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Meet The Bankers Feeding Big Tech’s Insatiable Appetite For AI Startups

$155B. Nearly half of last year's AI M&A involved startups—and one SF firm is brokering the deals.

Reporting by Forbes Innovation 1 min brief
Paper-cut illustration of amber paths carrying capital toward a small coral research venture between larger buildings.
Capital and the next generation of AI ventures.AI illustration by KeyNews
The KeyNews take

Why it matters

Big Tech's acquisition strategy for AI talent and IP is consolidating through a small number of specialized investment banks, creating a bottleneck for founders seeking exits and raising questions about competitive concentration.

The key facts

4 to know

  1. $155 billion in AI M&A last year

  2. Nearly 50% of deals involved small and mid-sized startups

  3. Axom Partners identified as key facilitator for Big Tech acquisitions

  4. San Francisco-based investment banking activity in AI sector

Go to the source

Forbes Innovationforbes.com

Publisher excerpt: Nearly half of the $155 billion in AI mergers and acquisitions last year involved small and mid-sized startups. When Big Tech is deal shopping, San Francisco’s Axom Partners gets the call.
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