When business value becomes the central question- in a transaction, a dispute, a funding round, or a tax matter – the ability to understand, prove, and defend it makes all the difference.
Agilequity has merged with Intangible Business, a UK-based specialist in brand and intangible asset valuation, to significantly strengthen exactly that capability.
Most advisory firms can tell you what your business is worth. Fewer can help you build that value, defend it under scrutiny, and realise it when it matters most. That is what this merger is about.
Understanding value to support long-term value creation
While the merger significantly strengthens our technical valuation capability, it also represents the continued evolution of Agilequity into a strategic value advisory firm.
Traditionally, valuation has been viewed primarily as a compliance or transaction exercise. We believe enterprise value should also be a central lens through which businesses make strategic decisions.
Growing through acquisitions, raising capital, and exiting businesses all can materially influence enterprise value. These services form part of Agilequity’s core advisory focus, and effectively advising in these areas requires a deep understanding of value and the drivers underpinning it.
One of the key benefits of our merger with Intangible Business is the significant strengthening of our valuation capability and the resultant enhancement of our strategic advisory capability, improving our ability to help businesses grow and realise long-term value.
Enhanced capability in valuing and defending intangible assets
Most businesses focus on the value of the business as a whole. However, when businesses need to defend, leverage, transfer, grow, or realise value for separate intangible assets then the ability to separate and value individual components of intellectual property becomes increasingly important.
The growing importance of intangible assets in enterprise value
According to the Ocean Tomo Intangible Asset Market Value Study, in 1975 tangible assets represented 83% of the market value of S&P 500 companies, with intangible assets accounting for just 17%. By 2025, that relationship had completely inverted, intangible assets now account for approximately 92% of S&P 500 market value, with tangible assets reduced to just 8%.
Today, a growing portion of enterprise value is driven by less tangible factors such as:
- brand strength
- intellectual property
- customer relationships
- proprietary systems and processes
- technology and data
- market positioning and know-how
This does not mean every business requires standalone intangible asset valuations. But it does mean the ability to identify, analyse, evidence, and defend the components underpinning enterprise value has become increasingly important in areas such as mergers and acquisitions, disputes, transfer pricing, tax, restructuring, licensing, and business sales.
Benefits for Agilequity clients
The merger has materially expanded our capability across business, brand, intellectual property, and intangible asset valuation, giving us the ability to value virtually anything and better understand the drivers underpinning enterprise value.
It also adds significant capability in expert witness support and defending valuations in disputes, tax matters, and other high-stakes commercial situations.
The merger also adds:
- access to deep specialist datasets in intangible asset valuation
- enhanced market comparable analysis through S&P Capital IQ
- specialist expertise in brand and intellectual property valuation
- expanded expert witness capability
- broader international valuation experience
Most importantly, this strengthens our ability to help our clients:
- understand, quantify, and defend the value they have created
- grow through acquisitions
- raise finance, including government grants and incentives
- and ultimately realise value on exit
Our approach remains commercially grounded and partner led.
The objective is not valuation theory for its own sake. It is helping clients understand what value means in a real commercial environment and using that insight to support better strategic decisions.
Find out more at www.agilequity.co.za and www.intangiblebusiness.com.
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