A little over two years ago, Technical.ly wrote a list looking at the biggest tech acquisitions in the Baltimore area since 2001. Now, we’re giving it an update and taking stock of the big moves the Baltimore tech scene has witnessed since 2013.
(Curious about the rest of the East Coast’s tech exits? Check out the history of major Delaware and Philadelphia deals, too.)
1. Micros Systems acquired by Oracle (December 2014)
- In what was hailed as the biggest tech acquisition of 2014 by the Baltimore Business Journal, Oracle purchased the point-of-sale and IT firm Mircos Systems for $5.3 billion last December. Some of Micro System’s customers include Burger King, Panera and big-name hotel chains. Despite the splashy acquisition, Micros still maintains a major presence in Columbia, Md.
2. Millennial Media acquired by AOL (September 2015)
- One of the bigger moves the area has seen since AOL purchased Advertising.com, Millennial Media was acquired by AOL in a deal worth $238 million. The exit followed a summer of speculation and raised questions about whether Baltimore could become an adtech hub following Verizon’s purchase of AOL. Together, AOL and Millennial Media employ over 400 people. Recently, an SEC filing revealed AOL plans to lay off 18 high-level Millennial execs, including CEO Michael Barrett. On Oct. 23, the acquisition became officially complete.
3. OrderUp acquired by Groupon (July 2015)
- The online coupon and deals company purchased OrderUp for $69 million in cash in July 2015. Founded by Chris Jeffery and Jason Kwicien, OrderUp is headquartered in the Can Company Building and will remain a standalone brand after the acquisition. The purchase gave OrderUp access to Groupon’s active user base of 25 million and will help Groupon compete with food delivery companies like GrubHub. Orderup had a Series A fundraising round of $7 million in 2014.
4. AirPatrol Corp. acquired by Sysorex Global Holdings Corp. (April 2014)
- The local cybersecurity firm was bought by Silicon Valley company Sysorex for cash and common stock worth at least $20 million in the spring of 2015. Based in Howard County, AirPatrol had 12 full-time employees and 25 people employed worldwide. Maintaining its management and operations, AirPatrol became a subsidiary of Sysorex in the deal, according to the Baltimore Business Journal.
5. Roomtag acquired by Asure Software Inc. (August 2014)
- Founded by Marcia Hart, Roomtag created software to track office square footage for commercial spaces and provide digital floorplans to companies. Asure Software bought the startup for just under $1.7 million in August 2014.
6. Curiosityville acquired by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (May 2014)
- Curiosityville was an edtech startup offering a subscription-based online education platform targeted at 3-8-year-olds. The company, which had five employees, was a Emerging Technology Centers member and based in Cockeysville. According to founder Susan Magsamen, the startup raised $300,000 in 2011 and $2 million in 2012. In 2014, education publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt acquired Curiosityville for an undisclosed amount.
7. Cynergy acquired by KPMG (March 2014)
- Cynergy, a mobile and web development company, was purchased by the tax and audit firm KPMG for an undisclosed amount in 2014. KPMG’s Lynne Doughtie said the acquisition “enhances our ability to use digital and mobile technologies to transform our clients’ business processes and customer engagement,” according to the Baltimore CityBizList.
8. Mediaglu acquired by AppNexus (December 2014)
- In another big adtech move for Baltimore, the online advertising company AppNexus acquired Mediaglu for an undisclosed amount. Mediaglu, which specializes in technology that tracks views across multiple devices, will stay in Baltimore and its offices will become a base for AppNexus expansion.
