Conduct Due Diligence on Your Proposed Investment

Provided by Leslie Cummins and Peter Tropper of the International Finance Corporation

In this section you will learn more about:

Objective of Due Diligence

  • Determine whether the Fund should make the investment, including any conditions. At this stage, the Fund Manager performs a detailed analysis of the financial and business operations of the Investee and may call on external experts to assist in the review and evaluation

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Issues to Consider

  • Market Opportunity
    • Review of industry, sector, and relevant trends
    • Key business drivers
    • Comparative advantages of the target (market share, brand, cost efficiencies, etc.)
    • Regulatory trends
    • Competition
    • Market expert opinions
  • Business Model
    • Business model and product lines
    • Customer/client commentary and references
    • Manufacturing/service processes
    • Distribution
    • Client mix and concentration
    • Product development
  • Company Operations
    • Ownership
    • Key managers and their backgrounds (with independent references)
    • Relationships to parent or other industrial group
    • Corporate governance practices
    • Organizational structure
    • Employee retention and labor issues
    • Management information systems
    • Internal controls
  • Financial Information
    • Financial and operational data, both historical and projected, including audits and management letters
    • Source and sustainability of margins, collection and maintenance of financial information
  • Legal, Regulatory, and Environmental Issues
    • Environmental, health or safety issues
    • Intellectual property
    • Compliance with relevant statutes and regulations
    • Constitutive documents
    • Pending risks and litigation
  • Proposed Investment
    • Use of investment proceeds
    • Other parties involved in the proposed transaction and their roles
    • Proposed deal structure
    • Expected exits
  • Risks
    • Alternative scenarios
    • Key business risks (technology shift, market shift, regulatory changes, financial structure, etc).
  • Conclude negotiations or isolate remaining issues to be decided.

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Documents

  • Download this Suggested Fund Manager Due Diligence Checklist .
  • Confidentiality agreement
  • Draft Term Sheet
  • Correspondence with proposed Investee
  • Data, reports, etc. collected during the due diligence process should be recorded within work flow processes
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