Frequently Asked Questions
The questions and answers below are meant to provide quick answers to frequently asked questions. We will respond quickly to any further questions - book some time here for an in-person discussion.
How do you engage with the Engineering Team ?
Our approach to technical due diligence is always collaborative and supportive. We engage with the engineering team through a series of meetings - either on-site or via video conferencing. During these meetings we discuss the information that has been provided to us in response to the information request. From our perspective the engagement is mutually beneficial, and is never aimed at criticising the existing technology environment.
How long is it likely to take to complete the Due Diligence ?
Depending on the scale of the company and the platform, it typically takes between five and ten days to complete an assessment. This is not "linear" time, but is the total time our experts spend on the project. The actual duration directly depends on the time that it takes for us to receive a complete response to the request for information. These times are merely indicative - in some cases a more iterative approach is needed, which can significantly extend the timelines.
What type of report can we expect ?
You will receive a comprehensive, well-structured report that addresses each of the key areas of the typical technology estate. These include People, Product, Operations, Infrastructure, Security and Cost. The report will address any specific concerns or questions highlighted by the customer. Every report will include a risk matrix and will list conditions precedent (if the focus of the assessment is an investment. The content of a report can be customised to the customer's needs, and may be extended to include presentations that are suitable for Executive Committee or Board consumption.
Do you have expertise in our domain of business ?
From our experience we've learned that the basics of software architecture and development are constant across many business domains. What changes are regulatory requirements, scaling patterns, the specific software stack and of course the product roadmap. We work with consumer-facing and B2B businesses - domain expertise becomes much more applicable when working with "deep tech". That said, we have very broad experience across fintech, ecommerce, insurtech, edtech, digital value transfer, crypto platforms, digital media delivery amongst others.
Is our data protected ?
Yes. We prefer to use a data room provisioned by you. You remain in control of your data. We do use AI tools to facilitate our workflow, but only under conditions where the data is not used to train any third-party models. We always operate under your NDA.
May I share the report with others ?
Yes. You may freely offer the document for use by investors and may share it in a data room. We will offer a standard indemnity or “hold harmless” letter to investors if required, at no further cost. Modifications to the standard letter will incur additional costs. Rosewood undertakes to make its team available for interviews with potential investors based on the contents of the assessment, with advance notice of at least five working days, for six months from the date of delivery of the report. Time spent on interviews with investors will be billable.
Can you evaluate the use of Machine Learning or AI tools ?
Yes. These tools have become an integral part of the development lifecycle for a large proportion of development teams. We use these tools in our engagements as CTOs, and have evaluated the cost and effectiveness of the tools for a number of our customers.
How can you assist us now that we have completed the DD ?
Rosewood offers both an advisory service and a fractional CTO service. We can structure a further engagement according to your needs. It is not uncommon for us to engage with our customers over an extended period of time as hands-on CTOs.
Can you provide ongoing re-evaluation and updates for a platform ?
Yes. Through our sister company, EvidenceAtlas.ai, we can automate the process of updating a technology DD report every time new data becomes available. Our experts remain in the loop, but the process is effectively seamless from the perspective of the company being evaluated. This service is especially useful to investors with a large portfolio of startups, or to the non-technical management team of a company that conducted an internal due diligence assessment. Reach out to us at partners@rosewoodd.com (or at https://evidenceatlas.ai) to learn more.
Can you perform reverse due diligence for companies preparing for an exit ?
Yes. We provide Reverse Due Diligence to help founders identify and remediate technical liabilities before a sale or funding round. This process uncovers hidden architectural issues, open-source compliance risks, and technical debt that could negatively affect your company's valuation during investor scrutiny.
Do you sign Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) before evaluating proprietary systems?
Absolutely. Due to the highly sensitive nature of proprietary intellectual property, codebases, and pre-deal investment data, a comprehensive NDA is executed before any documentation, source-code access, or team interviews commence.
Do you perform code reviews ?
Yes. Prior to committing to a code review, we will discuss the purpose of the review with you , it is important that we understand what you hope to get out of it. Architecture and process are often more important than a code review, but in cases where you have specific questions about the maintainability, quality or security of the code, a code review may be applicable. It is important to note that we do use AI tools to perform code reviews (although we will interpret the results for you). To do a code review, we will require access to your source code repositories.