Large firms, such as Google and Facebook, often use acquisitions as a tool to recruit top engineers, a process known as acqui-hiring.

The trend of large technology companies buying smaller startups has become a primary driver of innovation and a key strategy for corporate growth. Rather than developing new technologies internally, major firms often acquire startups to gain immediate access to innovative products and elite engineering talent. This shift, often described as "acqui-hiring," represents a change where large companies rely on external startups to innovate, treating acquisitions as a form of research and development.

Buying a proven startup is often faster and less risky than attempting to develop new, disruptive products in-house.