FRAMEWORK
PRISM™ — Technology Due Diligence Framework
Version 1.2 · Last updated July 21, 2026
Sujit Maharana · Operating Partner, Crescent Capital Advisors
CCA's proprietary technology due diligence framework. Five dimensions scored 0–100. Every finding priced as CapEx requirement, EBITDA drag, or exit multiple implication. A financial instrument, not a checklist.
PRISM is how we see the asset. CLEAR™ is how we operate it.
The Five Dimensions
| Letter | Dimension | The Business Question | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| P | Portfolio Fit | Can tech support the investment thesis? | Gate |
| R | Risk Quantification | What tech risks create financial exposure? | Price |
| I | Infrastructure & Engineering | Can the platform scale? | Foundation |
| S | Strategic Data Assets | Can the data create value? | Upside |
| M | Management & Execution | Can this team deliver the thesis? | Multiplier |
The I vs. S Distinction
I - Can the platform scale? Foundation question: engineering and infrastructure. A failing I score is CapEx: servers to buy, engineers to hire, systems to rebuild.
S - Can the data create value? Upside question: AI, data assets, monetization. A strong S score is enterprise value waiting to be captured.
Different questions, different money at stake, a different operator for each.
Score Thresholds
| Score | Interpretation | Implication |
|---|---|---|
| 80–100 | Technology Strength | Value creation focus |
| 60–79 | Technology Ready | Targeted remediation |
| 40–59 | Technology Risk | Priced remediation required |
| 20–39 | Technology Liability | Deal terms adjust |
| 0–19 | Technology Deal Risk | Re-price or pass |
Every finding maps to one of four buckets: Gate (stops the deal), Price (negotiated into offer), Thesis (changes what the deal is supposed to do), or Lever (becomes part of the 100-day plan).
Key Outputs
- PRISM Score: 0–100 composite, weighted by thesis
- Engineering Health Score: I dimension, 0–100 across 4 sub-dimensions (Architecture & Scalability, Cloud/Infrastructure & COGS Reality, SDLC & Engineering Practice, Technical Debt)
- AI Readiness Index: S dimension, 0–100 across 4 gates (Data Trust, Model & Agent Governance, Operational Integration, Value Realization), a diligence-grade summary of the Enterprise AI Control Plane's pillars
- Financial Exposure Summary: CapEx, EBITDA drag, 3-year cost of inaction
- 100-Day Plan Input: remediation priorities and quick wins
- CLEAR™ Framework Handoff: diligence becomes the post-close operating playbook
To see what one of these deliverables reads like (findings bucketed, priced, and dated, with a confidence level on each), read a page from a sample PRISM memo.
PRISM™ → CLEAR™ Mapping
| PRISM Dimension | CLEAR™ Phase | What Carries Over |
|---|---|---|
| P: Portfolio Fit | Clarify | Thesis alignment confirmed |
| R: Risk Quantification | Realize | Priced risk converted to verified exit value |
| I: Infrastructure & Engineering | Leverage + Execute | Platform scaled |
| S: Strategic Data Assets | Accelerate | AI deployed, data monetized |
| M: Management & Execution | Execute | Team deployed, 100-day plan runs |
What a PRISM Review Covers
- Product and roadmap
- Engineering execution and velocity
- Architecture and platform
- AI/data maturity
- Security and trust (cyber posture)
- Cloud, tooling, and cost
- Team and operating rhythm
- Board/executive communication
Engagement
A PRISM review runs 3–4 weeks: document review, stakeholder interviews (CEO, CTO/VP Engineering, CISO, product lead, 1–2 key engineers), written deliverable with executive summary, and readout. Output is board-ready: 2–3 pages of executive summary plus a 100-day technology roadmap the operating team can execute on day one.
PRISM feeds directly into CLEAR™: diligence becomes the post-close playbook, not a binder filed after close.
NEXT STEP
Apply PRISM™ — Technology Due Diligence Framework to a specific portco.
Bring the asset and the thesis. We'll walk the framework against the real technology estate and show where it moves the number.