<div class="gn-article"><div class="gn-hero gn-reveal"> <div class="gn-hero__image"><img src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/687a235da6861294eec73166/69fa709e015a7e499a2c902e_mergers-feb-2026-banner-69b0310a57644376212372.jpeg" alt=""></div> <div class="gn-hero__head"> <span class="gn-kicker"><span class="dot"></span>Intelligence</span> <h1 class="gn-title">Mergers &amp; Acquisitions: Round-Up: January 2026</h1> <div class="gn-meta"> <strong>The GO Network</strong> <span class="pip"></span> <span>26 January 2026</span> <span class="pip"></span> <span>5 min read</span> </div> </div> </div> <div class="gn-body"> <div class="gn-list-item gn-reveal"> <div class="gn-list-item__head"> <span class="gn-list-item__num">#01</span> <h3 class="gn-list-item__title">Next plc acquires Russell &amp; Bromley out of administration</h3> </div> <div class="gn-list-item__meta"> <span class="gn-list-item__pill"><strong>Brand:</strong> Next plc; Russell &amp; Bromley</span> <span class="gn-list-item__pill"><strong>Sector:</strong> Retail / Footwear</span> <span class="gn-list-item__pill"><strong>Type:</strong> Acquisition</span> </div> <p class="gn-reveal">Next plc acquired the assets of British footwear brand Russell &amp; Bromley from administrators for £2.5m in cash plus £1.3m for stock. The deal includes the brand's intellectual property and the transfer of three key stores into Next's Total Platform retail infrastructure.</p> <p class="gn-reveal">Distressed brand acquisitions often lead to repositioning, digital relaunch strategies and platform-led retail marketing initiatives.</p> <figure class="gn-fig gn-reveal"> <div class="gn-fig__media"><img src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/687a235da6861294eec73166/69fcb1d1ddaf2ab198e29d0c_69fcb1c8238d517845d75e13_russell-bromley-hampstead-001-1-scaled-69b0310c2573e697055905.jpeg" alt="Russell &amp; Bromley store" style="width: 100%; height: auto; cursor: pointer;" /></div> <figcaption>Russell &amp; Bromley, acquired by Next plc from administrators. Published: January 2026. Source: BBC News.</figcaption> </figure> </div> <div class="gn-list-item gn-reveal"> <div class="gn-list-item__head"> <span class="gn-list-item__num">#02</span> <h3 class="gn-list-item__title">Cake Box Holdings acquires Ambala Foods for £22m</h3> </div> <div class="gn-list-item__meta"> <span class="gn-list-item__pill"><strong>Brand:</strong> Cake Box Holdings plc; Ambala Foods Limited</span> <span class="gn-list-item__pill"><strong>Sector:</strong> Food &amp; Beverage</span> <span class="gn-list-item__pill"><strong>Type:</strong> Acquisition</span> </div> <p class="gn-reveal">Cake Box Holdings completed the £22m acquisition of Asian sweets manufacturer Ambala Foods as part of a strategy to diversify its product portfolio and expand into the ethnic confectionery market. The deal adds Ambala's manufacturing capabilities and heritage brand to Cake Box's retail network.</p> <p class="gn-reveal">Consolidation within specialist food sectors often creates opportunities for brand modernisation, retail storytelling and multi-channel marketing.</p> <figure class="gn-fig gn-reveal"> <div class="gn-fig__media"><img src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/687a235da6861294eec73166/69fcb1d0ddaf2ab198e29ceb_69fcb1c9f82008235ce77241_cake-box-69b0310c235b8489845444.jpeg" alt="Cake Box Holdings" style="width: 100%; height: auto; cursor: pointer;" /></div> <figcaption>Cake Box Holdings acquires Ambala Foods. Published: January 2026. Source: Insider Media.</figcaption> </figure> </div> <div class="gn-list-item gn-reveal"> <div class="gn-list-item__head"> <span class="gn-list-item__num">#03</span> <h3 class="gn-list-item__title">DS Smith and International Paper complete £5.8bn global packaging merger</h3> </div> <div class="gn-list-item__meta"> <span class="gn-list-item__pill"><strong>Brand:</strong> DS Smith Plc; International Paper Company</span> <span class="gn-list-item__pill"><strong>Sector:</strong> Packaging &amp; Manufacturing</span> <span class="gn-list-item__pill"><strong>Type:</strong> Merger</span> </div> <p class="gn-reveal">UK packaging group DS Smith completed its £5.8bn all-share merger with US giant International Paper, creating one of the world's largest sustainable packaging businesses with operations across Europe and North America. The deal significantly expands the combined group's global scale and manufacturing footprint.