July 25, 2026 · Sujit Maharana
Why Do CEOs See AI Value but Can't Scale It?
Nearly nine in ten CEOs now see AI value, but only in targeted areas. New BCG data finds that organizational barriers, more than technical ones, are what limit scale.
Insights
Articles on M&A, technology diligence and AI governance
Notes from both practices, written from inside PE-backed and founder-led software companies. They cover how a sale or a raise is run, what diligence finds, how a hold period should be sequenced, and where technology changes the value of a business.
July 22, 2026 · Sujit Maharana
How Much Does an AI Audit Cost?
AI audit covers three different things at three very different price points. The cost is set almost entirely by scope: how many AI systems you run, how ready your evidence is, and which standard you're measured against. Before you price an audit, find out whether you need one.
July 19, 2026 · Sujit Maharana
AI Governance Assessment vs. AI Audit: What a PE-Backed Company Needs
Three different things get called an AI audit. A self-assessment tells you where you stand, a third-party audit gives an outsider's attestation, and a regulator-required conformity assessment is a legal obligation. A PE-backed company usually needs them in that order, and rarely needs the last one as early as it fears.
July 16, 2026 · Sujit Maharana
The Shadow AI Inventory Checklist
Most mid-market portfolio companies cannot list the AI systems running inside the business. Here is how to build that list.
July 13, 2026 · Sujit Maharana
The EU AI Act, in Plain English, for Mid-Market Portfolio Companies
The EU AI Act applies to US mid-market companies more often than founders assume, and buyers are starting to ask about it in diligence.
July 10, 2026 · Sujit Maharana
Sell-Side vs. Buy-Side Technology Diligence: What Changes?
Buy-side and sell-side diligence review the same technology estate for opposite purposes. Buy-side diligence helps a buyer set the price it pays. Sell-side diligence helps a seller defend its asking price before the buyer's advisors review the technology.
July 7, 2026 · Sujit Maharana
How Is PRISM Different from a Code-Review Tech DD?
A code-review tech DD reports that the code has problems. PRISM states what each problem costs, when that cost falls due, and whether it changes the deal.
July 4, 2026 · Sujit Maharana
Fractional CTO or Full-Time Hire: How Should a Portco Decide?
The deciding factor is how well the role is defined. Hire full-time when the role is defined and there is a long hold period ahead. Go fractional when you need senior judgment before you can commit.
July 1, 2026 · Sujit Maharana
Which Diligence Findings to Fix First in the Hold Period
Diligence asks what is broken in the technology stack. The hold period should ask which of those problems are worth fixing first.
June 28, 2026 · Sujit Maharana
What a Technology Due Diligence Review Finds
Most pre-close technology reviews answer whether the code is good. A deal team needs to know what each problem costs to fix, and when it has to be fixed.
March 9, 2026 · Bass Zanjani
Modern Combat, Asymmetric Warfare: Investing in Robotics & Drones
Cheap drones and autonomous systems are changing the cost-exchange ratio of modern defense and moving capital toward Counter-UAS, sensors and the autonomy supply chain. Where sponsors are transacting, and what the diligence bar looks like.
March 3, 2026 · Bass Zanjani
Market Heat: What History Teaches Us About Investing During Middle East Conflicts
When Middle East tensions flare, the reflex is to look for the nearest exit. Fifty years of market history, from the 1973 oil embargo to the current tensions, says something different about how equities behave.
February 13, 2026 · Bass Zanjani
The Tech-Enabled Playbook: How Private Equity is Redefining Value Creation in 2026
Leverage, cost cuts and multiple expansion are no longer enough on their own to make a deal work. This is the playbook the firms winning deals are running instead, from technology diligence before close to AI-driven margin expansion and real-time portfolio visibility.
February 12, 2026 · Bass Zanjani
Quality of Earnings vs. Quality of Revenue: Which Diligence Really Protects Your Investment?
Most buyers treat a Quality of Earnings report as the standard for M&A diligence, and they are not wrong. Sophisticated buyers are going further with Quality of Revenue analysis. What each one tells you, and what it does not.
November 6, 2025 · Bass Zanjani
Why Private Equity is Chasing Tech
2024 was a banner year for private equity technology investment, and the momentum continued into 2025, especially in the middle market. What is fueling the shift, and what it means for founders, management teams and investors.
November 6, 2025 · Bass Zanjani
What's Driving M&A Growth in the MENA Region for 2025?
MENA recorded $115.5 billion in announced deals in the first half of 2025, a 149% surge on the previous year. The regulatory reform, sovereign capital, macro conditions and cross-border activity behind that number, and the sectors absorbing it.