1. Delayed but Now Departing: The eLearning Train

    Our partner, Bob Austrian, has long helped investors understand and invest in long-cycle trends, and watch the secular themes promptly unfold.  Or not!   Timing is everything — An investment made too early in an eventual “overnight success” is doubly problematic.  You lose your initial investment and credibility– and, worse, lose the conviction to invest when the chasm is finally crossed.  So today, after years of watching the promise of digital learning go almost entirely unfulfilled, Bob’s declaring it time to …

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    July 29, 2010 | Permalink | No Comments

  2. » Read Full Alert

    July 28, 2010
    Target: Target
    Buyer: Buyer

  3. » Read Full Alert

    July 27, 2010
    Target: Target
    Buyer: Buyer

  4. Venture Capital-Backed M&A Exits

    Within our sector focus, venture-backed companies comprised half of the 40 M&A transactions whose value was between $25 million – $1 billion in Q2 2010.  This was up nicely from the first quarter in terms of the number of transactions and the median size increased to well above $130m.  The other good news was that the returns on investment showed good results.  Our analysis indicates that the median multiple of invested capital was 7.5x(a).  Quite respectable.

    A number of VCs had …

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    July 27, 2010 | Permalink | No Comments

  5. » Read Full Alert

    July 23, 2010
    Target: Target
    Buyer: Buyer
  6. M&A Snapshot: Q2 2010

    M&A Snapshot: Q2 2010


    The overall M&A market within the rapidly converging internet, mobile and digital media sectors remains active yet completed transactions are still at only moderate levels.  Below is our at-a-glance M&A Snapshot for Q2.  We’ll continue further assessment and analysis over the coming weeks.





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    July 16, 2010 | Permalink | No Comments
  7. July 14, 2010 — AP Feature DeCarta Maps Out New Partnerships

  8. M&A Snapshot: Q2 Transactions

    Architect Partners tracked 372 M&A transactions  which took place in the 2nd quarter of 2010 within the converging internet, mobile and digital media sectors.  Of these, 40 had announced transaction value between $25 million and $1 billion.  We keep careful tabs on these transactions as many are venture backed and represent an attractive exit for venture investors.  Also of note, are transactions where transaction value was not announced but was almost certainly within that same range.  Below we summarize this …

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    July 12, 2010 | Permalink | No Comments

  9. » Read Full Alert

    July 9, 2010
    Target: Target
    Buyer: Buyer

  10. M&A Snapshot: Notable Q2 Acquirers

    By our count, the number of announced M&A transactions within the internet, mobile and digital media sectors remained consistent with the first quarter of 2010.  Activity levels are reasonable although buyers continue to be deliberate and selective.  Over the course of the next couple of weeks we will be publishing a number of observations regarding recent M&A activity.

    Today’s assessment looks at the moves of the most active and notable acquirers.  Several important trends emerged:

    1) Google continues to be extraordinarily active, …

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    July 8, 2010 | Permalink | Comments Off