:Avalara Inc said on Monday it had agreed to be acquired by private equity firm Vista Equity Partners in a deal that values the automation software platform at $8.4 billion including debt. Private equity companies have lately ramped up dealmaking activity as valuations of companies across sectors have dropped due to a sell-off triggered by high inflation and tightening monetary policy. In the first half of the year, the PE firms were the chief drivers of global dealmaking even as overall M&A hit a roadblock.