Technology & AI Due Diligence

Know exactly what you're buying — before you close.

Independent, fixed-fee technology and AI due diligence for private equity — what's real, what's risky, and what it will cost, in two to three weeks.

Former GE Capital CIO and turnaround CEO · led technology diligence on 11 M&A transactions, buy- and sell-side, across banking and digital health
The gap I close

Most lower-middle-market buyers go into a deal without an independent technology and AI read — and pay for it after close.

~60%

of acquisitions hit avoidable technology problems in the first 90 days, and ~45% of dealmakers say the technology review is the most expensive, onerous part of diligence. A fast, fixed-fee, independent read changes that.

Services

Assess before you buy. Capture value after you close.

Three connected engagements — meet me at diligence, and the same relationship can carry through the first year of ownership.

01
Fixed fee · 2–3 weeks

AI & Technology Diligence Sprint

A pre-close assessment of a target's technology, security, and AI against your thesis — delivered as a board-ready report with a red/amber/green verdict, the findings that affect the deal, the upside and savings worth capturing, required investments, and a 100-day punch-list.

View a sample report →
02
Post-close

100-Day Technology Plan

The prioritized plan that turns diligence into value: quick wins, organization moves, security remediation, cost takeout, and a data and AI roadmap tied directly to EBITDA.

03
Retainer

Fractional CIO / CTO

Embedded technology leadership for a portfolio company — executing the plan, steering the roadmap, and reporting value to the board, without the cost of a full-time hire.

What I assess

Both sides of the ledger — the risks that bite after close, and the upside, savings, and technology claims worth pressure-testing before you pay for them.

Risk & resilience
Technology org & key-person risk
Application architecture & technical debt
IP ownership, protection & validity
Production-readiness, sustainability & portability beyond the original builders
Cybersecurity & data privacy
Infrastructure, cloud & cost-to-serve
Upside, optimization & validation
Validation of technology & AI claims
Cost & efficiency optimization — cloud, licensing, vendors, automation
Technology & AI value-creation tied to EBITDA
Scalability for the growth or roll-up thesis
How it works

A clear, fixed process — start to board-ready in 2–3 weeks.

Kickoff & data request

Align on the thesis and the questions that matter; issue the data and document request.

Day 1

Review & interviews

Documents, systems, and architecture review; interviews with management and the tech team.

Week 1–2

Findings readout

A verbal red/amber/green readout of the findings that move the deal.

End of week 2

Board-ready report

Written report your deal team can drop into the IC memo, plus a 100-day punch-list.

Week 2–3
MZ
About

Mark Zalan

Technology leader, operator & M&A advisor

Twenty-five years at the intersection of financial services and technology. As CIO of GE Capital's regional bank, I built the technology platforms behind a full retail-banking business — cards, loans, mortgages, and deposits — supporting roughly $2 billion in annual regional sales, led a 120-person organization, and served on the management board. At GE I was also part of the corporate team that integrated acquisitions and prepared businesses for divestiture.

I've led technology due diligence on eleven M&A transactions — eight on the buy side and three on the sell side — across banking and digital health, and managed cross-border post-deal integration. As a CEO, I led a turnaround that took a lender from a multi-million-dollar loss to profit within a year.

I currently serve on the board of a venture-backed technology company, and I work with a small number of investors at a time — entirely behind the scenes.

Who I work with

Built for lower-middle-market investors

Independent sponsors, search funds, and lower-middle-market private equity firms — typically on deals where technology and AI materially drive the thesis.

Contact

Have a deal with a technology question mark?

Let's talk before you close. A 20-minute call is usually enough to know whether a sprint is worth it.

All engagements conducted under NDA · independent of any portfolio company