CROSS-CATEGORY: AI-Native Acquirers Swallowing Legacy SaaS Across 3+ Unrelated Sectors — Bain Confirms Half of Deal Value Is AI-Driven

Fintech Global·high signal

In April, SoundHound acquired LivePerson (messaging/support, $250M EV), following Zax.ai acquiring Quark Software (enterprise publishing, April 2) and OpenAI closing Promptfoo (AI security testing, March) — all following the same pattern: AI-native companies buying established software at steep discounts to peak valuations. Bain's 2026 M&A report confirms the trend is systemic, with nearly half of all strategic tech deal value now AI-driven and 80% of M&A executives planning to sustain or increase deal activity. The playbook: build AI capabilities, then acquire the customer base of the company you're replacing.