How Indie Brands Use Dual-Track Auctions to Get Higher Buyout Prices

The Acquisition Talk with Fexingo: Mergers, Buyouts, and Business Sales for Operators · May 26, 2026 · 13m · transcript

When a founder decides to sell their company, they typically negotiate with one buyer. But a growing number of independent brands are using a tactic called a dual-track auction — running a sale process and an IPO preparation simultaneously to force buyers to bid higher. In this episode, Lucas and Luna break down how this works, why it scares private equity firms, and the specific math that makes it effective. Using the example of a $400 million specialty food brand that ran a dual-track process in 2025, they show how the threat of going public can add 15 to 25 percent to the final acquisition…