Many reasons: - Eliminate a competitor - Absorb another company's team Not all the reasons are as macabre as they sound; sometimes the bought company failed

Many reasons: - Eliminate a competitor - Absorb another company's team Not all the reasons are as macabre as they sound; sometimes the bought company failed to monetize properly whatever they were doing, and their developers decided it was time to stop eating from bean cans. In those cases an acquisition can improve their diet slightly.