The 10 biggest VC-backed acquisitions of 2012

6. Kiva Systems: $775 million

Amazon’s $775 million purchase of Kiva Systems in March seemed like an incredibly natural fit. Kiva’s smart robots and automation technology have helped make Amazon’s warehouses efficient for several years, so it only made sense for Amazon to snap it up. The move makes it possible for Amazon to lower the amount of human workers it needs in its fulfillment centers and further increase its efficiency of shipping products purchased online.

7. EUSA Pharma: $730 million

Jazz Pharmaceuticals closed its deal to buy EUSA Pharma in June for $680 million in cash, plus an extra $50 million based on hitting milestones. Jazz was most interested in picking up EUSA Pharma for its biggest product, Erwinaze, which can greatly help patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Yet another sign that life-saving drugs are attracting serious investments.

8. Instagram: $715 million

While Facebook bought photo-sharing sensation Instagram for a widely reported “$1 billion dollars,” the final amount when the deal closed ended up being $715 million because the deal was based on Facebook’s up-and-down stock price. That’s still quite a bit of cash for a company that has more than 100 million users but basically no monetization. We’re seeing indications that advertising in Instagram will come soon so Facebook can finally start making cash off its investment.

9. Merchant e-Solutions: $670 million

Cielo, Brazil’s largest card-payment processor, agreed to buy Merchant e-Solutions back in July. Merchant e-Solutions processes all kinds of online and mobile payments, amounting to more than $14 billion a year. Merchant e-Solutions has a wide variety of applications to help merchants sell their goods online.

10. Buddy Media: $612 million

Cloud software powerhouse Salesforce closed its purchase of social media marketing service Buddy Media back in August. Salesforce paid about $475 million in cash and 1.4 million newly issued shares of common stock for the New York City-based company. Combined with Salesforce’s purchase of Radian6 in 2011, the Buddy Media buy further shows Salesforce’s commitment to helping the enterprise own social.

Photos: Exit sign via beboy/Shutterstock, Science research via wongwean/Shutterstock, Glowing heart via CLIPAREA/Shutterstock, Cloud computing via winui/Shutterstock, Yammer, Science research via Shutterstock, Kiva Systems via ForaTV/YouTube, Instagram/Facebook photo illustration via VentureBeat, Clinician in laboratory via Pressmaster/Shutterstock, Credit card and keyboard via Sura Nualpradid/Shutterstock, Marc Benioff via VentureBeat