Daniel Amundson
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PE Technical Due Diligence & Board Governance

Independent technical assessment for PE-backed and high-growth companies. Audit engineering risk, scalability, and culture before and after investment.

Why PE Firms Bring Me In

Traditional due diligence often stops at security checklists and uptime charts. That’s not enough when you are buying a technology asset whose value depends on the health of its architecture and engineering culture.

I look under the hood: code quality, architectural decisions, operational resilience, and the team’s ability to execute the value creation plan you’re underwriting.

Board-Level Outcomes

For investors and directors

  • • Clear technical red flags before you wire funds
  • • Realistic view of investment required post-close
  • • Independent voice on technology risk in the boardroom
  • • Early warning system for scaling and reliability issues

What This Includes

Pre-Deal Technical Risk Audit

Go beyond “it seems fine.” Understand what you’re really buying.

I perform a deep-dive technical review of the target: architecture, codebase, infrastructure, security posture, and engineering practices. The goal is not to nitpick — it's to surface risks that change valuation, deal structure, or post-close plans.

  • Red/yellow/green risk ratings across key technical domains
  • Assessment of team capability vs. growth expectations
  • Estimate of required remediation and scaling investment

Post-Close 100-Day Technical Roadmap

Turn findings into an actionable value creation plan.

After close, I work with management to prioritize what needs to happen in the first 100 days to stabilize, de-risk, and set the foundation for growth.

  • Sequenced remediation plan for major technical risks
  • Alignment of technology initiatives with investment thesis
  • Clear KPIs and reporting rhythm for the board

Interim “Guardian CTO” Services

Maintain technical standards while leadership changes or scales.

When there is a leadership gap — or when the organization is not yet ready for a full-time senior hire — I act as an interim technical guardian for the board and CEO.

  • Review and challenge major technical decisions
  • Mentor existing engineering leadership
  • Ensure execution stays aligned with the investment thesis

Blind Case Study: Defense & Logistics Platform

A defense and logistics program required reliable location tracking for abandoned heavy equipment in extremely hostile, low-bandwidth environments. Failure wasn’t a “feature delay” — it would have meant losing multi-million dollar assets.

I was engaged to design the software architecture and constraints around very real physical limits: intermittent connectivity, harsh environments, and devices that could not be “rebooted in the field.”

Outcome:

  • Deployed a fault-tolerant tracking system optimized for intermittent networks
  • Enabled reliable recovery of high-value equipment under extreme conditions
  • Provided a governance model for ongoing technical risk monitoring

Need a technical adult in the boardroom?

I partner with PE firms and boards to provide an independent view on technology risk, both before and after you invest. If you want fewer surprises and more control, we should talk.