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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Business
Michael Hunter

Darktrace shares tumble as talks with private equity buyer fail

CEO Poppy Gustafson says Darktrace has more value to bring as an independent company

(Picture: Poppy Gustafsson/Twitter)

Bid talks between Cybersecurity specialist Darktrace and private equity firm Thoma Bravo collapsed, sending its shares tumbling by a third and casting further doubt on the City’s credentials for closing major deals in the tech-sector.

The Cambridge-based company is in a red-hot part of the market, using artificial intelligence to prevent web-based attacks. Darktrace’s struggle with its suitor comes as its founder -- the billionaire Mike Lynch --  remains embroiled in acrimony over a previous deal, one of the biggest ever in the sector.

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