employees. In 2018, around 48 per cent of the deals were acqui-hires. In technology sectors, there were eight acquisitions for enterprise applications. There were four acquisitions each for financial technology and high-tech firms, three for enterprise infrastructure and two for media and entertainment.