Brands & Values

What Brands & Values does

Brands & Values GmbH is a Bremen, Germany-based sustainability consulting firm founded in 2007, operating with a team of approximately 15 specialized consultants. The company delivers integrated sustainability services across two practice areas: corporate sustainability (CSRD/ESRS compliance, materiality analysis, CO2 corporate footprints, DNK and GRI reporting, sustainability strategy, environmental management systems per ISO 14001/EMAS, and sustainability software selection) and product sustainability (Life Cycle Assessment per ISO 14040/44, Environmental Product Declarations per ISO 14025/EN 15804, Product Carbon Footprint per ISO 14067, and Green Building support for DGNB/LEED/BNB certification systems). Notable enterprise clients include ALDI SÜD, BSH, Krombacher, Parador, LAMILUX, HypoVereinsbank, EAM, and swb, with the firm having supported 136+ clients across 300+ projects in 15+ countries.

The firm's technical infrastructure combines established third-party LCA software (GaBi/LCA for Experts, Umberto LCA+, openLCA, SimaPro) with proprietary web-based tools including the EPD Analyzer (for EPD management, benchmarking, ecological product comparison, and ÖKOBAUDAT integration) and the in-development EPD-Suite (a semi-automated EPD workflow tool). Revenue is generated primarily through project-based professional services engagements, supplemented by subscription/usage-based access to the EPD Analyzer software. Go-to-market is direct, consultative B2B sales targeting German Mittelstand and enterprise clients, leveraging content marketing through the firm's own empirical studies (e.g., 'EPDs: Benefits, Expectations and Fulfilment', 'Sustainovation') as lead generation. Strategic partnerships include official DNK training partnership, DGNB collaboration, and publishing relationships with multiple EPD program operators (IBU, EPD International, PEP Ecopassport, UL, INIES, BE-EPD, MRPI). The company is co-led by Managing Directors Tobias Brinkmann (product sustainability) and Karsten Muuß (corporate sustainability) and is founder/management-owned with no external funding rounds identified.

Name

Brands & Values

Legal name

brands & values GmbH

Website

https://brandsandvalues.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Brands & Values is a Bremen-based sustainability consulting firm founded in 2007, specializing in CSRD compliance, life cycle assessments, environmental product declarations, and sustainability strategy for enterprise and mid-market clients across more than 15 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainability Consulting Services

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (541620), Software Publishers (5132)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainability & ESG Consulting (BPAHACAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Product Sustainability & LCA/EPD (Eco-design, PCF) (EUAHAJAF), Sustainability & ESG Reporting (GRI/SASB/ISSB/CSRD) (EUAHAJAB), ESG Governance, Sustainability Reporting & Assurance Advisory (BPAHAFAJ), Supply Chain (Scope 3) Emissions & Supplier Engagement Platforms (EUABAEAE)

Keywords

• Sustainability consulting services
• Environmental product declarations
• Life cycle assessment
• Carbon footprint consulting
• EPD software tools

Headquarters

HQ city

Bremen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Sustainability Consulting Services: Professional consulting services including sustainability strategy development, materiality/double materiality analysis, stakeholder management, sustainability reporting (GRI, DNK, ESRS), CO2/carbon footprinting (Corporate Carbon Footprint, Scope 1-3), environmental product declarations (EPD), life cycle assessments (LCA), environmental management systems (ISO 14001, EMAS III), sustainability software selection, workshops and training, and regulatory compliance support (CSRD, EU Taxonomy, Supply Chain Act). Billed as project-based professional services with client-specific scoping.
2. EPD Software Tools (EPD Analyzer): SaaS-style web tool for EPD management, benchmarking, and ecological product evaluation, offered on subscription or usage basis. Pilot partner program available for EPD-Suite tool.
3. Research Publications and Studies: Company publishes and distributes sustainability studies and guides (e.g., 'EPDs: Benefits, Expectations and Fulfilment', 'Sustainovation', 'Competence Transfer for Sustainability Software Selection'), available for download or order, potentially as a lead generation tool.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Brands & Values is a Bremen-based sustainability consultancy providing Life Cycle Assessments (LCA), Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) creation, Product and Corporate Carbon Footprints (PCF/CCF), and CSRD/ESRS/DNK/GRI sustainability reporting services. The firm also operates its proprietary EPD Analyzer software tool and is developing an EPD-Suite semi-automated platform to streamline EPD creation for manufacturing and building-product clients.

Product overview

Brands & Values is a sustainability consulting company offering a portfolio of services including consulting, software tools, and advisory services. The core offerings consist of EPD Analyzer (their flagship software tool for managing and comparing Environmental Product Declarations) and EPD-Suite (a semi-automated EPD workflow tool), complemented by professional services for LCA/EPD creation, Product Carbon Footprint calculation, corporate sustainability consulting, and green building support. The company operates from Bremen, Germany, with a team of approximately 15 consultants serving over 136 clients across more than 300 projects internationally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• EPD-Suite: A semi-automated tool for Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) creation, combining digital efficiency with expert review.
• EPD Analyzer

