Here's an excerpt from a very interesting article, the link to the rest of it is below.

In the 12 months through March 2, 472 chip M&A deals were made worldwide, up from 383 in the previous year.

Tim Wilson, a venture capitalist at Artiman Ventures who specializes in chips, expects large chipmakers to buy startups with specialized technologies, many focusing on emerging areas such as wireless home appliances and other connected devices that fly under the banner of the "Internet of Things."

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/03/06/us-semiconductors-deals-idUKKBN0M20EZ20150306?utm_campaign=snsdemo&utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=snsanalytics