</p> <p class="gn-reveal">Integration of the two organisations is likely to trigger global brand alignment, sustainability positioning and consolidation of creative, communications and marketing partnerships.</p> <figure class="gn-fig gn-reveal"> <div class="gn-fig__media"><img src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/687a235da6861294eec73166/69fcb1d0ddaf2ab198e29ce0_69fcb1c9c36b6056709a0e90_ds-smith-and-international-paper-69b0310c66093337596980.jpeg" alt="DS Smith and International Paper" style="width: 100%; height: auto; cursor: pointer;" /></div> <figcaption>DS Smith and International Paper complete £5.8bn merger. Published: January 2026. Source: Financial Times.</figcaption> </figure> </div> <div class="gn-list-item gn-reveal"> <div class="gn-list-item__head"> <span class="gn-list-item__num">#04</span> <h3 class="gn-list-item__title">Accenture acquires London AI consultancy Faculty</h3> </div> <div class="gn-list-item__meta"> <span class="gn-list-item__pill"><strong>Brand:</strong> Accenture; Faculty</span> <span class="gn-list-item__pill"><strong>Sector:</strong> Technology &amp; Professional Services</span> <span class="gn-list-item__pill"><strong>Type:</strong> Acquisition</span> </div> <p class="gn-reveal">Accenture acquired London-based artificial intelligence consultancy Faculty in a deal reported at around $1bn, integrating the company's AI research and engineering capabilities into its global consulting network. Faculty has worked with major government and enterprise clients on data science and machine learning projects.</p> <p class="gn-reveal">The move highlights the growing strategic importance of AI transformation services and will likely intensify demand for B2B technology marketing, thought leadership and capability positioning.</p> <figure class="gn-fig gn-reveal"> <div class="gn-fig__media"><img src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/687a235da6861294eec73166/69fcb1d1ddaf2ab198e29cfa_69fcb1ca5fd32ca086754f52_accenture-69b0310be942e932992007.jpeg" alt="Accenture" style="width: 100%; height: auto; cursor: pointer;" /></div> <figcaption>Accenture acquires London AI consultancy Faculty. Published: January 2026. Source: Business Insider.</figcaption> </figure> </div> <div class="gn-list-item gn-reveal"> <div class="gn-list-item__head"> <span class="gn-list-item__num">#05</span> <h3 class="gn-list-item__title">Salesforce acquires AI automation startup Convergence.ai</h3> </div> <div class="gn-list-item__meta"> <span class="gn-list-item__pill"><strong>Brand:</strong> Salesforce; Convergence.ai</span> <span class="gn-list-item__pill"><strong>Sector:</strong> Software &amp; Technology</span> <span class="gn-list-item__pill"><strong>Type:</strong> Acquisition</span> </div> <p class="gn-reveal">Salesforce acquired London-based startup Convergence.ai, a developer of AI agents designed to automate digital workflows and enterprise processes. The technology will be integrated into Salesforce's expanding AI-driven CRM ecosystem.</p> <p class="gn-reveal">Agencies supporting Salesforce clients may see growing demand for AI-enabled CRM strategy, automation messaging and platform-led marketing services.</p> <figure class="gn-fig gn-reveal"> <div class="gn-fig__media"><img src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/687a235da6861294eec73166/69fcb1d1ddaf2ab198e29d04_69fcb1cb341e22c6faa9e240_salesforce-69b0310c2e560016138364.jpeg" alt="Salesforce" style="width: 100%; height: auto; cursor: pointer;" /></div> <figcaption>Salesforce acquires London-based AI startup Convergence.ai. Published: January 2026. Source: Sky News.</figcaption> </figure> </div> <div class="gn-list-item gn-reveal"> <div class="gn-list-item__head"> <span class="gn-list-item__num">#06</span> <h3 class="gn-list-item__title">VertiGIS launches £87.1m public-to-private takeover of 1Spatial</h3> </div> <div class="gn-list-item__meta"> <span class="gn-list-item__pill"><strong>Brand:</strong> VertiGIS Ltd; 1Spatial plc</span> <span class="gn-list-item__pill"><strong>Sector:</strong> Technology / Data Software</span> <span class="gn-list-item__pill"><strong>Type:</strong> Acquisition</span> </div> <p class="gn-reveal">VertiGIS launched a recommended £87.1m cash offer to acquire Cambridge-based geospatial data management specialist 1Spatial. The transaction will see the AIM-listed company delist as it transitions into private ownership under the spatial asset management platform.