Technical Due Diligence · Maturity Assessment
I'll tell you what the technology can really do.
Acquisition, investment or major modernization: I clone the repositories, read architecture and code, talk to the developers — and find out what holds and what doesn't. Without sugar-coating.
Process and report structure are shown below.
2 weeks
5 dimensions
12+
ISO 25010
The Problem
✕ The slides shine. The code decides.
Pitch decks show the surface. Whether the product scales and the team can evolve it lives in the code, the architecture and the development process. That's exactly where nobody looks at deal speed.
✕ Everything is "AI" now
Every second product sells itself as AI-first. What's actually underneath only shows on close inspection — including running costs, GDPR and the EU AI Act.
Why my assessment comes out different
From someone who builds
12+ years of platform and architecture work in banking, energy and industry. I know how technical debt is born and what it costs.
Deep code review
Experience with large enterprise codebases. I find not just surface-level bugs but the architectural problems that throttle scaling and maintainability later.
AI substance as a dimension
How solid are the AI claims? Model dependencies, data flows, running costs, GDPR and EU AI Act risks. Assessed by someone who builds production AI systems himself.
A report that holds
ISO 25010, 6R classification, make-vs-buy business case. The report works in the boardroom and in engineering alike.
How an assessment runs
Every finding has a location
This is how I assessed a banking-as-a-service platform in two weeks and built the 6R analysis with a make-vs-buy business case for an energy software provider.
Access & overview
In the room: the client, the target's management
We clarify what gets assessed and what matters most to you. Then I build my overview.
- ▸Sharpen scope and assessment questions
- ▸Data room and documentation review
- ▸Architecture and system overview
- ▸Clarify access — repos, infrastructure, contacts
Outcome: A clarified scope with prioritized questions.
Deep-dive
In the room: the target's team and key people
Documents say what should be. Code and interviews show what is.
- ▸Expert interviews with the team and key developers
- ▸Deep-dive code analysis down to the architecture
- ▸Infrastructure and delivery practice
- ▸Scoring along ISO 25010
Outcome: Evidenced findings per dimension.
Verdict & report
In the room: the deal team or management
Findings get weighed: what is deal-relevant, what is ordinary technical debt, what does fixing it cost?
- ▸Risk matrix by impact and likelihood
- ▸Recommendations with effort indication
- ▸Report walkthrough with the deal team or management
- ▸Q&A after the handover
Outcome: The finished report, walked through rather than just sent.
Three occasions, one process
Know what's inside before you buy
The target's architecture, code, team and roadmap. What is solid, what is risk, what does modernization cost? Report in two to four weeks.
Pitch versus reality
Does the foundation scale, can the team carry the vision? Post-investment support on request.
Where does your platform stand?
Before a modernization, migration or growth push. Result: a 6R classification and a make-vs-buy business case.
What my process looks like
Four excerpts from my assessment framework — click through or let it run.
Every quality dimension of ISO 25010 judged on its own — no blended overall grade.
Engagement models
Investment Check
The focused assessment, before capital flows.
- ✓Architecture, code and process review
- ✓Team assessment — can they execute the vision?
- ✓AI claims checked against reality
- ✓Risk matrix with a clear recommendation
For: VC/angel investments and smaller targets
Full Tech DD
The complete assessment across all five dimensions.
- ✓All five dimensions incl. compliance & security
- ✓Analysis of the entire codebase, not just samples
- ✓Interviews with the team and key people
- ✓Report for the board and the deal team
- ✓Optional — modernization roadmap for the target
For: M&A, PE investments, larger targets
Maturity Assessment
Maturity scoring based on ISO 25010, with a roadmap instead of a list of findings.
- ✓Assessment along ISO 25010
- ✓6R classification of the landscape
- ✓Make-vs-buy business case
- ✓Roadmap with prioritized steps
For: your own platform before major decisions
Every assessment is confidential — happy to sign an NDA before the first call. For assessments beyond technology, I partner with consulting firms and deliver the technical part.
From the field
- Published on
A Smart Start for Startups
Next step
Let's talk about your target
30 minutes: you sketch the case — target, occasion, timeline. I tell you what an assessment can deliver, how long it takes and what it costs.