Ranked: The Biggest Corporate Dealmakers by M&A Activity

Top Companies By M&A Activity (2008-2020)

This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.

Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) represent strategic corporate actions where companies seek to expand their market presence, acquire new technologies, diversify their portfolio, or eliminate competition by purchasing or combining with other businesses.

This chart visualizes the top 15 companies by average number of M&A deals per year from 2008 to 2020, and their HQ country.

Data comes from the 2024 EU Industrial R&D Investment Scoreboard by the European Commission and JRC/DG R&I.

Which Companies Had the Highest M&A Activity?

Below, we show the top 15 companies with the highest M&A activity, by showing an average of deals per year over the 2008-2020 period.

Multinational technology and consulting firm Accenture leads global M&A activity with an average of 9.1 deals per year, far outpacing other companies.

Accenture’s major acquisitions span across cybersecurity, digital services, advertising, and industry-specific consulting, including companies like Symantec’s cyber security services business, Droga5, Procurian, Acquity Group, and Orbium.

Tech giants like Microsoft, IBM, and Apple also dominate the top spots, showcasing the ICT sector’s role in driving corporate consolidation.

Microsoft has made several high-profile acquisitions from 2008 to 2020, including LinkedIn ($26.2 billion, 2016), Skype ($8.5 billion, 2011), and GitHub ($7.5 billion, 2018).

Notably, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella sealed the GitHub deal in just 20 minutes.

Apple’s acquisitions includes Beats Electronics ($3 billion, 2014), Intel’s smartphone modem business ($1 billion, 2019), and Dialog Semiconductor ($600 million, 2018).

IBM similarly pursued aggressive M&A strategies during this period, with notable acquisitions including business intelligence software company Cognos ($5 billion, 2008), supply chain integration firm Sterling Commerce ($1.4 billion, 2010), and data warehousing company Netezza ($1.7 billion, 2010).

Learn More on the Voronoi App

To learn more about the U.S. corporate landscape, check out this graphic the number of CEO departures by industry in the U.S., from January to November 2024.