</p> <p class="gn-reveal">Consolidation within geospatial and infrastructure data markets may increase demand for B2B technology branding and data-driven communications.</p> <figure class="gn-fig gn-reveal"> <div class="gn-fig__media"><img src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/687a235da6861294eec73166/69fcb1d1ddaf2ab198e29d10_69fcb1cb1a476cbc93542e93_vertigis-69b0310c36377195305999.jpeg" alt="VertiGIS" style="width: 100%; height: auto; cursor: pointer;" /></div> <figcaption>VertiGIS launches £87.1m takeover of 1Spatial. Published: January 2026. Source: Reuters.</figcaption> </figure> </div> <div class="gn-list-item gn-reveal"> <div class="gn-list-item__head"> <span class="gn-list-item__num">#07</span> <h3 class="gn-list-item__title">OEP Capital Advisers agrees £251m take-private of Kitwave Group</h3> </div> <div class="gn-list-item__meta"> <span class="gn-list-item__pill"><strong>Brand:</strong> OEP Capital Advisers; Kitwave Group plc</span> <span class="gn-list-item__pill"><strong>Sector:</strong> Wholesale &amp; Distribution</span> <span class="gn-list-item__pill"><strong>Type:</strong> Acquisition</span> </div> <p class="gn-reveal">Private equity firm OEP Capital Advisers agreed a £251m recommended cash offer to acquire UK food wholesale distributor Kitwave Group. The deal will take the company private after a period of growth since its 2021 stock market listing.</p> <p class="gn-reveal">Private equity ownership often precedes operational transformation and expansion strategies, creating opportunities for B2B marketing, CRM and digital communications support.</p> <figure class="gn-fig gn-reveal"> <div class="gn-fig__media"><img src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/687a235da6861294eec73166/69fcb1d1ddaf2ab198e29cf6_69fcb1cc42d55fc6ac2aeb96_oep-capital-advisers-69b0310bdfcb9887463026.jpeg" alt="OEP Capital Advisers" style="width: 100%; height: auto; cursor: pointer;" /></div> <figcaption>OEP Capital Advisers agrees £251m take-private of Kitwave Group. Published: January 2026. Source: Financial Times.</figcaption> </figure> </div> <div class="gn-list-item gn-reveal"> <div class="gn-list-item__head"> <span class="gn-list-item__num">#08</span> <h3 class="gn-list-item__title">British Land launches £150m takeover of Life Science REIT</h3> </div> <div class="gn-list-item__meta"> <span class="gn-list-item__pill"><strong>Brand:</strong> The British Land Company PLC; Life Science REIT plc</span> <span class="gn-list-item__pill"><strong>Sector:</strong> Real Estate</span> <span class="gn-list-item__pill"><strong>Type:</strong> Acquisition</span> </div> <p class="gn-reveal">British Land made a recommended £150m cash-and-share offer to acquire Life Science REIT, strengthening its position in the UK's rapidly growing laboratory and research property market. The assets are concentrated across the Oxford-Cambridge-London life sciences corridor.</p> <p class="gn-reveal">Growth of science and innovation clusters typically drives placemaking campaigns, investor communications and regional brand positioning.</p> <figure class="gn-fig gn-reveal"> <div class="gn-fig__media"><img src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/687a235da6861294eec73166/69fcb1d1ddaf2ab198e29cfd_69fcb1ccbf36b877e701c735_british-land-69b0310bd4ccc357031955.jpeg" alt="British Land" style="width: 100%; height: auto; cursor: pointer;" /></div> <figcaption>British Land launches £150m takeover of Life Science REIT. Published: January 2026. Source: Bloomberg.</figcaption> </figure> </div> <div class="gn-list-item gn-reveal"> <div class="gn-list-item__head"> <span class="gn-list-item__num">#09</span> <h3 class="gn-list-item__title">Lloyds Banking Group acquires fintech platform Moneyhub</h3> </div> <div class="gn-list-item__meta"> <span class="gn-list-item__pill"><strong>Brand:</strong> Lloyds Banking Group; Moneyhub</span> <span class="gn-list-item__pill"><strong>Sector:</strong> Financial Services / Fintech</span> <span class="gn-list-item__pill"><strong>Type:</strong> Acquisition</span> </div> <p class="gn-reveal">Lloyds Banking Group acquired UK open-finance platform Moneyhub to accelerate its digital banking and data personalisation strategy. The technology enables secure financial data aggregation and enhanced customer insights.