Acquisition announcement press release template (2026)

When to use this template

Use this template when you are announcing an acquisition to the market. The deal should be closed or near closing (within two weeks). Both companies must agree on the facts, the messaging and the timing. You have the closing date, the deal structure, the strategic rationale and clarity on what happens to the target team and product. If closing is still months away, embargo the release until one week before.

The copy-paste template

Replace the bracketed fields with your facts. Keep the structure: headline, dateline, lead, target background, integration plan, acquirer quote, target quote, boilerplates, dual contact. This is the format investors and journalists expect.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

{ACQUIRER_NAME} Acquires {TARGET_NAME} to Add {STRATEGIC_CAPABILITY} to {DIVISION_OR_PRODUCT}

{CITY}, {COUNTRY}, {MONTH} {DAY}, {YEAR} - {ACQUIRER_NAME}, the {ACQUIRER_DESCRIPTION}, today announced it has acquired {TARGET_NAME}, a {EMPLOYEE_COUNT} person {TARGET_DESCRIPTION} company based in {TARGET_CITY}. The acquisition, which closed on {CLOSING_DATE}, will bring {TARGET_NAME}'s {CORE_PRODUCT_CAPABILITY} into {ACQUIRER_NAME}'s {PRODUCT_LINE} by {INTEGRATION_TIMELINE}. {DEAL_STRUCTURE_STATEMENT}.

{TARGET_NAME} was founded in {FOUNDING_YEAR} and has served {CUSTOMER_COUNT} customers in {GEOGRAPHIES}. The company developed {KEY_TECHNOLOGY}, a {PRODUCT_CAPABILITY} that complements {ACQUIRER_NAME}'s existing platform. All {EMPLOYEE_COUNT} {TARGET_NAME} employees will join {ACQUIRER_NAME}.

"The {MARKET_SEGMENT} is moving toward {MARKET_TREND}, and {TARGET_NAME}'s {PRODUCT_STRENGTH} is exactly what {ACQUIRER_NAME} needed to deliver on that vision," said {ACQUIRER_CEO_NAME}, CEO of {ACQUIRER_NAME}. "We are excited to integrate {TARGET_NAME} into our product roadmap and bring its capabilities to our {CUSTOMER_COUNT} customers."

"Joining {ACQUIRER_NAME} is the perfect next step for {TARGET_NAME}," said {TARGET_CEO_NAME}, CEO and co-founder of {TARGET_NAME}. "Together, we will be able to serve customers faster and build products at a scale we could not achieve independently."

About {ACQUIRER_NAME}
{ACQUIRER_NAME} is a {PRODUCT_DESCRIPTION} headquartered in {ACQUIRER_CITY}, {COUNTRY}. Founded in {ACQUIRER_FOUNDING_YEAR}, {ACQUIRER_NAME} serves {CUSTOMER_COUNT} customers and employs {EMPLOYEE_COUNT} people across {GEOGRAPHIES}. {ADDITIONAL_CONTEXT}.

About {TARGET_NAME}
{TARGET_NAME} is a {TARGET_PRODUCT_DESCRIPTION} based in {TARGET_CITY}, {COUNTRY}. The company was founded in {FOUNDING_YEAR} and developed {CORE_TECHNOLOGY}.

Media Contact (Acquirer)
{ACQUIRER_CONTACT_NAME}, {CONTACT_TITLE}
{ACQUIRER_NAME}
{ACQUIRER_EMAIL}
{ACQUIRER_PHONE}

Media Contact (Target)
{TARGET_CONTACT_NAME}, {CONTACT_TITLE}
{TARGET_NAME}
{TARGET_EMAIL}
{TARGET_PHONE}

What this template includes

• Headline with acquirer, target and strategic capability added.
• Dateline with city, country, date in standard format.
• Lead paragraph naming both companies, closing date and integration timeline.
• Target background paragraph with founding year, customer count and core product.
• Integration plan paragraph explaining what happens to team, product and brand.
• Acquirer CEO quote on strategic fit and market opportunity, under 40 words.
• Target CEO quote affirming the deal and the partnership, under 40 words.
• Boilerplate for acquirer (what they do, customer count, employees, location).
• Boilerplate for target (what they do, founding year, core technology).
• Two media contacts (one per company) with name, title, email and phone.

How to customize in 5 steps

1. Gather the facts. Collect the acquisition closing date, deal structure (cash, stock, mix), price if disclosed, both company names, customer counts, employee counts, and the strategic rationale (product, market, talent). If the price is undisclosed, say so explicitly. If closing is pending, say "expected to close in {timeframe}."
2. Write the headline under 100 characters. Format: "{Acquirer} acquires {Target} to add {capability} to {division}." Example: "Acme acquires Beta to add contract intelligence to its procurement suite." Lead with the acquirer (not the target) and name the strategic benefit.
3. Draft the lead paragraph. Answer the five Ws in 60 words. Who (both company names), what (acquisition, integration plan), when (closing date), where (geographies), why (strategic rationale: what capability or market the acquirer is adding). A journalist should be able to file a brief from the lead alone.
4. Add target background and integration plan. One paragraph on what the target company does, how many customers it has, and what it will add to the acquirer. One paragraph on how the integration will work (brand, team, product timeline). Be specific about what happens to the target team and product.
5. Add two quotes and close. One quote from the acquirer CEO (40 words, on the strategic fit and market opportunity). One quote from the target CEO (40 words, affirming the deal and the partnership). Then boilerplates for both companies and press contacts for both sides.

3 examples in the wild

Real acquisition announcements from companies that nailed the format:

• Stripe acquires Paystack (2020): The release led with Stripe's strategy (expanding into Africa) and what Paystack added (local payment expertise). It addressed the Paystack team (staying on) and the product (operating independently). Clear, tight and 350 words. It drove coverage from TechCrunch, Forbes and The Information.
• Back Market acquires Swapbox (2021): Back Market announced it was acquiring Swapbox to add data recovery and hardware testing to its refurbished electronics platform. The release named both CEOs, stated the strategic rationale and confirmed that the Swapbox team would stay. This clarity reduced uncertainty and drove positive coverage.
• Doctolib acquires Classiply (2020): Doctolib announced the acquisition with a focus on what Classiply's technology (appointment scheduling optimization) would add to the platform. The release confirmed that all employees would join Doctolib and that the product would be integrated into the main platform within six months.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Vague strategic rationale. "Enhancing our platform" tells journalists nothing. Say "adding contract intelligence to our procurement workflow" or "expanding into the German market."
• Silence on the target team. Do not announce an acquisition without saying what happens to the target employees. "All 20 employees will join Acme" kills uncertainty and reduces turnover.
• Silence on the target product. Will it be integrated, branded separately or shut down? Say so explicitly. Customers need to know what happens next.
• Both CEOs quote identically. The acquirer CEO should talk about strategy and vision. The target CEO should affirm the deal and speak to the partnership. Different voices, different purposes.
• Over 500 words. Long acquisitions releases get deleted. Aim for 350 to 400. If you have more to say, issue a separate investor update.
• Only one media contact. Provide one contact from the acquirer and one from the target. Journalists will want to speak to both sides.

Related templates

• Series A announcement press release template
• Partnership press release template
• Product launch press release template
• How to distribute a press release after you write it

Frequently asked questions