Products and services

• EPD Analyzer Proprietary software tool owned and offered by Brands & Values that supports the creation and management of Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), enabling faster and standardized EPD authoring for manufacturing and building-product clients.
• EPD-Suite Semi-automated EPD creation platform being developed by Brands & Values to streamline and partially automate Environmental Product Declaration production for product manufacturers.
• EPD Creation Services Consulting service in which Brands & Values creates verified Environmental Product Declarations for client products on their behalf, using its proprietary EPD Analyzer tool alongside established LCA software. Aimed at manufacturers and building-product suppliers that need EPDs for tenders or building certification.
• Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Services Project-based Life Cycle Assessment consulting that quantifies environmental impacts across a product's life cycle using established LCA software (GaBi/LCA for Experts, Umberto LCA+, openLCA, SimaPro). Delivered for manufacturers and building-product suppliers needing product-level environmental data.
• Product & Corporate Carbon Footprint (PCF/CCF) Services Consulting service that calculates Product Carbon Footprints (PCF) and Corporate Carbon Footprints (CCF) for client organizations and their products, aligned with recognized greenhouse-gas accounting standards.
• Corporate Sustainability Strategy & CSRD/ESRS Reporting Consulting End-to-end advisory service covering corporate sustainability strategy development, double materiality analysis, and the preparation of CSRD/ESRS-aligned non-financial reports for mid-sized and large enterprises.
• DNK/GRI Sustainability Reporting Consulting Consulting service that supports clients in preparing sustainability reports in line with the German Sustainability Code (DNK) and GRI standards, leveraging Brands & Values' role as an official DNK training partner.
• Sustainability Software Selection Consulting Advisory service that helps clients select appropriate sustainability reporting software tools to support their ESG reporting processes.
• Green Building Support Services Consulting service supporting clients in green-building contexts, including product data preparation aligned with the ÖKOBAUDAT database used by German sustainable building certification schemes.

Quantifiable outcome

• 136 national and international clients supported in over 300 projects
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Deutscher Nachhaltigkeitskodex (DNK)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerOfficial DNK training partner authorized to provide introductory workshops on the German Sustainability Code reporting standard, support with DNK reporting templates, indicator collection, initial DNK text creation, plausibility checks, and review process accompaniment.
• DGNB (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Nachhaltiges Bauen)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive partnership providing support for DGNB Navigator product registration and DGNB Navigator Labels for building products. Collaboration on Green Building support including fact-sheets for BNB, DGNB, and LEED certification systems.
• Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt (DBU)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDBU provided project funding for the development of the 'Competence Transfer for Sustainability Software Selection' study/guide, demonstrating institutional backing for the company's research activities.
• GRI (Global Reporting Initiative)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive professional membership and partnership supporting clients in GRI-based sustainability reporting. The company advises clients on GRI reporting standards as part of its sustainability communication services.
• IBU (Institut für Bauen und Umwelt)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive partnership for creating and publishing EPDs through the IBU (Institut für Bauen und Umwelt) EPD program, one of Germany's leading EPD program operators. Successfully published EPDs via IBU.
• EPD International / International EPD SystemcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive partnership for creating and publishing EPDs through the International EPD System (Sweden). Successfully published EPDs for clients including LUMPI-BERNDORF Draht- und Seilwerk GmbH via this program.
• University of BremenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive partnership with University of Bremen for knowledge development and professional networking in sustainability research.
• EPD Program Operators (PEP Ecopassport, UL, INIES, BE-EPD, MRPI)coreTechnology or IntegrationThe company has successfully created and published EPDs through multiple international EPD program operators including PEP Ecopassport (France), UL (USA), INIES (France), BE-EPD (Belgium), and MRPI (Netherlands), demonstrating broad international integration capabilities.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• GreenDelta (openLCA): GreenDelta develops the openLCA open-source LCA software used by sustainability professionals, including Brands & Values. As an open-source-focused emerging player, it represents a partial-overlap alternative to commercial LCA platforms.

Broad incumbents

• EcoAct (Accenture): EcoAct, now part of Accenture, is a carbon and sustainability consultancy with deep CSRD, carbon footprinting, and climate strategy capabilities. It competes for similar enterprise CSRD mandates but operates at global scale within Accenture's broader portfolio.
• SCS Global Services: SCS Global Services is a long-standing EPD program operator and third-party certification body that also provides sustainability consulting. It is comparable both as an EPD publisher competitor and as a broader sustainability advisory.
• Ramboll: Ramboll is an engineering and sustainability consultancy with strong building and construction sustainability practices, including EPD support and green building advisory. It competes for the same building-products manufacturers that Brands & Values serves but as part of a much larger portfolio.
• South Pole: South Pole is a global climate solutions and sustainability advisory firm serving corporates on carbon strategy, reporting, and supply chain decarbonization. It overlaps with Brands & Values' corporate sustainability and Scope 3 offerings for multinational clients.

Direct peers

• PRé Sustainability: PRé develops the SimaPro LCA software and offers sustainability consulting including product footprinting and EPD support. It is comparable as a combined software-and-services peer and uses one of the LCA tools Brands & Values references.
• Quantis: Quantis is a sustainability consultancy specializing in product environmental footprinting, carbon accounting, and science-based targets. It directly competes for the same corporate and product sustainability mandates Brands & Values delivers.
• One Click LCA: One Click LCA is a leading SaaS platform for LCA, EPD generation, and building product sustainability benchmarking. It competes directly with Brands & Values' EPD Analyzer on the software side and overlaps with its EPD/LCA consulting services.
• Carbon Trust: Carbon Trust is a global sustainability consultancy offering carbon footprinting, product certification, and advisory services. It overlaps with Brands & Values' corporate and product sustainability offerings for enterprise clients.
• Sphera (formerly thinkstep): Sphera provides LCA software (GaBi) and sustainability consulting, including EPD creation and product sustainability services. It is the most directly comparable peer, combining proprietary LCA software with consulting depth similar to Brands & Values' EPD Analyzer plus advisory model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/brands-values
• Xx.com/brandsandvalues

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Brands & Values