</p> <p class="gn-reveal">The deal highlights the banking sector's focus on data-driven customer engagement, increasing demand for CRM strategy and personalised communications.</p> <figure class="gn-fig gn-reveal"> <div class="gn-fig__media"><img src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/687a235da6861294eec73166/69fcb1d0ddaf2ab198e29ce4_69fcb1cdc9bd61c55a01fd65_lloyds-banking-group-69b0310b9c17b138295339.jpeg" alt="Lloyds Banking Group" style="width: 100%; height: auto; cursor: pointer;" /></div> <figcaption>Lloyds Banking Group acquires open-finance platform Moneyhub. Published: January 2026. Source: Sky News.</figcaption> </figure> </div> <div class="gn-list-item gn-reveal"> <div class="gn-list-item__head"> <span class="gn-list-item__num">#10</span> <h3 class="gn-list-item__title">Unite Group completes acquisition of Empiric Student Property</h3> </div> <div class="gn-list-item__meta"> <span class="gn-list-item__pill"><strong>Brand:</strong> Unite Group; Empiric Student Property</span> <span class="gn-list-item__pill"><strong>Sector:</strong> Property / Student Accommodation</span> <span class="gn-list-item__pill"><strong>Type:</strong> Acquisition</span> </div> <p class="gn-reveal">Unite Group completed its acquisition of Empiric Student Property, expanding its portfolio of premium student accommodation across the UK. The deal consolidates Unite's position as a leading operator in the purpose-built student housing market.</p> <p class="gn-reveal">Integration of the enlarged portfolio may lead to placemaking initiatives, student-focused brand campaigns and digital engagement strategies.</p> <figure class="gn-fig gn-reveal"> <div class="gn-fig__media"><img src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/687a235da6861294eec73166/69fcb1d1ddaf2ab198e29d14_69fcb1ce7cc9aac8d92fe45e_unite-group-69b0310cba068924173674.jpeg" alt="Unite Group" style="width: 100%; height: auto; cursor: pointer;" /></div> <figcaption>Unite Group completes acquisition of Empiric Student Property. Published: January 2026. Source: City A.M.</figcaption> </figure> </div> <div class="gn-list-item gn-reveal"> <div class="gn-list-item__head"> <span class="gn-list-item__num">#11</span> <h3 class="gn-list-item__title">Future plc acquires luxury lifestyle publisher SheerLuxe</h3> </div> <div class="gn-list-item__meta"> <span class="gn-list-item__pill"><strong>Brand:</strong> Future plc; SheerLuxe; BLUSH Talent MGMT</span> <span class="gn-list-item__pill"><strong>Sector:</strong> Media &amp; Publishing</span> <span class="gn-list-item__pill"><strong>Type:</strong> Acquisition</span> </div> <p class="gn-reveal">Future plc acquired premium lifestyle media brand SheerLuxe alongside its influencer talent management division BLUSH Talent MGMT. The deal expands Future's reach across commerce-driven editorial, events and creator-led media.</p> <p class="gn-reveal">The acquisition reflects continued growth of the creator economy, increasing demand for influencer partnerships, branded content and integrated media strategies.</p> <figure class="gn-fig gn-reveal"> <div class="gn-fig__media"><img src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/687a235da6861294eec73166/69fcb1d0ddaf2ab198e29cef_69fcb1ce0ddeb0aecece77fe_sheerluxe-69b0310bdc48c128110401.webp" alt="SheerLuxe" style="width: 100%; height: auto; cursor: pointer;" /></div> <figcaption>Future plc acquires SheerLuxe and BLUSH Talent MGMT. Published: January 2026. Source: Sifted.</figcaption> </figure> </div> <div class="gn-list-item gn-reveal"> <div class="gn-list-item__head"> <span class="gn-list-item__num">#12</span> <h3 class="gn-list-item__title">Computacenter acquires digital consultancy AgreeYa Solutions</h3> </div> <div class="gn-list-item__meta"> <span class="gn-list-item__pill"><strong>Brand:</strong> Computacenter; AgreeYa Solutions</span> <span class="gn-list-item__pill"><strong>Sector:</strong> Technology Services / IT Consulting</span> <span class="gn-list-item__pill"><strong>Type:</strong> Acquisition</span> </div> <p class="gn-reveal">Computacenter agreed to acquire AgreeYa Solutions and associated assets for an enterprise value of up to $120m. The transaction strengthens Computacenter's consulting and digital transformation capabilities for enterprise clients.