The US continues to favour the UK for European investment
United States
Sweden
Australia
France
Portugal
Poland
Ireland
Germany
Canada
Belguim
In 2023, the top nation involved in high-growth M&A deals of companies in South East England was, unsurprisingly, the United Kingdom with 107 acquisitions. Outside the UK, the US participated in the most acquisitions, with companies in the US involved in the acquisition of nine companies headquartered in the South East.
The US was followed by Swedish and Australian companies with three acquisitions in 2023 and France with two.
"The UK is often seen as a prime destination for US firms to begin their international expansion, given the proximity to the rest of Europe, the lack of language barriers and, more recently, a favourable exchange rate, and regularly tops acquisition rankings across sectors and geographies."
Salim Somjee, Partner, Corporate
Technology
Kiteworks' acquisition of Maytech (2023)
Headquartered in Tunbridge Wells Kent, Maytech offers secure data transfers for government, financial and commercial organisation spanning 60 industries in 35 countries. In autumn 2023, the company was acquired by private equity-backed Accellion, which is based in California and trades under the name "Kiteworks".