What is technical due diligence?

Technical due diligence is a comprehensive assessment of a company's technology assets, architecture, team capability, and processes. It identifies risks, hidden liabilities, and opportunities before M&A transactions, investments, or significant partnerships. The goal is to verify that technology claims match reality and to understand the true state of the technology organisation.

When should I conduct technical due diligence?

You should conduct technical due diligence before any significant financial commitment involving technology: acquisitions, major investments, partnership agreements, or when joining a company at board or executive level. Early-stage investors may conduct lighter assessments, while later-stage or acquisition scenarios typically require comprehensive reviews covering all 96 items.

How long does a technical due diligence assessment take?

A thorough technical due diligence typically takes 3-5 days of active assessment time, depending on system complexity and access to documentation, code, and team members. The elapsed time is usually 2-4 weeks to allow for scheduling interviews, reviewing materials, and producing the final report with recommendations.

Can I conduct due diligence myself or do I need an external consultant?

Internal teams can use this checklist for self-assessment or preliminary reviews. However, for high-stakes transactions, external consultants bring objectivity, cross-industry benchmarking, and established frameworks. Independent assessment is often expected by investors and boards, and external consultants can identify issues that internal teams may overlook or downplay.

What happens if the assessment reveals problems?

Discovering issues during due diligence is valuable - it allows you to renegotiate terms, request remediation before completion, or make an informed decision to proceed, delay, or walk away. The checklist includes a findings template to document red flags (immediate concerns), amber flags (areas requiring attention), and positive findings to give a balanced view.

What are you actually buying?

The questions a technical due diligence asks, in the order it asks them. You get a risk score, an investment grade, and the things that would stop the deal.

35 questions
7 areas
about 11 minutes
stays in your browser

Start with question 1 What you get

What's included

This comprehensive 96-item checklist covers every aspect of technical due diligence:

1. Architecture and Technical Design (15 items)

System architecture documentation, scalability assessment, and technology stack evaluation.

2. Code Quality and Technical Debt (15 items)

Code standards, technical debt tracking, and documentation quality review.

3. Testing and Quality Assurance (10 items)

Test coverage analysis and quality process assessment.

4. Security (16 items)

Application security, security practices, and compliance verification.

5. Infrastructure and Operations (15 items)

Hosting, deployment, monitoring, and disaster recovery evaluation.

6. Team and Processes (15 items)

Team capability, development processes, and CI/CD assessment.

7. Data and Integrations (10 items)

Data management and third-party integration review.

Plus: Summary scorecard, risk assessment matrix, findings template, and recommendations framework.

This is the same checklist used by professional investors and acquirers. Download now to conduct your own rigorous assessment.

Who it's for

This checklist is designed for anyone making high-stakes decisions involving technology assets.

Investors and VCs - Conducting due diligence before Series A and beyond? Use this checklist to validate technology claims, identify hidden technical debt, and understand the true state of the engineering organisation before committing capital.
Founders preparing for funding or exit - Know what investors will scrutinise. Run this assessment internally to identify and address weaknesses before they become negotiation points or deal-breakers.
Non-technical board members - Gain meaningful visibility into technology risks without needing to understand code. The scoring framework translates technical findings into business risk language.
CTOs and engineering leaders - Benchmark your technology organisation against professional standards. Identify blind spots and build a prioritised improvement roadmap.
M&A teams and corporate development - Whether acquiring technology companies or evaluating strategic partnerships, this checklist ensures consistent, thorough evaluation across all technology dimensions.

If technology is central to the value you are evaluating, protecting, or building - this checklist is for you.

Questions about this assessment

What is technical due diligence?: Technical due diligence is a comprehensive assessment of a company's technology assets, architecture, team capability, and processes. It identifies risks, hidden liabilities, and opportunities before M&A transactions, investments, or significant partnerships. The goal is to verify that technology claims match reality and to understand the true state of the technology organisation.
When should I conduct technical due diligence?: You should conduct technical due diligence before any significant financial commitment involving technology: acquisitions, major investments, partnership agreements, or when joining a company at board or executive level. Early-stage investors may conduct lighter assessments, while later-stage or acquisition scenarios typically require comprehensive reviews covering all 96 items.
How long does a technical due diligence assessment take?: A thorough technical due diligence typically takes 3-5 days of active assessment time, depending on system complexity and access to documentation, code, and team members. The elapsed time is usually 2-4 weeks to allow for scheduling interviews, reviewing materials, and producing the final report with recommendations.
Can I conduct due diligence myself or do I need an external consultant?: Internal teams can use this checklist for self-assessment or preliminary reviews. However, for high-stakes transactions, external consultants bring objectivity, cross-industry benchmarking, and established frameworks. Independent assessment is often expected by investors and boards, and external consultants can identify issues that internal teams may overlook or downplay.
What happens if the assessment reveals problems?: Discovering issues during due diligence is valuable - it allows you to renegotiate terms, request remediation before completion, or make an informed decision to proceed, delay, or walk away. The checklist includes a findings template to document red flags (immediate concerns), amber flags (areas requiring attention), and positive findings to give a balanced view.