DealRoom X M&A Science State of AI in M&A 2026 Report

The State of AI in M&A 2026 Report delivers a practitioner-first look at how corporate development and M&A teams are actually using AI across the deal lifecycle. Built on direct survey input from 230+ active dealmakers it captures where AI is working today, where it's stalling, and where teams see the biggest opportunity next. A co-branded report from DealRoom and M&A Science.

Key stat callout
The debate about whether AI belongs in M&A is over: 51% of M&A teams already use AI and 31% are piloting. The real question is how much further it can take a lean team?

What you'll learn

• Where AI is already delivering impact across the deal lifecycle, from sourcing to due diligence
• How the leanest teams are keeping pace—89% run deal teams of 10 or fewer
• What's holding teams back, from data security to trust in AI outputs
• Where AI is headed over the next 12–24 months, and why due diligence is the biggest opportunity

Download your free copy now and discover how AI is impacting modern deal strategies.

Key findings from the State of AI in M&A 2026 report

DealRoom and M&A Science surveyed M&A and corporate development practitioners on how they use AI across the deal process. The research drew 237 responses from 233 practitioners, fielded November 2025 to July 2026. The headline: 82% of deal teams are now using or piloting AI, and adoption is concentrated in the two stages where the work is most manual, sourcing and due diligence.

How many M&A teams use AI?

• 51% of deal teams already use AI somewhere in the M&A process.
• 31% are piloting or testing AI.
• 18% are not using AI at all.
• Taken together, 82% of deal teams are using or piloting AI.

What impact has AI had so far?
Asked to describe the overall impact AI has had on their M&A process to date:

• 48% report a significant positive impact.
• 29% report a moderate positive impact.
• 6% report minimal impact.
• 17% say it is too early to tell.

Where are deal teams using AI today?
Sourcing and target research is the single most common stage, just ahead of due diligence:

• Sourcing and target research: 26%
• Due diligence: 25%
• Internal workflows and project management: 17%
• Integration: 13%
• Document and contract analysis: 12%
• Valuation and modeling: 6%
• Other: 1%

Where will AI have the most impact in the next 12 to 24 months?
Due diligence leads the outlook, reversing its second place in current use:

• Due diligence: 26%
• Internal workflows and project management: 21%
• Sourcing and target research: 19%
• Integration: 12%
• Other: 8%
• Document and contract analysis: 7%
• Valuation and modeling: 7%

What is holding AI adoption back in M&A?
Trust, not cost. 45% of respondents cite either security concerns or doubts about AI output.

• Data privacy and security: 26%
• Integration with existing tools: 20%
• Lack of trust in AI outputs: 19%
• Resistance from leadership or stakeholders: 14%
• Do not know how to use AI or where to start: 9%
• Cost: 6%
• Other: 6%

Which AI tools do M&A teams use?
Deal teams are not standardising on one assistant. Respondents named Claude, ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini, Perplexity and Grok alongside DealRoom, Hebbia and PitchBook.

Who took part?

• 48% work in corporate development or M&A roles (114 of 237 responses).
• 46% are at companies with 50 or fewer employees.
• 89% run deal teams of 1 to 10 people.
• 75% closed between one and ten deals in the last 12 months, and 13% closed more than ten.

Methodology
Based on 237 responses from 233 unique participants across two DealRoom surveys of M&A practitioners, fielded November 2025 to July 2026.

Cite this report
DealRoom and M&A Science, State of AI in M&A 2026 Report. 237 responses (233 unique participants) from two surveys of M&A practitioners fielded November 2025 to July 2026. https://dealroom.net/resources/ebooks/aireport

‍