We begin commercial due diligence processes from a point of humility. We develop hypotheses, which we try to validate or refute, being particularly mindful of the impact of digitization.

Modern due diligence processes need to take into account the impact of digital technologies - both as a threat (red-flag) as well as an opportunity.

CDD teams need to identify the key questions that, when answered, allow a judgment as to whether a target is worth investing in - and standard approaches often do not deliver these answers. Instead of spending time on finding these relevant questions, CDD providers tend obfuscate a relevant opinion by deliver sheer mass of output.

We seek to truly understand the key drivers of the industry our targets operate in. We do this through intense preparation, through the addition of industry experts to our teams, and leveraging our extensive and complementary expertise.

We think both as advisers and as entrepreneurs. We constantly ask "What would we do, if it was our company?".

Design thinking approaches guide us, when determining potential disruptive forces that could affect targets. E.g. we use "destroy your business" exercises to understand scenarios in which the target business model could become obsolete, particularly given the potential impact of digitization. We also spend time to identify start-ups that could either be potential disruptive competitors or become attractive add-ons to the target.