Due Diligence for Startups

Before we dig deeper, it's important to set the stage. Picture this: You've developed an innovative product or service and have started your own business. Now you're seeking venture capital - funds from investors - to help grow your startup. 

But before investors part with their money, they need to feel confident that your business is a worthwhile investment. This is where the process of due diligence comes in. Let's learn more about it.

Jump Ahead:

1. What Is Due Diligence in Venture Capital?
2. Key Stages of Due Diligence for Startups
3. How to Prepare for Due Diligence
4. Due Diligence Document Checklist

Due diligence, in the context of venture capital, is a bit like doing your homework before buying something important. Imagine you're about to buy a used car. You wouldn't just pay the asking price without checking it out first, right? You'd want to test drive it, inspect it, and maybe even ask a mechanic to look under the hood. That's due diligence.

Similarly, venture capitalists do their "homework" on your startup before investing. They'll examine everything from your business model to your financials, your team, competition, and legal matters. They may ask for a lot of information and ask a lot of questions. This is all part of the due diligence process. They're making sure that your "car" (aka your startup) is as good as you say it is, and there won't be any surprise breakdowns down the road.

Why Due Diligence Is Important

The importance of due diligence cannot be overstated. For investors, it's a key step to help minimize risk. After all, they want to make sure their investment will give them a good return.

For you, the entrepreneur, due diligence can be a blessing in disguise. Yes, it might be time-consuming and sometimes challenging. But it can also give you deep insights into your business. It helps you identify any potential weaknesses or gaps that you might have overlooked, which gives you a chance to fix them.

Plus, it's a great opportunity to show off your business. By providing thorough, organized, and accurate information, you can demonstrate that your business is a solid, well-thought-out venture. In other words, it's an opportunity to show that your business is an investment worth making.

As we move forward in this guide, we will dive deeper into each stage of the due diligence process, providing you with actionable steps to help you navigate it with confidence and ease.

Let's explore the main stages of the due diligence process to give you a solid understanding and guide you through the next steps.

1. Preliminary Due Diligence

Before diving deep into the due diligence process, potential investors often start with preliminary due diligence. This stage involves conducting a high-level assessment of your startup to determine if it aligns with their investment criteria. Key activities during this stage include:

• Reviewing Pitch Deck: Investors analyze your pitch deck to understand your business model, target market, competitive advantage, and growth potential. 
• Exploring Online Presence: Investors may search for information about your startup online, including your website, social media profiles, and news articles. 
• Checking References: Investors might reach out to your references, such as previous investors, mentors, or industry experts, to gather insights about your startup's track record and credibility.

2. Financial Due Diligence

Financial due diligence is a critical aspect of the due diligence process, where investors scrutinize your financial statements, projections, and overall financial health. This stage aims to assess the viability and sustainability of your business. Key activities during financial due diligence include:

• Reviewing Financial Statements: Investors examine your income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements to evaluate your revenue, expenses, assets, liabilities, and cash position. 
• Analyzing Projections: Investors assess the reasonableness of your financial projections, comparing them with industry benchmarks and market trends. 
• Assessing Financial Controls: Investors evaluate your financial systems, processes, and internal controls to ensure transparency, accuracy, and compliance.

3. Legal Due Diligence

Legal due diligence focuses on assessing the legal aspects of your startup, including contracts, intellectual property, regulatory compliance, and potential legal risks. Investors want to ensure that your startup operates within the bounds of the law. Key activities during legal due diligence include:

• Reviewing Legal Documents: Investors examine contracts, licenses, leases, and other legal agreements to understand your obligations, rights, and potential liabilities.
• Protecting Intellectual Property: Investors assess the status of your intellectual property, including trademarks, patents, copyrights, and trade secrets.
• Identifying Legal Risks: Investors work with legal professionals to identify any legal risks associated with your startup.

