Acqui-hiring (a portmanteau of "acquisition" and "hiring") is the acquisition of startups or other small companies primarily to acquire human capital.[1][2] The term acqui-hire was coined in 2005. The phenomenon gained widespread attention in the 2010s due to media coverage of tech firms, although acqui-hiring has been reported in a variety of industries. With acqui-hiring, the company is aiming to acquire not only talented individuals but a cohesive group of people that are productive jointly. The capital expenditure of purchasing may be more tax advantaged compared to employee poaching. Compared to other mergers and acquisitions, acqui-hires are smaller, faster, and involve startups that have not earned any revenue. Acqui-hiring is most likely when talent is scarce. In acqui-hiring, the company's product is of at most secondary interest and is often killed shortly after the acquisition. The company usually tries to retain the employees and founder; the process of integration and retention is key to the success of the strategy. The benefits of these acquisitions compared to other forms of hiring is unclear.