StartUP FIU Director Robert Hacker shares more from NanoFlorida 25

We'd like to thank Robert Hacker for participating in NanoFlorida 2025's Industry Panel "Bridging the Gap: Perspectives and Challenges in University-Industry Collaboration" on March 14th. Due to the high volume of questions concerning acquiring early-stage companies, Hacker has supplied the following PitchBook article by Kyle Stanford with more information for those interested.

A new buyer profile for VC-backed companies 

"Who are the buyers?" A client asked an honest question about the relatively high number of acquisitions involving VC-backed companies in recent years. While the numbers aren't extraordinary, they're estimated to exceed 900 in 2024, which is higher than expected. It's certain that Big Tech is not leading this acquisition spree. Currently, more than one-third of acquisitions are made by other VC-backed companies, marking the highest proportion recorded in our datasets. The past few years have seen the most activity from these VC-backed buyers. 

We expect VC-backed buyers to stay active.

This growth in the venture market has given rise to a new buyer profile: VC-backed unicorns with significant cash reserves and an appetite for expansion. Amid the trend toward "profitability," it is important to remember that growth remains essential and serves as a key motivating factor for these buyers. Whether their ultimate aim is an IPO or staying private for now while raising liquidity for early investors, delivering growth for investors—both new and existing—remains crucial to achieving that goal. 

--PitchBook 03-15-2025 (Full Article) A new buyer profile for VC-backed companies | PitchBook