aqui-dump

Definition

When a company acquires a startup primarily to shut it down and eliminate competition, rather than to integrate talent or technology. It's the evil twin of acqui-hire where everyone loses except the shareholders.

Example Usage

Facebook's acquisition of tbh was rumored to be an aqui-dump to remove a potential threat to their teen user base.

Origin

Portmanteau of 'acquisition' and 'dump,' emerged in tech journalism around 2015

Fun Fact

Companies rarely admit to aqui-dumps due to antitrust concerns, so they're usually disguised as failed integration attempts.

Source: Tech industry insider terminology

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