Long-term bet
The buyer and target join forces to conduct long-term research into new AI applications aimed to accelerate growth of the overall business. Such deals include: Google-DeepMind, Intel-Nervana, Intel-Movidius; Microsoft-Lobe, Oracle-DataFox and Workday-Stories.bi.
Platform play
Buyer acquires virtual reality or other platforms to integrate and enhance existing AI capabilities, as demonstrated in transactions such as Facebook-Oculus, Apple-FlyBy Media and Amazon-Body Labs.
Core offering
Buyer aims to enhance its product offering with specific technology that could be a market mover for them. Examples include Apple-Realface, Juniper Networks-Mist, Avalara-Indix and Amazon-Kiva.
Talent acquisition
Buyer acquires target for its AI talent or intellectual property developed through AI, as evident in such deals as Apple-Init.ai and Facebook-Ozlo.
Analytics
Buyer acquires target for its analytics capabilities, such as in these deals: Apple-Turi, Apple-Laserlike, Google-API.ai, Google-Terraform Labs, SAP-Qualtrics, Salesforce-Datorama, Facebook-GrocStyle and Intel-Image processing technologies.