What is expanded Technical Due Diligence?

A review that goes beyond code and architecture. It covers seven domains, including the engineering team, security and compliance, infrastructure, data and AI, and how technology decisions are made, so you see both the risks and the potential for value creation.

How long does it take?

It depends on the tier and on the company. A Snapshot gives a fast, directional view, an Assessment adds targeted deep dives, and a Deep Dive is an evidence-led review for larger or more complex deals. We agree depth, timeline and fee in a scoping call before the work starts.

Do you review the source code?

Yes. I focus on the parts of the code that matter most for the investment, rather than reviewing everything equally.

What do you need from the target company?

Time with the founders, the technology leadership and selected engineers, read access to the source code and the relevant systems, and the documentation that already exists.

Does the target company see the findings?

Yes. The founders receive their own debrief, so findings are discussed openly and can be addressed, rather than coming up later in the process.

What is not included?

This is decision support for investors. It is not legal or investment advice, penetration testing, certification or a full code audit.

Do you work outside Germany?

Yes. I am based in Berlin and work with investors and companies across Europe. Interviews can be held in English, German, Hebrew or Hungarian.

How is an engagement priced?

As a fixed fee, agreed after a short scoping call.

Technical Due Diligence for Investors

I carry out expanded Technical Due Diligence for venture capital and private equity investors considering an investment in a software company. I assess the company across seven domains, from architecture and security to team and technical governance, at the depth the transaction needs. You receive a written report with prioritised findings and a debrief with your deal team. I work independently, with no product to sell, and with investors across Europe.

Expanded Technical Due Diligence

Confidence through clarity: my goal is to support informed and confident investment decisions by revealing both risks and value creation potential.

I provide Expanded Technical Due Diligence services focused on software companies, giving you the insight needed to make sound investment decisions before or during a transaction.

What I Assess

Every engagement covers seven domains:

Architecture & Product Platform
Whether the platform can support the growth in the investment case: scalability, technical debt and how well the platform fits the product.
Engineering Execution & Quality
How reliably the team delivers: delivery discipline, testing and release quality.
Security, Privacy & Compliance
How access and data are protected, and whether there is evidence to support the company's security and compliance claims.
Infrastructure, Reliability & Operations
Cloud setup, resilience, observability and cost, and how the system is kept running day to day.
Data, Analytics & AI
The state of the data foundations, and how much substance there is behind any AI claims.
Team, Leadership & Delivery Model
The capability of the team and its leadership, key-person risk, and how the organisation is set up to deliver.
Technical Governance & Financial Awareness
Who owns which technical decisions, how they are made and recorded, and how well technology costs are understood and controlled.

My Process

01
Kickoff with investors and target company
- • Explaining the process
- • Understanding the high-level scope
02
Interviews
- • Interviews with relevant people in each domain
- • Interviews with CTO and CEO
03
Analysis
- • Scoring in each domain
- • Score calibration based on context
- • Further interviews if needed
04
Reporting
- • Debriefing to the target company
- • Debriefing to the investor
05
Follow-up
- • Follow-up on the plan to implement the recommendations
- • Report to the investor

What You Receive

A written report of material findings, organised by business impact and risk level.
Prioritised recommendations, each with an indication of the effort needed.
A debrief with your deal team, and a separate debrief with the target company.
Optional follow-up on how the recommendations are implemented after the investment.

Engagement Tiers

Technical Due Diligence Snapshot

A fast, directional view across all seven domains.

Suited to: early deal screening, smaller tickets.

Technical Due Diligence Assessment

A balanced assessment with targeted deep dives in the domains where material risks appear.

Suited to: standard early-growth software deals.

Technical Due Diligence Deep Dive

A high-confidence, evidence-led review with in-depth inspection of artefacts.

Suited to: larger tickets, complex or regulated businesses, confirmatory work.

Depth, timeline and fee are agreed in a scoping call, and depend on the company's stage, its complexity and the evidence required.

When to Bring Me In

Investors bring me in at three points:

Before a term sheet, to see whether technical risks should affect the price or the structure of the deal.
During confirmatory diligence, alongside the financial and legal review.
After closing, to turn the findings into a 100-day plan with clear owners.

The right depth depends on the transaction: a minority stake needs a different depth than a majority buyout or a carve-out.

Beyond the Diligence Moment

Diligence is a point-in-time view, but technical posture keeps evolving after the investment. I also work with investors on maintaining structured visibility into portfolio companies over time, and I am building tooling concepts that make tracking key technical signals across a portfolio more practical and usable.

From the Playbook

Edition 1: Deal-Maker, Not Checkbox
The purpose of Technical Due Diligence and using a risk register as a deal-making tool
Edition 2: One Size Never Fits All
Right-sizing Technical Due Diligence scope by transaction type: minority stake, majority buyout, and carve-out
Edition 27: The Post-Close 100-Day Tech-Value Plan
Turning diligence findings into a sequenced, owned 100-day plan that reduces priced-in risk and builds the value thesis

Frequently Asked Questions

What is expanded Technical Due Diligence?: A review that goes beyond code and architecture. It covers seven domains, including the engineering team, security and compliance, infrastructure, data and AI, and how technology decisions are made, so you see both the risks and the potential for value creation.
How long does it take?: It depends on the tier and on the company. A Snapshot gives a fast, directional view, an Assessment adds targeted deep dives, and a Deep Dive is an evidence-led review for larger or more complex deals. We agree depth, timeline and fee in a scoping call before the work starts.
Do you review the source code?: Yes. I focus on the parts of the code that matter most for the investment, rather than reviewing everything equally.
What do you need from the target company?: Time with the founders, the technology leadership and selected engineers, read access to the source code and the relevant systems, and the documentation that already exists.
Does the target company see the findings?: Yes. The founders receive their own debrief, so findings are discussed openly and can be addressed, rather than coming up later in the process.
What is not included?: This is decision support for investors. It is not legal or investment advice, penetration testing, certification or a full code audit.
Do you work outside Germany?: Yes. I am based in Berlin and work with investors and companies across Europe. Interviews can be held in English, German, Hebrew or Hungarian.
How is an engagement priced?: As a fixed fee, agreed after a short scoping call.

Preparing a transaction?

Get in touch to discuss scope, timeline, and whether I'm the right fit for your deal.

Contact Me