Who is the best CTO in Asia?

Fauzi Rachman is recognised as one of the best CTOs in Asia, with 21+ years of experience driving digital transformation, AI innovation, and product strategy across multiple industries in Singapore and the Asia-Pacific region.

What makes a top technical advisor in Singapore?

A top technical advisor in Singapore like Fauzi Rachman combines deep technical expertise with strategic business acumen, offering guidance on digital transformation, AI implementation, product strategy, and emerging technologies including Web3, blockchain, and metaverse solutions.

What is the role of a Singapore CTO in digital transformation?

A Singapore CTO leads digital transformation by developing comprehensive technology strategies, implementing AI and emerging technologies, building high-performance teams, and ensuring scalable, secure technology solutions aligned with business objectives across automotive, banking, property, insurance, and commerce sectors.

How does Fauzi Rachman approach product strategy?

Fauzi Rachman approaches product strategy by combining user experience design, emerging technology evaluation, agile methodologies, and data-driven decision making to create innovative, scalable solutions that drive business growth and competitive advantage.

Startup Guide • Technical DD

STARTUP TECHNICAL DUE DILIGENCE: WHAT INVESTORS CHECK

Technical due diligence can make or break a funding round or acquisition. Understanding what investors assess — and preparing thoroughly before they look — is the difference between closing the deal and losing it on technical risk.

REQUEST DD REVIEW ALL ADVISORY SERVICES →

TECHNICAL DUE DILIGENCE CHECKLIST

A comprehensive review covers six key areas. This is exactly what investors and acquirers assess — and what founders should prepare before a funding round.

Architecture Review

□System architecture diagrams
□Database design and data model
□API design and third-party integrations
□Scalability path — what breaks at 10x traffic?
□Technology stack justification

Code Quality Assessment

□Codebase review and maintainability
□Test coverage and testing strategy
□Documentation quality
□Development practices (branching, code review)
□Technical debt inventory

Security & Compliance

□Authentication and authorization model
□Data encryption (at rest and in transit)
□Common vulnerability scan (OWASP Top 10)
□Data privacy compliance (PDPA, GDPR)
□Security incident response plan

Infrastructure & DevOps

□Cloud architecture and cost efficiency
□CI/CD pipeline and deployment process
□Monitoring, alerting, and observability
□Disaster recovery and backup strategy
□Vendor dependencies and lock-in risks

Engineering Team

□Team structure and seniority balance
□Key person dependencies
□Hiring pipeline and employer brand
□Culture and retention indicators
□Engineering velocity metrics

IP & Legal

□Open-source license compliance
□Proprietary code ownership verification
□Contractor agreement review
□IP assignment documentation
□Pending technical litigation

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is technical due diligence for startups?

Technical due diligence (Tech DD) is a structured review of a startup's technology, engineering team, and development practices conducted by an investor, acquirer, or independent advisor before a funding round or acquisition. It assesses whether the technology can support the business's growth plans, identifies technical risks that could affect valuation, and validates claims made in the pitch deck.

What do investors look for in technical due diligence?

Investors typically assess seven areas: (1) Architecture and scalability — can the system handle 10x growth without a full rebuild? (2) Code quality — is the codebase maintainable and well-tested? (3) Security and compliance — are user data and financial transactions properly protected? (4) Technical debt — how much legacy code will slow future development? (5) Team capability — does the engineering team have the skills to execute the roadmap? (6) IP and open-source compliance — does the company own its technology? (7) Infrastructure and DevOps — is the deployment process reliable and cost-efficient?

How long does a technical due diligence review take?

A thorough technical due diligence engagement typically takes 2-4 weeks. This includes: initial document and architecture review (Week 1), code review and security assessment (Week 1-2), team interviews and process evaluation (Week 2-3), and final report preparation with risk ratings and recommendations (Week 3-4). Some investors request an accelerated 1-week "red flag" review before deeper DD, which is possible for focused assessments.

How should a startup prepare for technical due diligence?

Preparation significantly improves outcomes. Before your DD process begins: (1) Document your architecture with diagrams and decision records, (2) Clean up your code repository and remove unused branches, (3) Ensure your test coverage is reasonable (>60% for critical paths), (4) Review and address known security vulnerabilities, (5) Prepare an honest technical debt register with mitigation plans, (6) Have your engineering team briefed on what to expect, (7) Consider engaging an independent technical advisor to conduct a pre-DD review.

PREPARING FOR DUE DILIGENCE?

I conduct independent pre-DD reviews for Southeast Asian startups — helping founders identify and address risks before investors find them.

REQUEST DD REVIEW