M&A Insights

Prompt-first dealmaking and semantic search are streamlining due diligence, allowing M&A professionals to focus on strategic value rather than dredging through documents.

M&A and FDD advisors were crucial in bridging the Belgian market’s expectations amid higher demand and deal volumes this quarter.

Tailored W&I structures and synthetic warranties are changing the M&A landscape for Belgian entrepreneurs selling to private equity-backed consolidators, helping founders achieve a clean exit while maintaining deal certainty and transaction momentum.

M&A Community Belgium league tables reveal the PE firms topping Dealmakerdata.be this quarter and changing the ‘why’ behind dealmaking.

Co-founder Jorrit Willaert shares a preview of the Jurimesh W&I insurance guide and why it’s important for Belgian dealmakers.

According to Aon’s 2026 Transaction Solutions Global Claims Study, the ability to transfer risk directly to the insurance market has unlocked a massive segment of the Belgian mid-market.

As more organisations turn towards strategic M&A opportunities – rather than just chasing scale – there’s been a notable increase in dealmaking activity in Belgium’s legal industry as it tries to keep up with rising costs and regulations, especially around AI.

Why do some acquisitions create lasting value while others fail to deliver on expectations? According to brand strategist and author Stef Verbeeck, (BDO Pavlov) part of the answer may lie in factors that are often overlooked during the deal process: brand strategy, company culture, customer experience and other intangible assets.

DC Advisory’s latest European Debt Market Monitor highlights a challenging start to 2026 for the European Broadly Syndicated Loan (BSL) market.

Hope for a recovery in the private equity sector was once again dashed in the first half of 2026.

For M&A's involving Chinese operations, understanding PN7's implications and risk solutions is key.

The Benelux technology merger and acquisition market entered 2026 caught between momentum and caution, as geopolitical turbulence and capital market uncertainty tempered dealmaking.

The technology sector accounted for more than half of the total decline.

Private equity deal activity in the software sector across the US and Europe has sharply declined to its lowest level since 2020.

The Argos Index® by European investor Argus Fund showed a slight rebound in Q1 2026, rising 3.6 percent to 8.6x EBITDA after a prolonged decline that had brought it to its lowest level in over a decade.

A three-part approach to treasury in M&A, with each phase bringing its own challenges and opportunities.

The AI revolution is forcing senior leaders in M&A to make critical decisions under greater time pressure.

AI data rooms use semantic search, retrieval-augmented generation, and automated Q&A to transform how M&A deal teams work through due diligence. Traditional data rooms use keyword search and manual folder navigation. Here is the complete comparison – and why the gap is widening.

On Wednesday April 29 in Brussels, the 13th edition of Vlerick Business School’s M&A Monitor gathered Belgium’s top dealmakers to dissect a market in transition.

Insights from the Vlerick M&A Monitor 2026

This is your playbook for turning family values into global growth. Whether you’re a family business owner, investor, or M&A advisor, the insights in this whitepaper will help you avoid costly mistakes in international expansion, leverage ‘patient capital’ as a competitive edge, and build governance and financing strategies that align with long-term vision.

Research suggests that overconfident CEOs are as much as 65 percent more likely to make an acquisition than their more grounded peers.

While public markets reach new highs, private equity continues to face an unprecedented four-year slump in fundraising, deal activity, and exits. Yet according to Nils Rode, Chief Investment Officer at Schroders Capital, this prolonged downturn may not be all bad news.

Global PE deal activity remains robust, with a volume slightly below that of 2025.

A small economy that ranks ninth in European deal volume may be the clearest window yet into where the continent's transport sector is heading — and why the window for strategic positioning is narrowing.

According to Tony Yoseloff, head of the credit hedge fund Davidson Kempner, Wall Street is severely underestimating the challenges facing the private equity (PE) industry. This is not a future concern but an existing issue, reports The Financial Times.

The world of mergers and acquisitions is entering a new era. Despite geopolitical tensions and ongoing macroeconomic uncertainty, M&A activity is showing clear signs of recovery. But how are the world’s leading dealmakers navigating this volatility? And what strategies and mindsets are required to succeed in this evolving environment?

Private equity activity in the European defense sector is structurally higher than in the past decade.

This is your playbook for turning family values into global growth. Whether you’re a family business owner, investor, or M&A advisor, the insights in this whitepaper will help you avoid costly mistakes in international expansion, leverage ‘patient capital’ as a competitive edge, and build governance and financing strategies that align with long-term vision.

In the European SME market, access to capital and buyers is not the main constraint. Increasingly, the differentiator is readiness.

The Argos Index® fell to 8.3x EBITDA in Q4 2025, its lowest level since 2014, as European and Belgium’s mid-market M&A landscape faced persistent downward pressure on valuations.

