IMAP made a strong start to the year, closing 54 M&A deals worth more than $3.6 billion during Q1 2021. This figure is higher than the average posted during Q1-Q3 2020, suggesting that the rebound in market activity observed in Q4 2020, in which IMAP closed a record 83 deals, has carried over. As economies start to show signs of recovery, many IMAP partners are experiencing a ‘catch-up’ effect with transactions that were paused last year amid the crisis now back on the table and well-positioned buyers and sellers now firmly back in the market. In fact, numerous IMAP partners are fully expecting to have a record year, closing more deals than ever.
Deals were closed across 14 different sectors in Q1, with Technology, Healthcare, Consumer & Retail, and Building Products & Services the most represented. Momentum in the more COVID-resilient industries such as Technology, Education, Infrastructure and Healthcare is expected to continue, with strong appetite from both strategic buyers, as well as financial sponsors driving higher levels of activity compared to other sectors. We should point out that Technolgy and Healthcare, our two biggest sectors, now make up almost a third of our deal volume.
With nearly a quarter of IMAP’s deals in Q1 being cross-border, IMAP clients benefit from the combined expertise and experience of an integrated, seamless global team, which is not only industry knowledgeable, but relationship strong, having built-up key networks over the years including local buyers, counterparties, lenders, and investors.