This Week in M&A Issue #245
July 13, 2026
Hello there! đź‘‹
Today’s trend of the week is “replacement parts”.
The hottest tech products this summer aren’t new gadgets. They’re the parts needed to keep old ones running.
According to Shopify sales data shared with Retail Brew, shoppers are increasingly choosing repairs over replacements. Orders for mobile phone screens and digitizers jumped 185%, coffee grinder replacement parts rose 92%, and TV replacement stands and legs increased 74%. Demand for vacuum batteries grew 62%, while mobile phone screen protectors and game console replacement parts increased 44% and 38%, respectively.
For online business owners, this creates opportunities in areas like DIY repair kits, replacement parts, and repair education content.
Today we have for you:
- Google Search hits record-breaking usage during FIFA World Cup
- North American startup funding hits an all-time high
And:
- How TikTok Shop is changing eCommerce growth
- Amazon’s holiday deal submissions now open to sellers
- Turn product photos into checkout pages with Hostinger’s new AI tool
Alright, let’s dive in.
Google Search
Image Source: Giphy (UEFA)
Google Search Reaches New Record High as World Cup Drives Massive Search Spike
Despite growing competition from AI tools, Google Search just recorded its highest usage level in history.
The spike came during the 2026 FIFA World Cup as millions of fans searched for live updates, player information, scores, and match details.
The surge happened after Argentina’s match against Egypt, when search activity reached a new record. The moment showed how major global events can drive people to seek information instantly, especially when millions of people are following the same event at the same time.
The milestone is also an important reminder that, despite the rapid growth of AI tools, traditional search remains a key part of how people find information. AI assistants are increasingly being used for research, brainstorming, and more detailed questions, but search engines are still where many people go when they need quick answers.
The World Cup surge shows that search behavior is not changing overnight. People may be adopting new ways to discover information, but search remains a daily habit for billions of users.
The challenge for Google will be adapting Search as user behavior continues to evolve while maintaining its role as the place people turn when they need immediate, reliable answers.
For businesses and content creators, the takeaway is that demand often increases around specific moments when people have a clear need for information. Companies that already provide useful, relevant content are better positioned to capture attention when those spikes happen.
The Opportunity podcast
![How TikTok Shop Is Changing eCommerce With Jordan West [Ep.217] (1)](https://1745913.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/1745913/How%20TikTok%20Shop%20Is%20Changing%20eCommerce%20With%20Jordan%20West%20%5BEp.217%5D%20(1).png)
TikTok Shop Is Becoming a Must-Have Growth Channel
For years, growing an eCommerce business followed the same growth playbook: run ads, optimize your website, and send as much traffic to your store as possible.
But consumer buying habits are changing, and so is the way successful brands are growing.
In this week’s episode of the Opportunity Podcast, Greg sits down with Jordan West, founder of Social Commerce Club, to unpack why TikTok Shop is becoming one of the most powerful customer acquisition channels for eCommerce businesses.
Jordan explains how brands are using creator-led marketing to drive sales, why TikTok Shop creates a “halo effect” that boosts Amazon, Shopify, and even retail sales, and shares the framework his team uses to launch products successfully on the platform.
Listen now and discover why social commerce could be the biggest shift in eCommerce since the rise of marketplaces.
M&A
North American Startups Raised a Record $392B in the First Half of 2026
North American startup funding just had its biggest first half on record.
According to Crunchbase, startups in the US and Canada raised $392 billion in the first half of 2026, making it the biggest six months for venture funding on record. While Q2 didn’t match Q1’s record-breaking pace, it still became the second biggest funding quarter ever.
A big reason for those numbers is AI. One funding round alone, Anthropic’s massive raise, made up around half of all venture funding in Q2.
Investors are writing bigger checks than ever, but they’re giving them to a much smaller group of companies. The result is a funding market that’s becoming increasingly uneven.
If you’re building AI models, infrastructure, or developer tools, there’s still huge demand from investors. But for many startups outside of AI, raising capital is still difficult, despite the record headlines.
