The deal is worth nearly $70 billion. Also: Autodoc is looking for an investor before the IPO and VW and Bosch are planning battery cell cooperation.
Good morning! While you slept, work continued elsewhere in the digital scene.
The top topics:
Microsoft plans according to the “Wall Street Journal” the largest takeover in the company’s history. Accordingly, the technology group offers almost 70 billion US dollars for Activision Blizzard, the world’s largest games manufacturer by revenue. The purchase price per share is $95 per share. That’s a total of $68.7 billion to be paid in cash. Microsoft gaming boss Phil Spencer said the deal should be completed within the next 18 months.
Activision Blizzard had recently come under pressure from allegations of sexism and weak numbers. According to Microsoft, the acquisition will make it the global number three in game development and entertainment. The Japanese Playstation manufacturer Sony and the Chinese technology group Tencent took first and second place. [Mehr bei Wall Street Journal, Handelsblatt, CNBC und Bloomberg]
On Gründerszene you read today: How do you make a startup attractive for the Exit? An M&A consultant shares five tips on how to make your company an object of desire. [Mehr bei Gründerszene+]
And here are the other headlines of the night:
autodoc has postponed the planned IPO and is now looking for an investor, according to the “Handelsblatt”. Europe’s largest online spare parts retailer is on the lookout for a financier who would take a minority stake in the company amid declining valuations at tech companies, the newspaper wrote. The aim of the IPO is still being kept in mind, it said. The startup actually wanted to go public in 2021. The valuation of the possible entry of an investor is currently unclear, but will probably be less than five billion euros. [Mehr bei Handelsblatt]
Volkswagen and Bosch jointly plan a fully localized e-mobility supply chain. The alliance is about building integrated battery production systems to support battery cell and system manufacturers with on-site maintenance. By the end of the year, 40 developers from each of the two groups will prepare to set up a joint venture. So far, Asian companies have dominated the billion dollar market. [Mehr bei Manager Magazin, Handelsblatt und Techcrunch]
the SophieShares are up more than 16 percent in after-hours trading on Tuesday. It was previously revealed that the San Francisco-based fintech had cleared its final regulatory hurdle to become a bank. The financial company offers banking products such as loans, cash accounts and debit cards. To become a bank, Sofi plans to acquire California community lender Golden Pacific Bancorp and operate its subsidiary bank as Sofi Bank. The deal is expected to close in February. [Mehr bei CNBC]
US airlines have before a chaos in aviation by the 5G rollout warned. According to a letter from several companies, including American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and Southwest Airlines, the planned use of the frequency range in the USA as of today could make machines unusable. The aviation industry has long warned that 5G transmitters could potentially disrupt some air traffic instruments. AT&T and Verizon made last-minute concessions over security concerns. The introduction of the new mobile communications standard in the vicinity of airports will initially be limited, it said. Emirates, Air India, ANA and Japan Airlines had announced they would cancel some flights to the US due to the 5G rollout. [Mehr bei Wall Street Journal, Handelsblatt, Handelsblatt und The Verge]
Investments: Opensea, the largest NFT marketplace, has cryptocurrency wallet provider Dharma Labs accepted for an undisclosed amount. Founded in 2017, Opensea was recently valued at $13.3 billion. Dream Games, an Istanbul-based mobile games developer, has raised $255 million in a new round of funding. Investors now value the company at $2.75 billion, nearly triple what it was worth in its last fundraising streak just six months ago. RocketLab, a US space systems company Solaero Holdings, a provider of solar energy products for space, for $80 million in cash. The deal was originally announced in December. Animoca Brands, an eight-year-old Hong Kong-based company, has raised $360 million in new funds. This gives the gaming software company a valuation of more than five billion dollars. [Mehr bei Reuters, CNBC, Techcrunch und Techcrunch]
Our reading tip on Gründerszene: Anna Christman should the new one Startup Officer become in the Ministry of Economy. The 38-year-old Green Party politician is known for her expertise and interest in tech and digital issues. However, her name is still relatively unknown in the scene. [Mehr bei Gründerszene]
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Happy Wednesday!
Your Gründerszene editors