Positive financial conditions within the sector are revitalizing deal activity.

Salary growth for professionals in the European private capital market remains subdued.

Looking to stay ahead in a rapidly evolving deal landscape? Vlerick Business School’s flagship M&A Conference returns with fresh insights, top-tier speakers and unmatched networking opportunities for investors, advisors and business leaders ready to shape their next move.

Which Belgian firms and dealmakers were most active in 2025? The League Tables provide insight into the leading players across M&A Advisory & Financial Due Diligence (FDD), Legal Advisory, and Private Equity.

The Dutch competition authority Autoriteit Consument en Markt (ACM) has once again urged lawmakers to give it greater powers to intervene in smaller mergers and acquisitions, warning that growing market concentration is undermining competition in the Netherlands.

After a cautious few years, global M&A is heading into 2026 with renewed confidence.

These are the top 5 risks for the world economy that threaten to negatively impact the M&A-market this year.

The global market for mergers and acquisitions reached 4.5 trillion dollars (4,500 billion) in 2025, the highest level since 2021 and almost 50 percent more than a year earlier.

The Belgian 2025 tax reform includes several measures which impact the Belgian M&A market and practice. This article highlights the main changes, their relevance, and some suggested recommendations.

According to PitchBook’s 2026 EMEA Private Capital Outlook, Europe’s corporate landscape is entering a new phase: by the end of 2026, the number of PE-backed companies is expected to reach 2.3 times the number of publicly listed firms—an all-time high.

The newly released Ansarada Global M&A 2026 Predictions Report offers a timely and forward-looking perspective for dealmakers in Belgium and beyond.

Van Lanschot Kempen publishes first Benelux Family Office Report, revealing a rapidly evolving and increasingly sophisticated sector.

Belgium’s food and beverage (F&B) sector is experiencing a solid revival in M&A activity, according to Deloitte’s latest Belgian Future of Food M&A Snapshot.

Mid-market company valuations in the euro area continued to fall in the third quarter of 2025, with the Argos Index® dropping 5.4 percent to 8.7× EBITDA – its lowest point since early 2017.

Europe’s private equity (PE), venture capital and infrastructure sectors are showing renewed confidence, according to the 2025 Pan-European Private Equity Market Sentiment Report published by Invest Europe and global consultancy Arthur D. Little.

The State of Belgian Tech Report 2025, published today by Syndicate One, Bain & Company, Sofina, and SFPIM, reveals a sharp slowdown in Belgian tech equity funding during the first half of 2025 – though early-stage investment continues to show remarkable resilience.

Belgium’s M&A market continues to show resilience in 2025, with deal activity remaining strong in the mid-market and private equity segments.

AI is fundamentally reshaping the world of consulting — including in M&A. For decades, the classic “pyramid” model dominated (large groups of juniors collecting data and building models, supported by a small top of senior partners). That model is now being undermined by AI.

Despite talk of a quiet M&A market, Belgian companies have been involved in a string of billion-euro transactions this year. From insurance and real estate to biotech, shipping, and frozen fries, the country’s corporate landscape has seen several landmark deals in 2025. Below we highlight the 10 biggest Belgian deals so far, based on data from Dealmakerdata.be.

For decades, the training ground for young M&A professionals consisted of long nights filled with Excel modeling, digging through market data, and organizing endless due diligence folders. This ‘monk’s work’ was seen as a necessary rite of passage for the next generation of dealmakers. But with the rise of artificial intelligence, this is changing rapidly.

According to the Financial Times, investors now really want their money back.

Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are inherently risky: research repeatedly shows that around 70 percent of them fail. But not all deals are the same: the ‘why’ behind the acquisition matters. Some synergies are simply easier to realize than others. The motive therefore largely explains the eventual success.

The IESBA warns that rising private equity stakes in accounting firms may compromise audit integrity and confidentiality.

Despite growing ambitions among women in M&A and professional services, bias and weak support structures continue to hamper their advancement, a new CIL report reveals.

Despite economic shocks and trade tensions, global M&A activity – especially in tech and finance – is proving more resilient than expected. Bain & Company's latest midyear report outlines how experienced leaders are using lessons from past crises to drive forward-looking dealmaking.

Private equity valuations in Europe showed only a modest increase in the first quarter of 2025, with the European Lincoln Private Market Index (Lincoln PMI) ticking up just +0.5 percent – its weakest performance since early 2022.

European mid-market firms accelerate climate action despite uncertainty, Argos-BCG Study Finds.

The first quarter of 2025 has shown that while the European debt markets can absorb volatility, the pace of deal-making remains restrained – particularly in the Benelux region. For M&A professionals navigating this evolving environment, there are both warning signs and windows of opportunity.