</p> <p class="gn-reveal">Expanded consulting services often require stronger capability marketing, employer branding and enterprise positioning.</p> <figure class="gn-fig gn-reveal"> <div class="gn-fig__media"><img src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/687a235da6861294eec73166/69fcb1d1ddaf2ab198e29d01_69fcb1cffa942b98b582fce8_computacenter-69b0310c71173430004072.webp" alt="Computacenter" style="width: 100%; height: auto; cursor: pointer;" /></div> <figcaption>Computacenter acquires AgreeYa Solutions. Published: January 2026. Source: BusinessCloud.</figcaption> </figure> </div> <div class="gn-list-item gn-reveal"> <div class="gn-list-item__head"> <span class="gn-list-item__num">#13</span> <h3 class="gn-list-item__title">GSK agrees $2.2bn acquisition of RAPT Therapeutics</h3> </div> <div class="gn-list-item__meta"> <span class="gn-list-item__pill"><strong>Brand:</strong> GSK; RAPT Therapeutics</span> <span class="gn-list-item__pill"><strong>Sector:</strong> Pharmaceuticals / Biotechnology</span> <span class="gn-list-item__pill"><strong>Type:</strong> Acquisition</span> </div> <p class="gn-reveal">GSK agreed to acquire US biotech firm RAPT Therapeutics for approximately $2.2bn to expand its immunology drug pipeline. The deal supports GSK's strategy to grow its portfolio of specialty medicines and next-generation treatments.</p> <p class="gn-reveal">Large pharmaceutical acquisitions typically drive scientific storytelling, investor communications and corporate reputation campaigns.</p> <figure class="gn-fig gn-reveal"> <div class="gn-fig__media"><img src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/687a235da6861294eec73166/69fcb1d1ddaf2ab198e29d09_69fcb1cfc36b6056709a1136_gsk-69b0310c734a5038276153.png" alt="GSK" style="width: 100%; height: auto; cursor: pointer;" /></div> <figcaption>GSK agrees $2.2bn acquisition of RAPT Therapeutics. Published: January 2026. Source: Reuters.</figcaption> </figure> </div> <div class="gn-list-item gn-reveal"> <div class="gn-list-item__head"> <span class="gn-list-item__num">#14</span> <h3 class="gn-list-item__title">Brookfield Asset Management acquires UK telecoms infrastructure assets from BT</h3> </div> <div class="gn-list-item__meta"> <span class="gn-list-item__pill"><strong>Brand:</strong> Brookfield Asset Management; BT Group</span> <span class="gn-list-item__pill"><strong>Sector:</strong> Telecommunications Infrastructure</span> <span class="gn-list-item__pill"><strong>Type:</strong> Acquisition</span> </div> <p class="gn-reveal">Brookfield Asset Management agreed to acquire a portfolio of UK telecom infrastructure assets from BT as part of the telecom operator's strategy to optimise its balance sheet and focus on fibre network expansion. The deal brings additional institutional capital into UK digital infrastructure.</p> <p class="gn-reveal">Infrastructure ownership changes often trigger corporate repositioning, investor communications and brand narrative development around network expansion.</p> <figure class="gn-fig gn-reveal"> <div class="gn-fig__media"><img src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/687a235da6861294eec73166/69fcb1d1ddaf2ab198e29cf3_69fcb1d03577f227cab3bc6e_brookfield-asset-management-69b0310c6c8f6599602214.webp" alt="Brookfield Asset Management" style="width: 100%; height: auto; cursor: pointer;" /></div> <figcaption>Brookfield Asset Management acquires UK telecoms infrastructure assets from BT. Published: January 2026. Source: City A.M.</figcaption> </figure> </div> <div class="gn-divider gn-reveal" aria-hidden="true"></div> <p class="gn-reveal"><em>If your clients operate in or around these sectors, this month's movements may signal fresh challenges, shifts in budget priorities, or new partnership opportunities. We'll be tracking investment and deal activity each month to help agencies stay commercially informed.</em></p> </div></div>