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Bench saved by the bell, and other last-minute deals that closed 2024
In a shocking turn of events, Canadian accounting startup Bench has been acquired by HR tech company Employer.com in an undisclosed sum, just days after announcing its sudden shutdown. The deal comes as a surprise to many, considering the unexpected closure announcement.
Other last-minute deals were also finalized before the clock struck midnight on 2024. In another remarkable transaction, World Wide Technology (WWT), a tech services company based in St. Louis, agreed to acquire Canadian IT provider Softchoice for an estimated $1.25 billion. This deal marks one of the largest acquisitions of the year.
On the flip side, French food delivery startup Epicery ceased operations after nine years, citing challenges in the market and stiff competition.
In a new development, Thomson Reuters has acquired tax automation company SafeSend for $600 million in an all-cash transaction, marking one of the first major deals of 2025.
Meanwhile, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) opened an investigation into IBM’s planned acquisition of cloud software vendor HashiCorp, which is also being investigated by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
In other news, Accel has raised $650 million for its eighth India fund, deepening its focus on rural areas. The firm will see several Indian portfolio companies go public this year.
Lastly, Twenty VCs shared their predictions with TechCrunch on enterprise tech in 2025, including AI agents and the potential for more liquidity in M&As and public markets.
Source: techcrunch.com
