Breakfast at Gran Vía: How Much Does Brand Equity Weigh in an M&A Process?

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Some mornings just aren't long enough. Last Friday, February 20th, we launched a new format at our Gran Vía office: Breakfast at Gran Vía. The idea was simple but intentional: gather a group of professionals from different sectors, put some high-quality coffee on the table, and have an unhurried conversation about our obsession: how brand identity generates real, tangible value for companies.

In this first session, the central theme was the role of branding in M&A (Mergers & Acquisitions). We discussed what happens to positioning and culture when a company faces an acquisition or merger. Because while it’s often treated as a "non-urgent" concern, the brand is the infrastructure that sustains value when the moment of truth arrives.

Here are the key takeaways and insights from the talk:

Brand as Critical Infrastructure

One of the major topics of the morning was how a brand acts as a tangible asset in negotiations. It’s not an aesthetic issue; it’s a matter of availability and clarity. We looked at the case of RatedPower (a renewable energy SaaS) and its acquisition by Enverus.

— "The interesting thing is that Enverus didn’t just buy a product; they bought a positioning." — Eva Cabanach, RatedPower

RatedPower’s brand reflected the expertise and professionalism the team already possessed but which customers couldn't previously perceive at a glance. When a brand functions like a well-documented API, it allows the market to understand your value proposition immediately and without friction. A brand that "self-executes" reduces perceived risk and, therefore, protects the valuation multiple.

The Challenge of Merging Structures

What happens the day after the papers are signed? Sometimes, the larger company buys the smaller one, and the temptation is to erase everything in the name of unification. That’s a mistake.

In M&A processes, the smart move is to apply "lossless compression." It’s not about simplifying the identity until it loses its essence, but about finding the right layer of abstraction so that both cultures can coexist and add value. Preserving brand equity and ensuring emotional support is key to making sure talent doesn't disengage after the deal closes.

B2B: When Trust Stops Being a "Claim" and Becomes a Protocol

In B2B and deep-tech companies, the brand isn't a secondary factor; it’s the tool that generates asynchronous trust and authority. Decision-makers research and dismiss options long before the first meeting. If your brand doesn't broadcast clear, verifiable signals, you’re invisible.

The Danger of Being "CEO-Centric"

In the tech ecosystem, it’s common for founders to be overly identified with their projects. This is a powerful survival tool in the beginning, but a structural risk down the road—especially in an M&A scenario.

A company whose identity depends too heavily on individual charisma creates uncertainty for the buyer. The challenge is to transition from a personal brand to a robust corporate brand that allows for scalability and proves the company’s "operating system" can function (and grow) autonomously.

How Much Does Brand Equity Weigh in an M&A Process?

Pausing to think about the value of intangibles is an act of strategic resistance. An M&A process is ultimately a maturity test where what has been built with intention turns into value, and what has been neglected turns into friction.

Building a brand is essentially doing the work today to anticipate the needs of tomorrow. At Soluble, we love accompanying teams on this journey of authenticity so that when the moment of truth arrives, their real value is seen.