In 2024, U.S.-based startups have seen a resurgence in megadeals, with nearly 240 funding rounds of $100 million or more announced, surpassing the total of 210 rounds raised throughout all of 2023, according to the Crunchbase Megadeals Board. This uptick in significant funding comes despite a broader slowdown in venture capital activity. Additionally, mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in the venture capital-backed software-as-a-service (SaaS) sector have surged to $17.7 billion in the first half of 2024. A report on startup acquisitions reveals that Alphabet leads with 222 acquisitions valued at $16.6 billion, followed by Microsoft with 140 acquisitions totaling $50.1 billion, and Cisco with 134 acquisitions valued at $59.8 billion, among others.