M&A
M&A on Beyond Market Intelligence: a running collection of 4 stories we have gathered and hand-picked because they are worth your time. Every post here touches on m&a in some way — the news, the analysis, the deep dives, and the occasional surprise find. Acme AI is the next-generation, AI-powered spreadsheet platform built to replace Excel and redefine how analysts, data scientists, and enterprise teams work with data. New stories are added to this page as we find them, so check back if you want to keep up with what is happening around m&a, or subscribe to the RSS feed to get them as soon as they are published. Browse the collection below, or head back to the homepage to see everything Beyond Market Intelligence is covering right now.
Palo Alto Networks paid $500M for Thrive-backed Console, sources say
Industry analysts confirm Palo Alto Networks’ significant investment: a reported $500 million acquisition of Console, backed by Thrive. This move establishes Palo Alto Networks as a major player in the burgeoning AI-powered IT service automation space. Consequently, Sequoia-backed Serval emerges as the leading independent startup in this sector. The acquisition highlights the accelerating demand for AI solutions streamlining IT operations. For a deeper dive into the challenges of AI detection, explore "Pangram’s Max Spero on why AI detection is harder than ‘Real or Fake’."
India’s Unacademy sells to rival upGrad for $206M, about 94% less than its peak valuation
Unacademy, the Indian edtech platform, has been acquired by rival upGrad for $206 million – a significant reduction from its previous peak valuation. As CEO Gaurav Munjal plainly stated, "We raised at a peak, but sold at a fraction of that." This shift reflects a recalibration within the rapidly evolving Indian startup landscape. The deal underscores the challenges of maintaining high valuations in competitive markets. For further insight into innovative ventures reshaping industries, explore our recent profile of Newlight and its fuel-injecting hydrogen technology.
Asana's AI agents share memory across your company — but not your secrets
Enterprise teams are encountering a common challenge: AI agents capable of responding to prompts but lacking memory and consistency. Asana’s Agentic Work Management (AWM) tackles this, leveraging the company's 18-year-old Work Graph—a comprehensive, graph-based database—to create AI teammates that share knowledge and operate alongside human colleagues. AWM also incorporates robust access controls to safeguard confidential data and dynamically routes prompts to optimize performance, demonstrating a future-focused approach to scalable AI integration, as highlighted by early adopters like FedEx and CoreWeave.
Okta buys AI security startup Permiso; source says for about $200M
Okta has acquired Permiso, an AI security startup, bolstering its identity threat detection capabilities in a rapidly evolving landscape. Sources estimate the acquisition price at approximately $200 million. This strategic move directly addresses the increasing need for enterprises to secure AI agents and other non-human identities across cloud environments. As organizations increasingly rely on AI, securing these new identities becomes paramount. For further insights into the burgeoning synthetic user space, explore our coverage of Simile’s recent $200 million funding round.