The crucial importance of intangible capital

In a world that is moving along the digital path, where classical competitive advantages are less and less advantageous and harder to obtain, intangible assets are what endow companies with genuine value.

All companies should know the value and composition of their intangible capital. We invite you to discover the extent to which intangible assets are truly important. 

What is intangible capital? Does it have any value?

  • Intangible capital consists of all the elements that do not have a physical component and that contribute to the operation and development of the company. 
  • They may be of very different types: commercial (trademarks, business models, marketing), production (inventions, industrial secrets), intrinsic to the company (corporate reputation), etc. 
  • The value of intangible capital is not always reflected in the balance sheet of the company. Few companies attribute it the importance it has. 
  • There is no legislation regulating the manner in which to value intangible assets. 
  • However, ignoring these assets can result in serious detriment to the company’s activity. 

Why should a company’s intangible capital be valued

  • To have a record of all the intangible assets belonging to the company or, alternatively, to ascertain the value of a particular intangible asset that is of specific interest. 
  • To negotiate licence or assignment agreements with knowledge of the value of the licensed or assigned asset. 
  • To obtain financing based on intangible assets. 
  • To be able to decide on the company’s strategy based on elements that differentiate it from the competition. 

And if it is so complicated, how is it valued?

  • There exist national and international valuation standards that H&A employs in its appraisals. 
  • The experience of our professionals and a multidisciplinary team allows us to provide high value appraisals. 
  • There exist valuation methods that are accepted internationally. These methods may be summarised as follows:
    - Market-based, in other words, based on earlier similar transactions.
    - Based on the cost of creating or substituting an intangible asset.
    - Based on revenue, which may, in turn be:

· Capitalisation of historic profits.
· Gross profit differential.
· Extraordinary profits.
· Calculation of savings in royalty payments. 

  • At H&A we have developed our own method that we apply to each specific case. 

Intangible assets were greatly overlooked in companies. Until the arrival of Google, WhatsApp, etc. and their multimillion-dollar operations.

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