25 NYC Startup Acquisitions in 2018 You Need to Know About

According to data from our friends at Crunchbase, there were 409 acquisitions of New York companies in 2018, up from 354 in 2017. Today, I shine a spotlight on 25 of these notable transactions involving NYC startups that were acquired in during 2018. I have included the acquiree, the acquirer, transaction amount (when available), as well as investors and total equity funding raised by the target.

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Grovo
Grovo acquired by Cornerstone OnDemand

NYC-based micro-learning content platform Grovo has been acquired by Santa Monica-based Cornerstone OnDemand, a publicly traded learning and human capital management software company for $24M in an all-cash deal. “The acquisition of Grovo helps fulfill the vision we had on day one for Cornerstone to improve access to education on a global basis. As leaders in learning, we know that Grovo has some of the most innovative training content in the world,” said Adam Miller, Cornerstone’s founder and CEO. “United with our state-of-the-art Learning suite and our Content Anytime subscription offerings, the combination with Grovo places Cornerstone in a league of its own.”
Investors in the acquired company: Accel, Lerer Hippeau, BoxGroup, Uncork Capital, Social Starts, Brainchild Holdings, Costanoa Ventures, Red Swan Ventures, Vayner/RSE, Raine Ventures, Thomas Lehrman, Greg Waldorf, Drew Ferenci, David Honig
Total funding raised: $73M
Full coverage: Micro-learning Platform Grovo Acquired by Cornerstone OnDemand for $24M

Meural
Meural acquired by NETGEAR

Meural, the digital art platform, has been acquired by networking giant NETGEAR. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed but the acquisition was announced at NETGEAR’s Financial Analyst Day.
Investors in the acquired company: Bolt, Corigin Ventures, Bryan Rosenblatt, Forefront Venture Partners, Firstrock Capital, Elio Leoni Sceti, Francois Bennahmias
Total funding raised: $9.3M
Full coverage: NYC Startup Meural Acquired by NETGEAR

FanDuel
FanDuel acquired by Paddy Power Betfair

FanDuel, the fantasy sports site that allows users to win real money, has been acquired by UK and Ireland-based Paddy Power Betfair. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed but publicly-traded Paddy Power Betfair will be merging its US operations with FanDuel, injecting some cash to service FanDuel’s existing debt load, and will have operational control with the option to wholly own the company after five years. “FanDuel and Betfair US share an enthusiasm for innovation and, as a result of today’s announcement, are prepared to lead the charge into the US sports betting market,” said Matt King, CEO, FanDuel. “The combination of our brands and team, along with a shared culture and vision for the future, will allow us to create the leading gaming destination for sports fans everywhere.”
Investors in the acquired company: Comcast Ventures, Fabrice Grinda, VTF Capital, Scottish Investment Bank, KKR & Co. (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co.), Simon Murdoch, Time Warner Investments, Bullpen Capital, Piton Capital, Jose Marin, Pentech Ventures, CapitalG, CapitalG, blisce/, Walking Ventures, BluePointe Ventures, HDS Capital, Karlani Capital, Tusk Ventures, Shamrock Capital Advisors, ECA Ventures, NBC Sports Ventures
Total funding raised: $416.2M
Full coverage: FanDuel Acquired by Paddy Power Betfair

Synthesio
Synthesio acquired by Ipsos

Social intelligence platform Synthesio has been acquired by Ipsos, the global market research company based in France. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. “We are very excited to join the Ipsos family and write the next chapters of the Synthesio story. Our focus on innovative technology including Artificial Intelligence, to detect consumer insights from billions of online conversations coupled with Ipsos’ decades of market research & consulting experience, will give our joint customers a single path for building and advancing their social intelligence programs. This acquisition will lead customers to more actionable and real-time social insights, fused with AI, and give them a stronger competitive advantage in the market,” remarked Loic Moisand, CEO and Cofounder of Synthesio
Investors in the acquired company: dinvest Partners, Bpifrance, Entrepreneur Venture, Harbert European Growth Capital, ESSEC Ventures, Lior Investissements
Total funding raised: $30.7M
Full coverage: Synthesio Acquired by Market Research Firm Ipsos

