Insights on growth and intangible assets

Expert thinking on productivity, intangible asset valuation, growth strategy, and building more valuable businesses.

Abstract portfolio visualization showing distributed AI maturity assessment across companies
private equity 2026-02-18 · Mark Hillier

The PE Operating Partner's Guide to AI Intangible Assets Across a Portfolio

PE operating partners managing 5-15 portfolio companies face a new dimension of value creation: assessing which portfolio companies are building genuine AI intangible assets and which are pursuing fashionable but value-destructive AI-washing. Here is the assessment framework that separates signal from noise.

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Abstract visualisation of productivity measurement gap showing divergence between GDP per hour worked and intangible asset value creation
productivity measurement 2026-02-17 · David Stroll

The Productivity Measurement Gap: Why GDP Per Hour Worked No Longer Tells the Full Story

Traditional productivity metrics were designed for an economy dominated by physical capital and tangible output. In a world where the most valuable firms derive their competitive advantage from software, data, brand equity, and organizational know-how, those metrics are increasingly unreliable. Here is why the gap matters — and what we should do about it.

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Abstract representation of deal structure breakdown with interconnected elements and assessment nodes
M&A valuation 2026-02-11 · Tony Hillier

Valuing AI in M&A: Why 62% of Deals Fail and How Intangible Asset Frameworks Fix It

Mergers and acquisitions involving artificial intelligence companies fail at a 62% rate in terms of value creation. The root cause is not market misjudgment — it is due diligence frameworks designed for physical assets, applied to intangible-asset-heavy technology companies. Here is the anatomy of that failure, and a framework that fixes it.

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The AI Bubble and Intangible Assets: I Watched the Market Misprice Facebook
AI bubble 2026-01-29 · Ivan Gowan

The AI Bubble and Intangible Assets: I Watched the Market Misprice Facebook

I was at IG Group when Facebook's IPO was mispriced. The market overvalued the platform and undervalued the intangible assets — the data, the network effects, the advertiser relationships. Today's AI market is making the same mistake in reverse. Here is how to tell the difference between genuine AI value and bubble pricing.

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The AI ROI Framework Your Board Actually Needs
AI ROI 2026-01-27 · Ivan Gowan

The AI ROI Framework Your Board Actually Needs

Only 29% of executives can measure AI ROI confidently. The problem is not that AI fails to deliver value — it is that traditional ROI frameworks were not designed for investments that create intangible assets. Here is the 4-layer framework that connects AI spending to board-level outcomes.

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AI-Washing: How to Tell If Your Portfolio Company's AI Claims Are Real
AI washing 2026-01-22 · Ivan Gowan

AI-Washing: How to Tell If Your Portfolio Company's AI Claims Are Real

The SEC has made AI-washing an enforcement priority, and for good reason: billions in capital are being allocated based on AI claims that range from exaggerated to fabricated. After 15 years evaluating technology claims at IG Group, here is the 7-point checklist that separates genuine AI capability from performative marketing.

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