Computer & Communication Industry Association

Antitrust Enforcement Over-deters Acquisitions, Squeezing Smaller Startups and Venture Capital Investors

PublishedJanuary 24, 2025
Written By
  • Susan E. Woodward

A "process is the punishment" antitrust enforcement regime from mid-2021 through 2024 over-deterred acquisitions, significantly impacting venture-backed startups and venture capital investors. This "merger tax" led to a sharp decline in acquisitions of smaller startups that can't IPO. The result: reduced exit multiples, increased shutdowns, and constrained venture capital returns. This dynamic undermines innovation, particularly in AI startups, which comprised a third of venture capital deals in 2023, and risks broader economic and security risks from impaired U.S. tech leadership.

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Research
April 14, 2026

Considerations on Interference Impact in GEO-LEO Spectrum Sharing Systems

Modern Non-Geostationary Orbit (NGSO) satellite systems can safely coexist with Geostationary Orbit (GSO) networks under significantly relaxed interference limits, yet the ITU’s Equivalent Power ...

  • Space & Spectrum
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Research
April 13, 2026

DMA Impacts Suggest California’s Proposed SB 1074 BASED Act Will Be a Costly Failure

California's SB 1074 would impose DMA-analogous obligations while adding several additional cost drivers, including a private right of action, treble damages, and class action exposure that could m...

  • Digital Economy
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Research
April 9, 2026

O Conflito de Alto Impacto Envolvendo SEPs: Exercício de Poder Patentário, Seleção Estratégica de Foro e a Atuação dos Tribunais Brasileiros

  • Patents
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Research
April 9, 2026

The High-Stakes SEP Clash: Patent Leverage, Forum Shopping, and Brazil’s Courts

Standard Essential Patents (SEPs) are central to Brazil’s digital transformation. Yet the country’s legal and institutional framework has not evolved at the same pace. Today, Brazilian courts t...

  • Patents
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