Post by Dundas

M&A in 2026 isn't about the $100B headlines or the "synergy" slides. It’s a talent war. The Math: Revenue multiples are dead. If you aren't showing real EBITDA or a path to it, nobody is opening their wallet. The Tech: Large firms are buying startups just to strip the engine. They don't want your UI; they want the 10 engineers who built the autonomous workflows they can't figure out internally. The Culture: This is where deals actually die. You can't smash a "move fast" dev team into a legacy corporate structure and expect them to stay. They'll vest, then they'll walk. In 2026, you're either the one consolidating the market or you're the one being harvested for parts.