Sectors
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.
Exit values are increasing, crypto funding has seen a resurgence and Singapore has seen a 60% year-on-year increase in corporate-backed funding rounds.
Mistral AI raises $415m, Near Intelligence files for bankruptcy, plus a whole host of acquisitions. The full corporate venturing activity round up for December 2023.
Robotics deals saw an increase despite an overall decline in deal count and dollar volume this summer.
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.
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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