Now that is a great trend. In fact, a large company investment in a small one is an admission that there are shortcomings to the large company approach to innovation. And that is fine. Some things are better done by large companies, some by small. The price of failure Neither approach is perfect.
Most startups fail, and most big mergers inflict a lot of pain on everyone except competitors.
But if a startup fails, you go on to the next one. If a megacorporation fails, shareholders are devastated, major industries are disrupted and the shakeup reverberates through huge markets. Microsoft's competitors in applications software tried to compete through mergers to gain clout, and instead ended up handing the entire industry to Microsoft. With the exceptions of Worldcom and Cisco, companies rarely acquire their way to leadership positions. Sure, I understand the need for market share and the promise of taking an early lead in a young growth business.