General Assembly $413M
General Assembly acquired by The Adecco Group

General Assembly, the digital skills education and training provider, has been acquired by Swiss staffing firm Addeco Group. The purchase price of the transaction is $412.5M. “General Assembly has always been about creating bridges between education and employment – that’s what has allowed us to scale to 20 campuses, 50,000 alumni, and over 300 Fortune 500 clients. As our work with employers has grown, so has our need to connect in a deeper way with the world of human capital, and that is why we are so excited about the transformational opportunities that come with this partnership,” said Jake Schwartz, founder and CEO of General Assembly.
Investors in the acquired company: Draper Fisher Jurvetson (DFJ), IVP (Institutional Venture Partners), Maveron, Western Technology Investment, VTF Capital, QueensBridge Venture Partners, Alexis Ohanian, Wellington Management, Bezos Expeditions, Fresco Capital, Rethink Education, GSV Capital, GSV Capital, Mousse Partners, Advance Publications, Jeff Bezos, Hosain Rahman, New York City Economic Development Corporation – NYCEDC, Alexander Asseily, Tom Vander Ark
Total funding raised: $119.5M
Full coverage: General Asssembly Acquired by Swiss Staffing Firm Addeco for $412.5M

Sayspring
Sayspring acquired by Adobe Systems

Sayspring, the collaborative design software for voice applications that allows designers to create voice-enabled interfaces and talk to interactive prototypes with no coding or deploying required, has been acquired by Adobe. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. “Since we first launched about a year ago, our team has been on a mission to provide creators with the tools they need to work with voice technology, no coding required. This aligns tightly with Adobe’s vision to give everyone – from emerging artists to global brands – everything they need to design and deliver exceptional digital experiences,” remarked Sayspring CEO and Founder Mark Webster.
Investors in the acquired company: Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator, Compound, Scott Belsky, Story Ventures, McCune Capital, Alan Chung, Peter Stern
Total funding raised: $1.6M
Full coverage: Voice Platform Sayspring Acquired by Adobe

Stadium Goods $250M
Stadium Goods acquired by Farfetch

Soho-based Stadium Goods, the leading premier sneaker and streetwear multi-channel marketplace, has been acquired by London-based, publicly traded Farfetch, the luxury fashion platform in a deal with an enterprise value of $250M in a combination of stock and cash. The final price will be determined based on adjustments and milestones. “The Stadium Goods team has built an incredible company, with a host of talented people, dedicated and loyal customers and remarkable brand equity, said José Neves, Founder, CEO, and Co-Chairman, of Farfetch. “I am confident that we can help Stadium Goods grow its international presence for sneakerheads around the world through our expertise in technology, logistics, and data. Farfetch will benefit from Stadium Goods’ brand, access to supply and a team with a strong passion for and knowledge of luxury streetwear. We can’t wait to get started with John, Jed and the rest of the Stadium Goods team.”
Investors in the acquired company: Forerunner Ventures, The Chernin Group, SM Ventures, Mark Cuban
Total funding raised: $5.6M
Full coverage: Sneaker Marketplace Stadium Goods Acquired by Farfetch for $250M

Eloquii $100M
Eloquii acquired by Walmart

Plus size brand Eloquii has been acquired by Walmart for $100M as Walmart continues its acquisition spree to increase its e-commerce presence, which only accounts for 4% of its total sales. Eloquii was initially launched by fashion retailer The Limited in 2011, was then acquired by former employees, and then relaunched in 2014 as a direct-to-consumer brand. Founded by Jodi Arnold, John Auerbach, Julie Carnevale, and Steve Zawada, Eloquii had raised a total of $21M in funding over three rounds. Investors in the company include Greycroft, Fabrice Grinda, FJ Labs, Acton Capital Partners, Grace Beauty Capital, Female Founders Fund, Max Ventures, Blue Sky Private Equity, HDS Capital, and Karlani Capital.
Investors in the acquired company: Greycroft, Fabrice Grinda, FJ Labs, Acton Capital Partners, Grace Beauty Capital, Female Founders Fund, Max Ventures, Blue Sky Private Equity, HDS Capital, Karlani Capital.
Total funding raised: $21M
Full coverage:

Vettery $100M
Vettery acquired by The Adecco Group

Vettery, the online technology hiring platform, has been acquired by Swiss staffing firm Addeco. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. “The Adecco Group, with its clear commitment to digital transformation, is a natural strategic partner for us. Leveraging Adecco’s extensive enterprise client relationships, data and recruitment industry expertise will allow Vettery to further accelerate its growth and rapid expansion,” said Brett Adcock, Cofounder of Vettery.
Investors in the acquired company: Greycroft, Fabrice Grinda, Pritzker Group Venture Capital, Lightbank, FJ Labs, Raine Ventures, Brian Spaly
Total funding raised: $11.9M
Full coverage: NYC Hiring Startup Vettery Acquired by Addeco Group