4. Operational Due Diligence

Operational due diligence aims to evaluate your startup's operational capabilities, processes, and scalability. Investors want to understand how effectively you can deliver products or services, manage growth, and optimize operations. Key activities during operational due diligence include:

• Assessing Operational Efficiency: Investors review your operational workflows, production processes, and supply chain management to identify any inefficiencies or areas for improvement. 
• Evaluating Key Partnerships: Investors examine your relationships with suppliers, vendors, and key partners to assess their reliability, contracts, and potential impact on your business. 
• Analyzing Growth Strategy: Investors analyze your growth plans, market penetration strategies, and competitive landscape. 

5. Commercial Due Diligence

Commercial due diligence focuses on evaluating your startup's business model, sales and marketing strategies, and revenue potential. Key activities during commercial due diligence include:

• Business Model Assessment: Investors examine your business model to ensure it is viable and scalable. They assess your value proposition, revenue streams, cost structure, and potential for long-term profitability. 
• Sales and Marketing Evaluation: Investors review your sales and marketing strategies to understand your customer acquisition channels, sales processes, and marketing campaigns. They assess your sales pipeline, conversion rates, and customer retention strategies. 
• Revenue Potential Analysis: Investors assess your revenue projections and evaluate their alignment with your business model and market opportunities. They analyze your pricing strategy, revenue growth potential, and potential revenue risks.

Recommended: Check out Y Combinator’s Series A Diligence Checklist to help you further navigate investor requirements.

Due diligence for startups can seem like a daunting process, but with the right preparation and guidance, you can sail through it more smoothly. We’ve outlined the main steps below:

Step 1: Assemble Your Team

Depending on the complexity of your business, it may be useful to engage professionals to help you prepare. Here are a few of the key players you may need on your side:

• Lawyer: A lawyer will help you understand legal requirements and ensure all your documents are in order. They can also assist in negotiations with potential investors.
• Accountant: Accountants can examine financial statements, cash flows, tax issues, and other financial aspects of the business. Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) are particularly skilled in these areas.
• Financial advisor: They can provide advice on the financial aspects of the deal, including valuation, capital structure, and financing options.
• Business consultant: These professionals have a broad understanding of business operations and can help identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
• Industry expert: Depending on your sector, it may be useful to have an industry expert who can vouch for your business model and growth potential.

These professionals can work independently or as part of a due diligence consulting firm. It's crucial to choose individuals or firms with experience in the startup's specific industry and with the type of transaction being contemplated (e.g., venture capital investment, merger, or acquisition).

Remember, these professionals are there to support you. Don't hesitate to ask them questions and leverage their expertise.

Step 2: Gather Your Documents

Organizing and updating your documentation is crucial. These can include:

• Business plans
• Financial statements
• Legal documents
• Contracts
• Intellectual property proofs
• Employee records

You can see a more extensive list of documents typically required for the startup due diligence process.

Step 3: Prepare a Virtual Data Room (VDR)

A virtual data room (VDR) is an online platform or software that facilitates the secure storage, organization, and sharing of confidential documents and information during due diligence processes. Here are some key benefits of having a VDR:

• Centralized Information Storage: VDRs provide a centralized repository for all critical data related to a startup. This makes it easy for potential investors, partners, or acquirers to locate and review essential information efficiently.
• Security & Control: VDRs offer robust security measures, including encryption, two-factor authentication, and access controls. This ensures that confidential information remains secure and only those with the appropriate permissions can access it.
• Time & Cost Savings: A VDR eliminates the need for physical document storage, printing, and courier services, reducing associated costs. It also saves time by eliminating the manual effort involved in organizing and distributing documents. 
• Transparent Auditing & Reporting: VDRs typically come with built-in tools for auditing and tracking activity within the data room. This gives startups insights into which documents investors are most interested in and how much time they spend on them, enabling better anticipation of questions and potential concerns.
• Scalability: As the startup grows and the volume of its data increases, a VDR can easily be expanded to accommodate the growing needs, unlike a physical data room.
• Credibility: Utilizing a VDR can help portray a startup as more professional and well-organized, as it signals to investors and other interested parties that the company is serious, transparent, and prepared for scrutiny.

