Sectors
April saw fewer corporate-backed startup exits than the high months of Q1 2025, due to a fall in M&A for healthcare and IT companies.
Corporate-backed startups exits were at their highest level for over two years in Q1 2025, with large acquisitions spiking the total value.
Startups backed by corporate investors are less likely to go bust. This pattern holds true even in a tough investment climate.
CoreWeave, Discord, Klarna and Jio are among the high-value tech companies on the slate for 2025 IPOs, but market volatility could delay things, says exits expert Jeff Baglio.
Some 37 corporate-backed startups were bought in February in sectors ranging from semiconductors and skincare to pharma and robots.
January 2025 saw 53 corporate-backed startup exits, marking a 47% year-on-year increase and the highest total since early 2023, with deal values soaring to $4.52bn.
Large life sciences deals and corporate investors buying the companies in their own portfolio have been key to an improving exit market.
There was a 62% jump in exits for corporate-backed startups in November, with IPOs and acquisitions across a range of geographies and sectors but also some notable bankruptcies.
Some 37 corporate-backed startups were either acquired or taken public in October, with the total value of exits at $4.37bn, a significant rise on last year.
The longed-for recovery in startup exits hasn't yet arrived. But those startups that did get bought or publicly listed in September did so at higher prices.
In August, we saw 25 corporate exits, a 19% drop from August last year, though total capital raised hit $3.97bn, up 34% year on year.
Private equity companies have been active in buying VC-backed companies, sometimes at a significant discount. Digital and life sciences startups dominate the list of exits.
The gaming sector saw a surge in interest from corporate investors in April. Deals in India and China are also bouncing back.
Four companies raised over $700m in February as a burgeoning crypto sector continued to help Singapore buck the bear market and pharma companies resparked IPOs in the US.
Corporate investors have been part of $3bn worth of AI deals so far this year, with June particularly strong. There has also been a uptick in exits.
The value of corporate-backed deals slumped in the third quarter, but sectors like energy and telecoms bucked the trend as did a few geographies like Israel.
In the run-up to the float, Porche's investment arm had invested in 18 companies, from hypercars to EV batteries and even bikes.
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