Routehappy
Routehappy acquired by ATPCO

Routehappy, the provider of unique data, content, and tools related to flights, has been acquired by Dulles, Virginia-based ATPCO, the data aggregation platform for airline fare data. Terms of the acquisition were not closed. Routehappy will continue to operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of ATPCO.
Investors in the acquired company: iNovia Capital, Primary Venture Partners, Contour Venture Partners, Michael Lazerow, Vocap Investment Partners, PAR Capital Management
Total funding raised: $8.3M
Full coverage: NYC Startup Routehappy Acquired by ATPCO

Datorama $800M
Datorama acquired by Salesforce

AI-Powered Marketing Intelligence Platform Dataroma has been acquired by Salesforce. The terms of the transactions were not disclosed but parties close to the transaction indicate that the deal is for over $800M in cash. “Salesforce’s acquisition of Datorama will enhance Salesforce’s Marketing Cloud with expanded data integration, intelligence, and analytics, enabling marketers to unlock insights across Salesforce data and the myriad of technologies used in today’s marketing and consumer engagement ecosystem. With one unified view of data and insights, companies can make smarter decisions across the entire customer journey and optimize engagement at scale,” said Ran Sarig, Datorama CEO and cofounder.
Investors in the acquired company: Lightspeed Venture Partners, Innovation Endeavors, Marker, Cedar Fund
Total funding raised: $50M
Full coverage: Marketing Intelligence Platform Datorama Acquired by Salesforce for More Than $800M

Handy
Handy acquired by ANGI Homeservices

Handy, the booking platform for household service providers likes maids, handymen, plumbers, etc has been acquired by ANGI Home Services, the publicly-traded parent company to Angie’s List. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. “From the beginning, Umang and I were driven to change the way people buy everyday home services. We set out to create a better, easier way to find and book quality professionals for household services, and over the past six years, our vision grew into a leading marketplace. We are thrilled to have ANGI Homeservices’ scale, expertise, and support as we continue to grow,” said Oisin Hanrahan, CEO and cofounder, Handy.
Investors in the acquired company: MassChallenge, General Catalyst, Highland Capital Partners, Slow Ventures, BoxGroup, Revolution, David Tisch, Fidelity Investments, TPG Growth, Sound Ventures,
Total funding raised: $100.7M
Full coverage: Handy Acquired by the Parent Company of Angie’s List

TeePublic $41M
TeePublic acquired by Redbubble

TeePublic, the online e-commerce platform that serves as a marketplace for independent artists to sell apparel with their designs, has been acquired by RedBubble, an Australian company in the same space. The transaction is for $41M in an all-cash transaction. “The TeePublic team is excited and energized to be combining with Redbubble at such an important stage of our respective growth trajectories. We look forward to partnering with Redbubble to bring more creativity into the world, leveraging our shared capabilities to support the artist and designer community. Redbubble’s experiences in growing its own business and developing its technology platform are a great fit for supporting TeePublic on the next steps in our journey, ” said Adam Schwartz, TeePublic’s COO and Cofounder.
Investors in the acquired company: No external funding raised
Total funding raised: No external funding raised
Full coverage: TeePublic Acquired by RedBubble for $41M in Cash

WorkMarket
WorkMarket acquired by ADP

WorkMarket, the marketplace for managing contractors and freelancers, has been acquired by ADP, the payroll and human capital management company. The terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. “The WorkMarket team is thrilled to be joining ADP. We share the same vision of enabling companies and workers alike to navigate the changing labor marketplace with greater ease, and we look forward to offering our solutions to ADP’s vast client base” remarked Jeff Wald, cofounder and president of WorkMarket.
Investors in the acquired company: Spark Capital, SoftBank Capital, Foundry Group, Union Square Ventures, Industry Ventures
Total funding raised: $66M
Full coverage: WorkMarket Acquired by ADP

