Mecury News – September brought a sharp uptick in M&A activity, according to the 451 Group, a firm that analyzes the tech industry. The month began with the $2 billion “carve out” deal for Skype, in which eBay sold 65 percent of the company to a consortium led by the Menlo Park-based private equity group Silver Lake Partners, with participation by venture firms Andreessen Horowitz and Index Ventures.

Analyst Brenon Daly predicted that the September “acceleration” suggests that the climate is right for more deal-making in the months ahead.David W. Healey, co-chairman of M&A for law firm Fenwick & West, said the recent deals have largely advanced strategic interests of the companies involved, “which is healthy,” as opposed to deals based more on “financial engineering” involving private equity and hedge funds that characterized much of the M&A earlier this decade.

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Tags: hedge funds, private equity group, silicon-valley, venture firms