In the first six months of 2021, 55 percent more corporate mergers and acquisitions were agreed in the Netherlands than in the same period of 2020. The financial value of the 495 corporate acquisitions and mergers in our country also increased significantly in the first half of this year compared to the same period in 2020.

This is evident in KPMG’s Deal Activity Update report. The global increase in trade agreements did not exceed 42 percent. Globally, a total of 11,756 business acquisitions have been completed based on KPMG’s semi-annual inventory.

North America is leading the way with M&A funded by private equity investors. For 43 percent of US companies, participation was made through private equity, compared with 37 percent in the second half of 2020. In our country, the proportion of corporate acquisitions related to private equity has increased. stayed the same at 34 percent on average.

In both Europe and the Netherlands, the technology sector remains by far the favorite for corporate acquisitions. In the first half of this year, 900 European trade agreements were concluded in this sector. Well-known examples are the sale of the Unit4 software company to TA Associates and Partner Group and the acquisition of American Sparkpost by the Amsterdam technology company Messagebird. The media sector is also on the rise. The merger of RTL Nederland and Talpa Networks was one of the most prominent mergers in the first half of 2021. 2021 is expected to end with a new world record for M&A activities.

“The crown crisis has certainly been a new catalyst for further digitization. This is reflected in the acquisitions landscape. We are also seeing more and more corporate mergers and acquisitions where both technology and sustainability are a major driver. “says Danny Bosker, partner in Mergers and Acquisitions at KPMG.