Most founders think too narrowly about who could acquire their company.

Yet, history is full of surprising M&A moves.

Some examples 👇

- Facebook -> Oculus VR (2014): Expands into immersive experiences.

- Under Armour -> MyFitnessPal (2015): Connects its gear with fitness tracking.

- Microsoft -> LinkedIn (2016): Enters the professional networking space.

- Amazon -> Whole Foods (2017): Adds physical retail and grocery.

- Spotify -> Gimlet Media (2019): Adds podcasting.

- Uber -> Postmates (2020): Extends to on-demand food delivery.

- Google -> Fitbit (2021): Adds wearable data.

- Oracle -> Cerner (2022): Verticalizes for the healthcare sector.

One can look at this list today and say the strategic M&A rationale was obvious. 

But did you honestly anticipate these moves, then?

Think broadly and be open to unexpected partnerships. You never know what internal strategies corporate development teams and buyers are cooking up.