Key market insights into Software, Digital Services, Fintech, Digital Media and Digital Commerce.

SOFTWARE

Jonathan Cantwell, Partner & Head of Software at GP Bullhound, said: “In Q1, we saw a variety of factors at macro and micro levels impacting the SaaS market. IPO activity was down significantly, as economic conditions and geopolitical tensions tremble the market. The closed IPO door has resulted in more M&A processes embarking and deal activity by strategics and PE funds.”

Matt Stamp, Partner in the Software team at GP Bullhound, said: “Despite the continuing volatility on public markets and the geopolitical and economic uncertainty, the SaaS funding and M&A landscape in Europe has remained robust in Q1. We expect these trends to continue into Q2, albeit processes taking longer and investors paying more attention to fundamentals such as medium-term profitability.”

Download GP Bullhound’s Q1 2022 Global Software Market Perspectives here.

DIGITAL SERVICES

Simon Nicholls and Greg Smith, Partners at GP Bullhound, commented: “In Q1 2022, we saw creative automation technology to be a key driver of recent acquisition and investment activity. We are also witnessing strategic M&A within cloud, as enterprises tap into hyperscaling service capabilities. Lastly, headless technology is transforming marketing and commerce.”

Download GP Bullhound’s Q1 2022 Global Digital Services Market Perspectives here.

FINTECH

Claudio Alvarez, Partner at GP Bullhound, commented: “While fundraising and M&A activities in fintech slowed slightly in Q1 versus the highs of 2021, the market remained very active, not least due to the completion of Block’s acquisition of Afterpay, and a few other large funding rounds. Several trends are driving fintech this quarter – Big Tech is joining challenger banks in disrupting the status quo of legacy banks; corporate card and spend management platforms are attracting unprecedented interest from SMBs, resulting in large investments from growth funds; and a new race to replicate the model of WeChat and Alipay to become ‘the SuperApp of the West’ is now on.”

Download GP Bullhound’s Q1 2022 Global Fintech Market Perspectives here.

DIGITAL MEDIA

Alec Dafferner, Partner at GP Bullhound, said: “In Q1 we have seen large media companies rival Big Tech, as they reach scale and leverage their significant audiences. In the gaming industry, Q1 proved impressive, with three major acquisitions already thwarting the total value of 2021’s western gaming deals. In the music industry, Web3 strategies show potential to close profit gaps. Lastly, news publishers need new strategies to maintain readerships, as non-news content attracts more and more traffic.”

Download GP Bullhound’s Q1 2022 Global Digital Media Market Perspectives here.

DIGITAL COMMERCE

Alessandro Casartelli, Executive Director at GP Bullhound, said: “In Q1 we saw ongoing investment in green infrastructure, as commuter transport preferences shifted post-pandemic. The NFT market, which grew rapidly, experienced a pull-back in Q1, and barriers to entry in e-commerce are being knocked down as it takes over traditional retail. M&A activity tailed off after a record-breaking 2021, as with most other sectors.”

Download GP Bullhound’s Q1 2022 Global Digital Commerce Market Perspectives here.

Enquiries
For enquiries, please contact:
SOFTWARE: Jonathan Cantwell, Partner (US), JONATHAN.CANTWELL@GPBULLHOUND.COM
SOFTWARE: Matt Stamp, Partner (Europe), MATT.STAMP@GPBULLHOUND.COM
DIGITAL SERVICES: Simon Nicholls, Partner (Europe), SIMON.NICHOLLS@GPBULLHOUND.COM
DIGITAL SERVICES: Greg Smith, Partner (US), GREG.SMITH@GPBULLHOUND.COM
FINTECH: Claudio Alvarez, Partner, CLAUDIO.ALVAREZ@GPBULLHOUND.COM
DIGITAL MEDIA: Alec Dafferner, Partner, ALEC.DAFFERNER@GPBULLHOUND.COM
DIGITAL COMMERCE: Alessandro Casartelli, Executive Director, ALESSANDRO.CASARTELLI@GPBULLHOUND.COM

About GP Bullhound
GP Bullhound is a leading technology advisory and investment firm, providing transaction advice and capital to the world’s entrepreneurs and founders. Founded in 1999 in London and Menlo Park, the firm today has 12 offices spanning Europe, the US and Asia. For more information, please visit www.gpbullhound.com.