Deal activity by volume related to AI increased by 56% year‑on‑year in 2023 in the aerospace & defence industry

A​​​​​​​nalysis of the key themes driving deal activity reveals that AI accounted for 276 aerospace & defence deals between 2019 and 2023, worth a total value of $25.3bn, according to GlobalData’s Deals database covering mergers and acquisitions, private equity, venture financing, equity offerings and partnerships. 

The $500m private equity investment in QuEST Global Services by The Carlyle Group was the largest disclosed deal in 2023, while the $1.48bn venture financing secured by Anduril Industries from Marlinspike was the largest disclosed deal in 2022. 

In volume terms, AI related deal activity increased by 56% year-on-year in 2023 and decreased by 19% year-on-year in 2022. 

Venture Financing accounted for the highest number of deals in the last five years, with 139 deals, followed by Acquisition (58), Partnership (30), Equity Offering (21), Merger (12), and Private Equity (11), and Asset Transaction with 5 deals.

The top financial advisors supporting deals related to AI in the aerospace & defence industry in the last five years in terms of value were Goldman Sachs & Co, Evercore, Arena Strategic Advisors, Credit Suisse Group, Macquarie Group, Renaissance Strategic Advisors, Barclays, Credit Suisse Securities USA, Guggenheim Securities, and Houlihan Lokey.

The top legal advisors supporting deals related to AI in the aerospace & defence industry in the last five years in terms of value were Hogan Lovells US, Blake, Cassels & Graydon, Cravath Swaine & Moore, McGuire Woods, Sullivan & Cromwell, Alston & Bird, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, Hunton Andrews Kurth, Jones Day, and Milbank.