Overall, virtual data rooms significantly streamline the due diligence process, making it more efficient, secure, and transparent for all parties involved.

Recommended: Don't just tell investors your company is worth investing in — show them. Sign up for Systematic to build your virtual data room today and get 50% off the first year.

Step 4: Prepare for Investor Questions

Research common due diligence questions that entrepreneurs typically encounter in your industry. By understanding what investors commonly inquire about, you can proactively prepare thorough and well-thought-out answers.

These can cover a range of topics, such as:

• Your business model
• Your team
• Your target market
• Your competitive advantage

You could even conduct mock interviews with your team or external advisors to simulate the due diligence process. This exercise can help identify any knowledge gaps or areas that require further preparation.

Remember, thorough preparation can make the due diligence process smoother and increase the chance of a successful outcome. Don't hesitate to seek help from professionals and ask questions whenever you're unsure.

Here’s a checklist of documents that are commonly required in the startup due diligence process:

Corporate Documents:

• Articles of Incorporation
• Bylaws
• Minutes and resolutions from board and shareholder meetings
• List of shareholders and share ledger
• Subsidiary information and related documents
• Joint venture, partnership, or other similar agreements

Intellectual Property:

• Registered patents, copyrights, trademarks, and other intellectual property rights
• Details of any infringements on IP rights, ongoing disputes, or litigation
• Licensing agreements, royalty agreements, development agreements
• Confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements
• Employee invention assignment agreements
• Source code escrow arrangements

Financial Documents:

• Audited financial statements for the past 3-5 years
• Current financial statement (unaudited)
• List of outstanding debt, secured assets, liens, etc.
• Detailed sales forecasts and revenue projections
• Major customer contracts
• Detailed list of fixed and variable expenses
• Capitalization table

Contracts and Agreements:

• Customer contracts
• Partnership agreements
• Vendor contracts
• Leasing agreements
• Sales and purchase agreements
• Distribution agreements
• Software license agreements
• Employment contracts and agreements
• Non-compete and non-solicitation agreements

Human Resources:

• Employee list, including positions, tenure, salaries, benefits, and equity interest
• Copies of any stock option plans, profit sharing, bonuses, and other incentive plans
• Employment policies (equal opportunity, harassment, etc.)
• Details of any labor disputes, employee lawsuits, etc.
• Independent contractor agreements

Technology and Product Information:

• Technical architecture documentation
• Product roadmaps
• Quality assurance and control procedures
• Details of technology vendors or partners
• User or customer data analysis

Legal Matters:

• Information about ongoing or threatened litigation
• Regulatory notices or actions
• Information on any previous lawsuits or legal disputes
• Employment-related claims or grievances
• Information on compliance with applicable laws and regulations

Marketing and Customers:

• Marketing strategies and plans
• Customer demographics and segmentation information
• Customer satisfaction surveys, reviews, and complaints
• Public relations strategies and press releases

Insurance:

• List of all insurance policies (liability, property, director's and officer's liability, etc.)
• Claims history
• Information on any self-insured liabilities or captives

IT and Cybersecurity:

• IT infrastructure, including hardware, software, and network details
• Cybersecurity policies and procedures
• Information on any past data breaches or cybersecurity incidents
• Data management and protection practices
• Software licenses, service level agreements (SLAs)

Disclaimer: This is a generalized list, and the specific requirements may vary. Each deal will have unique considerations, so this checklist may need to be modified depending on the specific situation. Always consult with a lawyer or advisor with experience in due diligence for startups to ensure that you are comprehensively evaluating all relevant areas.

Understanding the due diligence process is essential for any first-time entrepreneur embarking on the journey of starting a new business. By conducting thorough due diligence, you can mitigate risks, make informed decisions, and enhance the overall success potential of your startup. 

Remember to gather relevant information, assess key areas such as legal, financial, and market factors, and seek professional advice when needed. By dedicating time and effort to due diligence today, you are building a strong foundation for the future of your startup.