Due Diligence Checklist
It is never too early to start developing and organizing your Due Diligence folder. Having your documents stored and well-organized right from the beginning will help you establish a solid foundation as you continue to structure and scale your company.
As a rule of thumb, save any and all documents you think might be of interest to a potential investor, customer or acquirer.
Due Diligence Checklist
1. Pitch Documents
- Executive Summary (max. 2 pages front and back)
- Investment Deck (max. 12 slides)
- Demo videos
- Letters of Support
- Business Model Canvas
2. Formation Documents
- Articles of Incorporation
- Employer Identification Number (EIN)
- Founder Operating Agreements
- Subscription, Shareholders Rights, Table of Shareholders, etc. (if applicable)
3. Management & Organization
- Employee List
- Organizational Chart
- List of Advisors (or Board Members)
- Bios or Resumes of Management
- Employment Agreements (NDAs, Non-competes, Non-solicitation, IP assignment, etc.)
4. Board of Directors (or Advisors)
- Bios of all the people on your Board of Directors (or Advisors)
- Minutes of all board meetings
- Contact information
5. Intellectual Property
- Patents/Trademarks
- Copyrights
- Logos
- Appropriated filings and confirmations from governing agencies
6. Strategic Plans
- Financial Plans
- Marketing Plans
- Sales Plans
- Technology Plans
7. Products/Services
- Costs of Development
- Manufacturing Costs and Details
- Drawings, etc.
8. Marketing and Sales Pipeline
- Marketing Plans
- Customer lists
- Press Releases
- List of competitions
9. Contracts
- Sales Agreements
- Partner Agreements
- Contractors
- Debt Agreements
10. Financial Information
- Financial Statements
- Federal, State and Local income taxes (if applicable)
- Cap Tables
- Insurance Policies
11. IT
- Description of internally developed software
- Product development road-maps
- Production stacks
12. Legal Information
- Pending or potential litigation
- Regulatory permits, licenses or consents