A total of 406 transactions were recorded in the first half of 2026, putting activity on track to match the 10-year high reached in 2024. There was robust demand from strategic and financial buyers, with Private Equity firms accounting for the buyer in 22% of these transactions.
Marketing and Ad Tech M&A Activity by Deal Count
Marketing and Ad Tech M&A Activity by Disclosed Deal Amount
During the second quarter of 2026, total disclosed M&A deal values reached $11.4B. Only 10% of deals announced financial terms as buyers preferred to keep their M&A strategies private.
Top Marketing and Ad Tech Acquirers by Deal Count
During the first half of 2026, the Belgium-based, AI-powered digital enabler team.blue was the most active buyer in the MarTech sector, completing four deals. It was followed by other strategic acquirers that completed two deals each, including Publicis Groupe, French multinational advertising and public relations company, Cloudflare, a San Francisco-headquartered global cloud services and cybersecurity company, Cineverse, a US-based entertainment technology and content distribution SaaS, Adrenalead, a marketing activation platform based in France, Harvey, legal‑first generative AI platform headquartered in San Francisco, Canva, an Australian online graphic design and publishing platform, and ThriveCart, a New York-based checkout, sales funnel, and affiliate platform.
Among PE firms, Trinity Hunt, a Texas-based private equity firm focused on business and consumer services, was the most active, completing three deals through its digital experience agency The Verndale Corporation. It was followed by Shamrock Capital, a Californian investment firm focused on media, entertainment, and communications, which announced two deals. Furthermore, we saw other buyers, including a Georgian buy-and-hold acquirer Banyan Software with two deals announced.
Marketing and Ad Tech VC Funding​
MarTech VC funding remains well below its 2021 peak, with a modest increase from 2023 to 2025 and early signs of stabilization in the first half of 2026 rather than a full rebound. Additionally, venture capital deal volumes for the sector have dropped significantly in recent years, a trend that continued into the first six months of 2026. The median venture capital funding size was $2.5 million. It is anticipated that the downward trend in venture capital funding will persist beyond 2026. These dynamics have encouraged companies to instead pursue M&A strategies for growth and liquidity.