AppNexus $1.6B
AppNexus acquired by AT&T

After a long period of speculation, it has been confirmed that AT&T has acquired adtech pioneer AppNexus. The financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed but sources with knowledge of the transaction have indicated the value of the transaction is approximately $1.6B. AppNexus primarily provides a sell-side platform (SSP) for publishers to monetize their ad inventory through an automated process. The transaction gives data-heavy AT&T the infrastructure to compete with Google and Facebook’s ad platform offerings, especially across multiple devices – critical now that AT&T has completed its acquisition of Time Warner.
Investors in the acquired company: SV Angel, First Round Capital, Khosla Ventures, Venrock, TCV, Kodiak Venture Partners, Ronald Conway, Tribeca Venture Partners, Fidelity Investments, WPP Ventures, SharesPost Investment Management, Grape Arbor VC, Marc Andreessen, Deutsche Telekom Capital Partners, News Corp., Yahoo! Japan, Ben Horowitz, Coriolis Ventures, Philippe Corrot
Total funding raised: $523M
Full coverage: AppNexus Acquired by AT&T for a Rumored $1.6B

Reserve
Reserve acquired by Resy

Hospitality technology platform Reserve has been acquired by Resy to become the largest private reservation service in the US. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. “Since we started selling Reserve table management in 2015, we’ve demonstrated strong growth by expanding our product offering and geographic footprint to provide an alternative system that’s actually aligned with the needs of restaurants,” said Reserve CEO Greg Hong. “Resy is highly complementary to our existing footprint and enhances our ability to focus on the needs of our restaurants and build solutions to support them. Right now our priority is establishing a plan to combine the best of both of our products, and we’ll be working closely with our restaurant partners and their guests to ensure that it is a smooth and positive experience. We’re thrilled to join the Resy team.”
Investors in the acquired company: SV Angel, First Round Capital, Lowercase Capital, Sherpa Capital, QueensBridge Venture Partners, Advancit Capital, Hinge Capital, Visionnaire Ventures, The Chernin Group, Arena Ventures, Vast Ventures, Wildcat Venture Partners, WME, Expa, Jared Leto, Bryant Stibel Investments, Plus Capital, Tom Conrad, Human Ventures, Jon Favreau, Diageo Technology Ventures
Total funding raised: $30M
Full coverage: Reservation Tech Platform Reserve Acquired by Competitor Resy

Flatiron Health $1.6B
Flatiron Health acquired by Roche

Flatiron Health, the leading cancer research platform and oncology software, has been acquired by Swiss pharmaceutical giant, Roche for $1.9B, marking the largest NYC tech acquisition in history. According to a press release, Flatiron will continue its current business model with the entire team joining Roche. “Roche has been a tremendous partner to us over the past two years and shares our vision for building a learning healthcare platform in oncology ultimately designed to improve the lives of cancer patients. This important milestone will allow us to increase our investments in our provider-facing technology and services platform, as well as our evidence-generation platform, which will remain available to the entire healthcare industry,” said Nat Turner, Flatiron Health Cofounder and CEO.
Investors in the acquired company: SV Angel, First Round Capital,reessen Horowitz, GV, Great Oaks Venture Capital, BoxGroup, Social Capital, Allen & Company, IA Ventures, David Tisch, Grape Arbor VC, Stripes Group, Baillie Gifford, Aaron Levie, Casdin Capital, LabCorp, Jack Abraham, Jared Hecht, Roche, Edward Zimmerman
Total funding raised: $313M
Full coverage: Flatiron Health Acquired by Roche for $1.9B

Flight Club
Flight Club acquired by GOAT

Investors in the acquired company: Undisclosed
Total funding raised: $97.6M
Full coverage: Sneaker Mania: Flight Club Acquired by GOAT

JUMP Bikes $200M
JUMP Bikes acquired by Uber

JUMP Bikes, the electronic bike sharing company that provides dockless bikes, has been acquired by Uber. The terms of the acquisition were not disclosed but it has been reported that the transaction valued JUMP Bikes at approximately $200M. “We’re excited to begin our next chapter and to play a significant part in the transition of Uber to a multi-modal platform. Combining JUMP’s track record of product innovation and city partnerships with Uber’s scale, operational excellence, and resources will allow us to make a global impact faster than if we were to pursue our vision alone. At our core, we are still the same team that is passionate about partnering with cities to increase cycling, but joining Uber presents us with the opportunity to realize our dreams faster and at a much larger scale,” remarked Ryan Rzepecki, Founder and CEO of JUMP Bikes.
Investors in the acquired company: Undisclosed
Total funding raised: $13.8M
Full coverage: This NYC Startup Was Just Acquired by Uber for ~$200M

