Here are the 37 tech companies most likely to be acquired by private-equity firms after valuations plunged, according to bankers and private data

• Valuations have fallen so much that “private-equity firms are licking their chops,” one VC said.
• Dealmaking has been slow, but bankers expect it to pick up in fall as PE firms eye bargains.
• Cyndx, a market-research firm, provided Insider with data on the most likely tech LBO targets.

It has been a bruising year for tech companies, with billions in market value erased as stocks plunged by as much as 80%.

The market’s worst first half for a year in more than 50 years is not bad news for everyone. It presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity for private-equity firms to snap up profitable, fast-growing companies at bargain-basement prices.

“Private-equity firms are licking their chops,” said one venture investor who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. “It’s staggering how much market caps have come down.”