Running an independent agency right now isn’t for the faint-hearted. Budgets slip. Margins tighten. Talent is harder to keep. New business cycles drag on longer, with higher costs and more uncertainty. And on top of that, every founder is facing the existential AI question: how do we integrate it into what we do without eroding the value of what we’ve built?
Agencies are exploring ways to scale, simplify, and strengthen without selling out. And that’s led to a very real founder question:
👉 Is a merger actually a viable strategy for a business like mine? Surely that’s just for the top end of town… right?
We don’t think so.
We’ve spoken to dozens of indie founders this year, and many are rethinking what “merger” means. Not a takeover. Not a loss of control or a cost-cutting exercise. But a partnership between founder-led agencies willing to share leadership, expand capability, integrate new technologies, and unlock a future that’s hard-to-reach solo.
Of course, the moment you mention Merger, the questions follow:
Who leads?
How do we value each side?
What happens to the team?
How does AI integration fit into the bigger picture?
What does integration even look like?
Most founders don’t have a playbook.
So we built one.
Introducing Merge Express
A fast, founder-first path to culturally aligned mergers.
Built by agency owners, shaped by real market experience, and designed to fairly tackle the challenges head-on.
We have developed a 6-step process that turns merger theory into reality reflecting our conversations with Indie agency leaders:
“I can’t keep grinding solo - but I don’t want to sell out.”
“We’re profitable, but stuck at this level.”
“I’d welcome a partner, but how do I know it’s the right one?”
Merge Express exists to move those conversations forward. Here’s what it gives you:
Because without structure, too many founders give up on the idea before it starts. The questions feel too big. The process too messy.
The stakes too high.
Staying small can be fulfilling - yet for many, it becomes exhausting.
New wins offset by churn.
Any high followed by another tough payroll month.
That’s when founders can start to feel alone.A well-structured merger changes that. It can bring capability, resilience, and someone in the trenches with you.
It creates a stronger growth story and, ultimately, greater value.
Why now?
The market is shifting. Multiples are tighter. Talent is mobile. AI is reshaping delivery and expectations. Clients are less concerned with scale for its own sake - what they really want is capability, delivered with the dynamism, audacity, and agility that often only Indies can bring.
Waiting doesn’t make it easier.
Merge Express is built for founders who want to explore new options today.
👉 Merge Express is now live. If you’re an indie agency owner ready to explore growth without going it alone, let’s talk.
