The Startup Gig
Due Diligence For Startups & Investors
Helping Startups in Due Diligence Process
Due Diligence For Startups & Investors
MEANING OF DUE DILIGENCE
In today’s magnanimously growing corporate world, Mergers and Acquisitions are the need and greed of the hour. Mergers and Acquisition is actually the consolidation of two companies. The first question that comes into our mind is how does it benefit the company? This process lowers the overall cost of the capital and other expenses and increases the productivity, creates a wider customer base and increases the market share, it reduces competition and helps in overall growth maximizing the profit. Startups today are blooming, boosting innovation and economic growth throughout the world. After the Letter of Intent is signed, the audit begins. It not only highlights the benefits but more importantly it exposes the potential risks, the obligations and liabilities, debts and penalties if any of the target company in front of the investors.. It gives the acquiring company or investor confidence that the transaction will be worth the investment. This analysis and inspection of the company’s business and operation is Due-Diligence and this helps to minimise the risk of loss and failure, assess the valuation of a business and the risks.
WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF DUE DILIGENCE FOR STARTUPS AND INVESTORS
TYPE OF DUE DILIGENCE FOR STARTUPS
Due diligence for Startups can be (but are not limited to) of the following types:
1. Legal
Legal due diligence for startups is the formal investigation of all the essential legal documents of the target company/startup that includes (but are not limited to) any pending and potential lawsuits, ownership issues, employee actions, professional licenses, employment contracts, support contracts, co-founders agreements, license agreements, company-by-laws, limited liability agreements, stockholder agreements, voting agreements insurance claims, articles of association, intellectual properties, operating contracts, leases and any other similar documents that can give rise to a contractual obligation. It also includes the methods of dispute resolution, jurisdiction, representations and warranties, property and tax liabilities. This helps the investors recognise the problems and take an informed decision of investing accordingly and avoid future lawsuits after investing or acquiring the company. Also it helps the startups evaluate their market value during such due-diligence and this is beneficial in cases when there are more than one investors or acquirers
2. Financial
The financial due diligence for startups involves the audit and assessment of the financial records and financial health/position of the company. It includes due diligence reports on assets bought and sold, the debts or loans if any to avoid future jeopardy. It helps the acquirer or investor assess the true market value of the company. The financial due diligence helps to detect and kind of tax evasions as well which can later cause a liability.
3. Tax(direct and indirect)
Tax due diligence for startups involves the thorough assessment of a company’s tax liability, authenticating the tax returns, tax audit details, any agreements with tax agencies and the jurisdiction that governs it and also look for any tax evasions.
4. Intellectual property
Intellectual property assets are intangible assets which increase the market value of the company and sets the brand apart from its competitors so it is very significant that the target company has sole and exclusive ownership of the trademarks, patents and copyrights involved and the assessment of how well these are protected(if they are registered or not) is also important. So IP Due-diligence assesses for startups the quality of these intangible assets and also checks whether or not there are any disputes pending involving the target company’s IP assets.
5. Operational
Operational due diligence for startups helps to assess the future of the target company by identifying the benefits and flaws of the current business plans, internal operational processes of the company, investments made by the company and reveals the true economic position of the business, creating a better value creation plan and also unveil any operational risk. In the case of M&A, Operational due diligence for startups answers the question of what will the buying company do with the target company once it is theirs and thus helps in smoothing the process.
6. Information technology
IT due diligence for startups helps to survey the IT infrastructure of the company and how the sensitive data is being protected and if the softwares used are up to date. It helps to assess the annual expenditure of the company on IT maintenance and assess the disaster recovery plan.
7. Human Resources
Employment contracts, salaries, bonuses,es and other allowances and benefits enjoyed by the companies are assessed in the human resources due diligence for startups report.
8. Commercial/Market due diligence
Market due diligence for startups helps to assess the commercial or market value of the brand by evaluating the market size and market share, customer base, potential competitors, and future prospects. It analyses the overall company performance and its market position.
9. Business
The business due diligence for startups involves probing into the various business and marketing strategies and action plans, sales, franchise agreements, agency agreements, etc and this helps in operating the business once the merger and acquisition take place and also make the investors acquainted with how the business is going to run and so make the transaction profitable.
10. Environmental
There are certain rules and environmental due diligence for startups standards according to which a company should operate. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets forth the standards for conducting environmental due diligence. This can include assessing the properties in connection with any kind of potential risk of environmental contamination, proper removal of hazardous waste products, any past oil spills or fire incidences, whether the required environmental permits are in place
11. Regulatory
The regulatory due diligence for startups involves the review of the company’s regulatory compliance status and understanding regulatory obligations and attentate regulatory risks.
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Frequently Asked Questions for Due-diligence For Startups
1. I keep hearing about due diligence. What exactly is it, and why do investors insist on it?
Due diligence is basically a deep dive into your startup’s legal, financial, and operational records. Investors want to be sure there are no hidden risks before they invest in you. Think of it as them doing their homework before writing the cheque.
2.When should I think about doing due diligence? Only after investors show interest?
Not really. It’s smart to prepare before you approach investors. Being “due diligence ready” shows that you’re serious, organized, and reduces the chances of last-minute issues that could delay or kill a deal.
3.What kind of documents will I need to show?
Usually, it covers:
- Incorporation and registration papers
- Founder or shareholder agreements
- IP registrations and ownership documents
- Employee and vendor contracts
- Compliance filings and statutory records
- Financial statements, tax returns, and liabilities
4.How much time does the whole process take?
It can take anywhere between 2 to 6 weeks, depending on how complex your business is and how neatly your documents are organized.
5. Can The Startup Gig actually help me get investor-ready?
Absolutely. We do pre-investment due diligence, review your records, highlight gaps, and help you fix them,so when investors start asking, you’ve already got everything in order.
6.What kind of red flags scare investors the most?
Things like missing founder agreements, poor compliance history, unregistered IP, inaccurate financial numbers, or ongoing legal disputes. We help you identify and sort these issues before investors dig in.
7. Does financial due diligence only look at past numbers?
No, it’s both. Investors look at your past data to confirm stability and your future projections to assess growth potential. Both matter.
8. I’m still early-stage. Do I really need due diligence right now?
Yes. Even angel investors might want to check your basics. Being prepared makes you stand out and builds trust, even if you’re not at Series A yet.
Who does due diligence?
9.What’s the difference between legal due diligence and financial due diligence?
- Legal due diligence → checks compliance, contracts, IP, and disputes.
- Financial due diligence → looks at accounts, taxation, liabilities, and cash flow.
10.Apart from due diligence, how else can The Startup Gig support me during fundraising?
We go beyond due diligence,we also help with your pitch deck, financial modeling, valuation reports, drafting legal agreements, and even negotiations with investors.