Motivate
Motivate acquired by Lyft

The urban mobility space is absolutely on fire with recent transactions like Uber’s acquisition of JUMP Bikes, Bird’s $300M recent funding, and Lime’s recent $250M funding. Lyft is now making its foray into the market with its acquisition of Motivate, the company that operates Citi Bike in NYC and bike-sharing services in 7 other markets including SF, Chicago, Boston, and Minneapolis, controlling 80% of bike sharing in North America. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed but earlier it was estimated to be close to $250M. “How we get around cities is changing rapidly, and the combination of Lyft and Motivate will bring tremendous new resources and energy to making sure that bike-share plays a fundamental role in the new urban mobility,” said Motivate Executive Chairman Steve Koch. “Together, we believe that integrating our services in partnership with the public sector will transform the urban transportation landscape, increase bike ridership, and make our cities better.”
Investors in the acquired company: Undisclosed
Total funding raised: Undisclosed
Full coverage: Motivate, the Company Behind Citi Bike, Acquired by Lyft for a Rumored $250M

NextGenVest
NextGenVest acquired by CommonBond

NextGenVest, the New York-based financial advice platform powered by AI for Generation Z to understand their educational finances, has been acquired by New York-based CommonBond, one of the leading tech-enabled student loan platforms. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. “Paying for college can be complex and stressful, and that stress follows most people well past graduation – but it doesn’t have to,” remarked David Klein, CEO and cofounder of CommonBond. “NextGenVest allows us to continue delivering the transparency, affordability, and simplicity we’re known for, to the next generation of financial consumers, on the back of differentiated AI technology. With this acquisition, CommonBond bolsters its position as the only company in the country to offer a true end-to-end relationship with young financial consumers, from high school and college to graduation and employment.”
Investors in the acquired company: Undisclosed
Total funding raised: $3.9M
Full coverage: CommonBond Acquires NextGenVest

Quartz $110M
Quartz acquired by Uzabase

Business media company Quartz has been acquired by Japanese business information provider Uzabase. The final transaction amount is contingent on Quartz’s financial performance through the remainder of the year but the deal is valued at $75M on the low side and up to $110M on the higher end. “As we move into our next chapter, Uzabase is the perfect partner to create a truly global business media company spanning from Tokyo to New York. There is a striking overlap in the official values of Uzabase and Quartz, which include the importance of boldness and creativity, genuinely putting users first, being globally minded, and doing everything with a spirit of generosity,” said Quartz Founding editor-in-chief Kevin J. Delaney and publisher Jay Lauf.
Investors in the acquired company: Undisclosed
Total funding raised: Undisclosed
Full coverage: Quartz To Be Acquired by Uzabase For Between $75M-$110M

TradeTapp
TradeTapp acquired by Buildingconnected

TradeTapp, an analytics platform for evaluating subcontractor risk, has been acquired by SF-based BuildingConnected, a platform for real estate owners and general contractors to hire subcontractors. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. “BuildingConnected’s industry-leading platform further innovates the way construction gets done, and we’re excited to deliver our product to its expansive network, said Justin Levine, CEO and cofounder of TradeTapp”
Investors in the acquired company: Undisclosed
Total funding raised: $500K
Full coverage: NYC Construction Tech Startup TradeTapp Acquired by BuildingConnected

Abacus Labs
Abacus Labs acquired by Certify

Abacus, the real-time expense reporting and management solution, has been acquired by Portland, ME-based Certify Group. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. “We are thrilled to join Certify’s family of brands. Teaming up with Certify will give our team the opportunity to grow Abacus’ market presence by leveraging Certify’s resources and expertise,” says Omar Qari, CEO of Abacus. “Learning more about how aligned our vision is with Certify’s helped us realize that the fastest way to achieve our goals was to join their organization.”
Investors in the acquired company: Y Combinator, Bessemer Venture Partners, General Catalyst, GV, FundersClub, CrunchFund, QueensBridge Venture Partners, Sherpalo Ventures, Homebrew, 645 Ventures, Slack, Joshua Reeves, Lunch Van Fund, Patrick Collison, Jeff Epstein, John Collison, Sumon Sadhu
Total funding raised: $3.6M
Full coverage: Expense Management Platform Abacus Acquired by Certify

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