Google is reportedly in talks about putting in an offer to acquire Hubspot.
The search giant has allegedly been in discussions with Morgan Stanley about how much it should offer to buy the online marketing software company, which is said to be valued at $35 billion. However, no offer has yet been made.
Why we care. Buying HubSpot would help Google expand its services in the growing CRM software market, enabling it to reach more enterprise customers with the budget to allocate to marketing and advertising.
Why now? Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai has been exploring new ways to accelerate growth after the tech giant reported lower-than-expected ad revenue in the fourth quarter of last year. Google Search and YouTube are also facing increased competition for advertising budgets from platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Amazon.com.
Antitrust concerns. Google is reportedly concerned that antitrust regulators may not approve the acquisition. If the acquisition is successful, it would be a significant deal amidst increasing privacy regulations under U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration.
What Hubspot is saying. A Hubspot spokesperson told Reuters:
- “As standard practice, HubSpot does not comment on rumors or speculation. We continue to focus on building a great business and serving our customers.”