Private equity is a key driver of economic growth, and Belgium is making moves to strengthen its role in this space. With reforms to the Private Privak and new tax proposals for carried interest, the country aims to boost its competitiveness. But how does Belgium’s framework compare to neighbouring markets? This overview highlights the current landscape, key advantages, and the challenges still ahead.

On Wednesday, May 14, a large number of Belgian M&A professionals and investors gathered at Vlerick Business School for the annual presentation of the Belgian M&A Monitor. Led by Professor Mathieu Luypaert of the Centre for Mergers, Acquisitions and Buyouts, the report captures the collective insight of 156 Belgian M&A professionals, shedding light on recent trends, market sentiment, and deal-making dynamics across the country.

The Argos Index®, a key measure of mid-market company valuations in Europe, dropped 3 percent in the first quarter of 2025 to 9.5x EBITDA, reversing the modest recovery seen in 2024.

Private equity continues to dominate mid-market M&A across Europe, yet 2025 has begun with unmistakable headwinds – also in the Benelux region.

Killian McCarthy is a Professor of Strategy at Radboud University. He has studied the performance of more than 500,000 mergers and acquisitions and, in this series of articles, highlights some of the key factors behind their success and failure.

This article presents an overview of key developments and trends in the M&A insurance market during the first quarter of 2025.

In the management classic ‘Never Split the Difference’ by Chris Voss, the former FBI negotiator argues that to be a top negotiator, above all, you need a deep understanding of human emotions – and the ability to use that knowledge effectively.

Some of the biggest M&A deals turned into financial nightmares due to undiscovered cyber risks. Why do cybersecurity blind spots still slip through due diligence, jeopardizing billion-dollar deals? And more importantly, can cyber risk management become a strategic advantage instead of a costly oversight?

The European mergers and acquisitions (M&A) market remained strong in 2024 despite ongoing political and economic challenges.

Insights from PwC's Global Family Office Deals Study 2025 for Belgium.

Commercial due diligence is developing from 'nice to have' to 'must have'.

The European debt market saw a resurgence in 2024, with institutional loan issuance reaching a record-breaking 207 billion euros, surpassing the previous peak of 158 billion euros in 2017.

The UK, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark provide a winning formula that Belgium should adopt.

In a dynamic market: Risk management in M&A through selective targeting and in-depth due diligence.

The M&A landscape for the upcoming year is set to face significant challenges, as highlighted by insights from the M&A Trend Survey Benelux 2024/2025 from M&A and Ansarada.

Optimal integration practices after acquisitions are still more of an exception than the rule.

After several years of macroeconomic uncertainty, rising interest rates, and geopolitical volatility, 2024 set the stage for recovery in Europe’s M&A market. With financial pressures easing and dealmakers returning to the table, 2025 is poised to be a defining year.

In today’s digital age, technology and cybersecurity can make or break a transaction. But how do investors truly assess these risks and turn them into value?

For dealmakers aiming to drive acquisition success, a number of priorities stand out as essential.

Not cultural clashes, but an overestimation of synergies is the greatest challenge in value creation.

After several years of macroeconomic uncertainty, rising interest rates, and geopolitical volatility, 2024 set the stage for recovery in Europe’s M&A market. With financial pressures easing and dealmakers returning to the table, 2025 is poised to be a defining year. 

Acquisitions following this strategy can, according to research, achieve up to fifteen percent more growth.

Warranty & Indemnity (W&I) insurance has become an essential tool in M&A transactions, helping buyers secure confidence in their investments.

Valuations in the Benelux M&A market set to hold steady over the next 12 months.

A great majority of respondents expect ICT & Technology to be the sector with the most deals.

Argos Index® Q4 2024 report shows valuation growth despite economic uncertainty.

The answer given by Benelux dealmakers is surprising…

Which countries do dealmakers find most and least challenging to deal with in cross-border deals?

The M&A (mergers and acquisitions) market is expected to regain momentum in 2025.

The new podcast series ‘M&A Dossier’ delves into the fascinating world of mergers and acquisitions.

Six top experts on developments in the biotech sector.

How to succeed in cross-border dealmaking? These are the most important factors.

Key findings from Eight Advisory’s post-merger integration survey.

It is called 'culture eats strategy for breakfast'. This also often seems to be the case with cross-border M&A.

The tipping point for AI, consolidation in the mid-market and other M&A trends for 2025.

For private equity investors, the brakes can be released in the recommended year.

Insights and predictions from Benelux top dealmakers.

The Benelux M&A market is poised for an active year in 2025, with varying expectations across different types of corporate deal activity.

Exit activity up as dealmakers turn increasingly bullish in 2025, predicts Moonfare

The majority of Benelux dealmakers expect a small increase in deal volume in the coming year.