Covid-19 has accelerated the obliteration of traditional industry boundaries, with technology coming in the forefront of every industry, creating new and wonderful M&A opportunities. Technological advances are changing the way we live our lives and do business: industries such as HealthTech, FinTech, and CleanTech are now a part of our vocabulary.

2021 has seen optimism in global technology, media and telecommunications M&A activity with record capital supply and investments via Initial Public Offering (IPO), Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPACs) and Venture Capital (VC) funding. The WarnerMedia and Discovery merger and Amazon’s acquisition of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) has increased competition while encouraging consolidation in the media streaming space.

Further, deep tech is fast competing with software as a service (SaaS), in terms of the focus of companies building capability and creating value. VC investment is also finding its way in technologies, such as through quantum computing, space exploration, and energy storage. At the same time, on the cross-border front there is a definite move from globalisation towards increased sovereignty and protectionism. Data, privacy, and cryptocurrency laws are under scrutiny across the world.

The panel will discuss trends such as these that define the global technology M&A landscape today, and while addressing the hindrances, will remain optimistic about the technology industry’s role in value-creating M&A for the rest of 2021. Covid-19 has allowed capital to be accumulated, and the same needs to be spent. Digitisation and disruptions offer opportunities for technology adoption.