---
id: "framework-strategies-pursuing-synergies"
type: "framework"
source_timestamps: ["§ Strategies for Pursuing Ecosystem Synergies"]
tags: ["ma-strategy", "target-selection"]
related: ["concept-ecosystem-clusters", "claim-interdependence-attracts-developers", "action-acquire-for-interdependence"]
speakers: ["Natalie Burford", "Andrew Shipilov", "Nathan Furr"]
steps: ["Acquire targets that increase interdependence among your own components.", "Acquire targets within existing ecosystem clusters (shared languages/standards/architectures).", "Reach for the center of the ecosystem (control bottlenecks / influence standards)."]
source_url: "https://hbr.org/2026/06/when-evaluating-an-ma-opportunity-consider-the-broader-digital-ecosystem"
source_title: "When Evaluating an M&A Opportunity, Consider the Broader Digital Ecosystem"
sources: ["ecosystem"]
sourceVaultSlug: "hbr-seg-ecosystem"
originDay: 11
articleStem: "hbr-cl-80-ma-digital-ecosystem"
sourceUrl: "https://hbr.org/2026/06/when-evaluating-an-ma-opportunity-consider-the-broader-digital-ecosystem"
sourceTitle: "When Evaluating an M&A Opportunity, Consider the Broader Digital Ecosystem"
---
# Strategies for Pursuing Ecosystem Synergies

A strategic guide for deciding *which* companies to acquire in order to maximize [[concept-ecosystem-synergies]], based on the structure of the ecosystem the acquirer operates in. Three heuristics:

**1. Acquire targets that increase interdependence among your own components.** Buy companies that make your existing product suite work together more seamlessly. This boosts internal efficiency **and** attracts third-party developers — see [[claim-interdependence-attracts-developers]] and the manager action [[action-acquire-for-interdependence]].

**2. Acquire targets within existing ecosystem clusters.** Buy firms built on similar programming languages, standards, or architectures ([[concept-ecosystem-clusters]]) to encourage [[concept-complementors]] to build on the combined offering using their existing technical expertise. This grounds the founder-facing move in [[action-align-with-clusters]].

**3. Reach for the center of the ecosystem.** Buy central ecosystem players to influence standards, control bottlenecks, or occupy strategic positions. Most effective if the acquirer *already* owns technologies that other ecosystem members need.

**Enrichment note:** Heuristic #3 (centrality) is the riskiest: buying a central platform can trigger regulator scrutiny, partner distrust, or envelopment responses from rivals. The framework underplays these governance, antitrust, and coordination risks — a caution raised in [[contrarian-ma-value-source]] and left open by [[question-hostile-ecosystems]].