>What if startups with high switching costs (DBMS, OS, pretty much anything else infrastructural) added a guarantee to their sales contracts? For example, it could be that, if they get acquired, they'll open-source the technology, sell it to another for-profit entity that will maintain it, or provide a migration tool.
That would be like them putting a huge paper hat on their head, saying "I'm not a good target for acquisition".
Companies buy them so they (also) get their product/IP etc. If those startups have promised to give it away in such a case, then they are not that good of a buy.
Those are just contingencies if the acquirer doesn't want to sell the product anymore. Basically it's a guarantee that, even if they get acquired, their customers won't be punished.
That scenario won't hurt companies that are being acquired with the intent of keeping the product running, for obvious reasons. It also shouldn't hurt acqui-hire scenarios.
The only time it might hurt is when the acquirer wants to use the technology internally, but not offer it to anyone else. That's fairly rare, and the downside (potentially scaring away that tiny fraction of acquirers) is much smaller than the upside (making potential customers feel safe).
That would be like them putting a huge paper hat on their head, saying "I'm not a good target for acquisition".
Companies buy them so they (also) get their product/IP etc. If those startups have promised to give it away in such a case, then they are not that good of a buy.