The good news is that the exit market is finally picking up.
IPOs and acquisitions accelerated in Q2, giving investors more opportunities to return capital after several slower years. Crunchbase reported one of the strongest quarters for venture-backed exits in recent memory, with both billion-dollar acquisitions and public listings increasing.
The important thing is where the money is going.
Venture capital isn’t drying up. It’s becoming more concentrated. Investors are putting more money into fewer companies, particularly the ones they believe have the best chance of leading the AI market.
For founders, that’s an important distinction. The record funding numbers don’t mean fundraising has suddenly become easier. In fact, investors are becoming much more selective.
The companies with the strongest products, the clearest growth story, and the biggest market opportunity are attracting larger rounds than ever, while everyone else is facing a much more competitive fundraising environment.
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Amazon
Amazon Opens Holiday Deal Submissions Early as Sellers Prepare for Q4
Amazon is giving sellers an early start on holiday planning, opening submissions for its major Q4 shopping events on July 8.
Sellers can now submit deals for Prime Big Deal Days through September 8, while submissions for Black Friday Week and Cyber Monday remain open through October 20.
Amazon is also offering an early submission discount, with sellers able to save $50 on the upfront promotion fee by submitting Prime Big Deal Days deals by August 5 and Black Friday Week and Cyber Monday deals by September 5.
Prime Big Deal Days is expected to return around the same time as last year’s event, which took place on October 7 and 8, although Amazon has not yet confirmed the exact 2026 dates.
The earlier timeline gives sellers more time to prepare promotions, manage inventory, and secure deal placements before the busiest shopping period of the year.
For sellers using Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA), planning inventory will be just as important as choosing the right promotions. Amazon is bringing back holiday peak fulfillment fees from October 15, 2026, through January 14, 2027. The fees will apply to FBA, Remote Fulfillment with FBA, and Multi-Channel Fulfillment, with rates remaining similar to last year.
Amazon is also setting inventory arrival deadlines for sellers who want their products to qualify for Prime badges during holiday events. Products for Prime Big Deal Days need to arrive at Amazon facilities by September, while Black Friday Week and Cyber Monday inventory deadlines fall in October and November, depending on the shipment method.
Holiday preparation is moving earlier. Waiting until October to think about Q4 promotions can limit options, especially for products that rely on FBA inventory, deal approvals, and advertising campaigns. Sellers who start planning now have more flexibility to test offers, forecast demand, and avoid inventory problems during peak shopping weeks.
eCommerce
Hostinger’s New Tool Turns Product Photos Into Sellable Listings
Lithuania-based hosting firm Hostinger has launched an eCommerce tool that can turn any product photo into a checkout link. No storefront needed.
The tool, called Quick Links, can turn a single product photo into a ready-to-share checkout page. Sellers upload an image, and Hostinger’s AI creates a product description, key details, and a suggested price. From there, you can share a checkout link anywhere customers already spend time, including social media posts, emails, messages, and other channels.
While this feature is new, the idea behind it is not. Businesses have already been selling outside traditional storefronts through payment links, marketplaces, social commerce, and messaging apps. Platforms like Stripe, Square, PayPal, Shopify Starter, TikTok Shop, Instagram, Facebook Marketplace, and WhatsApp have all made it easier for merchants to accept payments without sending customers to a dedicated website.
Hostinger’s tool differentiates itself by combining product creation, AI content generation, and checkout in one simple workflow.
However, owned websites and storefronts still play an important role. A branded store is still one of the best tools for building trust, improving search visibility, collecting customer information, explaining products, and creating repeat customers.
The difference is that your website is no longer the only place where a transaction can begin or end.
Shopify has been moving in a similar direction by expanding beyond traditional storefronts with tools for social selling, point-of-sale, marketplace connections, Shop Pay, and AI-powered commerce features.
Hostinger’s approach brings that idea to smaller sellers. Instead of only helping businesses build websites, ecommerce platforms are increasingly helping merchants create sales opportunities wherever customers are ready to buy.
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