Acquire to Kill (M&A)
The acquisition of competing or adjacent companies with the primary intent to discontinue their products, neutralize potential threats, or eliminate future competition.
Execution Patterns
Silent Shutdown Post-Acquisition
Maintaining minimal communication following acquisition before quietly discontinuing the acquired product or service.
Market Preemption
Acquiring early-stage or fast-scaling competitors to prevent them from capturing key market segments or investor attention.
Patent & Talent Absorption
Targeting companies primarily for their intellectual property or teams, with no intent to continue their product lines.
Regulatory Delay Usage
Timing acquisitions to avoid antitrust scrutiny or exploit lag in enforcement during strategic industry rollups.