By
Steve Muchoki
August 14th, 2023
With the global economic situation currently impacting virtually every industry, mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are becoming increasingly rampant.
Top game developer Unity has revealed that it has signed a merger deal with Israel-based monetization app ironSource. The move follows the recent downtrend that saw stocks of both companies plummeting.
According to the announcement, the deal is expected to close by Q4, generating “a run rate of $1 billion in adjusted EBITDA by the end of 2024.”
ironSource is going into the all-stock deal having stocks worth $4.4 billion. And two of Unity’s largest shareholders – Silver Lake and Sequoia will invest $1 billion in Unity once the deal is completed.
Meanwhile, the deal is proof that things are not as they used to be in the tech industry. By Q2 in 2021, Israel already produced 52 new unicorns – a term used to describe startups that reach a $1b valuation. However, according to startup advisor and investment banker Avihai Michaeli, most of those startups have since lost their valuation. At least between 50-70% of it. But that is a general thing in the industry.
Unity CEO: We Want to Help Creators on Their RT3D Journey
CEO of Unity John Riccitiello has also issued a statement explaining what the firm hopes to achieve with the merger. He says that, as a game and interactive content development platform Unity, believes in creating successful creators. He then added that the platform hopes to support creators with every necessary tool they need to create the most immersive gaming apps and other content. The statement read in part:
“This is a step further toward realizing our vision of a fully integrated platform that helps creators in every step of their RT3D journey.”
Rising M&A Activities in Tech
Without a doubt, mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are becoming increasingly common in recent times. Especially with the global economic situation that is impacting virtually every industry across the board, including the tech space.
In fact, both companies were directly hit by the recent downturn in the tech sector. While Unity and Israeli-based ironSource are both publicly traded, their stocks have been falling recently. This gave rise to pressure from shareholders. And in a bid to keep afloat in what appears to be a turbulent time, both companies have devised this strategy.