Lincoln-Based EyeCare Specialties to Be Acquired by Acuity Eyecare Group, and Omaha-Founded First Data Acquired by Fiserv

Preliminary data supplied by Pitchbook shows that there were 28 M&A transactions last week for $24.05 billion in total invested capital. The headlining transaction was the $22-billion all-share transaction by Fiserv for First Data. The deal is one of the largest in the fast-growing financial technology, or “fintech,” sector.

Across the M&A space, there were eight deals in the financial services sector and another eight in the info-tech space. Seven deals were for targets from the West Coast and six targets were from the Southeast, including First Data. Four deals with recorded values were within the $100-million to $500-million range, with two deals above that range and two below it.
 
A Lincoln-based company, EyeCare Specialties, was acquired earlier this month by Acuity Eyecare Group, a private equity-backed owner and operator of North American eyecare groups and optometry practices. EyeCare Specialties has been operating in Nebraska for 20 years after being founded by three Lincoln optometrists. The company eyecare locations will all operate under their existing names.