According to Tech.eu, Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOGL) was on shopping spree in 2014. The company has purchased most of the tech companies in the EU.
Google has purchased eight tech companies in Europe in the year 2014. The most notable deals are Finland-based drawElements and DeepMind. It is understood that Google has paid $390 million for these tech companies.
The company has caught the dragon eye of the regulatory controller in the EU on its shopping spree.
Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB), Russia’s Yandex NV (NASDAQ:YNDX) and Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) are the other prominent firms that acquired some of the tech companies in Europe. As a whole, the U.S. firms have represented 37% of the acquisitions of the tech companies in the EU.
It is evident that startups in Europe are very attractive buyouts for the Silicon Valley, Giant Google. The company is also overcoming probes that involve privacy, taxes and the user data concerns from the European regulators.
In another case of antitrust violations by the Internet search giant, the European Union Commission has instigated another probe into Android.
Of the 358 tech exits analyzed by the Tech.eu in Europe, it is worth to mention the deals of 125 companies valued at $90 billion. Other tech deals were small and negligible.
Interesting Points about Exits
The UK has accounted for most of the big tech firms exits. The B2C was accounted for 40% of the exits in Europe.
Germany has seen most of the tech sell outs.
Companies banking on Enterprise SaaS were leading the exits.
Microsoft gets a chance to design and manufacture windows smart phone first hand
Microsoft acquired Finland-based Nokia Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:NOK)’s devices and services businesses for $7.2 billion in 2014. It gives a chance to design and develop Windows Smart Phone first hand.
In another deal, Microsoft has acquired Mojang for $2.5 billion in 2014.
Facebook takes over WhatsApp Inc
Facebook acquired WhatsApp Inc for $19 billion in 2014.
