Crescent Capital Advisors· Technology

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

LetterDimensionThe Business QuestionRole
PPortfolio FitCan tech support the investment thesis?Gate
RRisk QuantificationWhat tech risks create financial exposure?Price
IInfrastructure & EngineeringCan the platform scale?Foundation
SStrategic Data AssetsCan the data create value?Upside
MManagement & ExecutionCan 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

ScoreInterpretationImplication
80–100Technology StrengthValue creation focus
60–79Technology ReadyTargeted remediation
40–59Technology RiskPriced remediation required
20–39Technology LiabilityDeal terms adjust
0–19Technology Deal RiskRe-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 DimensionCLEAR™ PhaseWhat Carries Over
P: Portfolio FitClarifyThesis alignment confirmed
R: Risk QuantificationRealizePriced risk converted to verified exit value
I: Infrastructure & EngineeringLeverage + ExecutePlatform scaled
S: Strategic Data AssetsAccelerateAI deployed, data monetized
M: Management & ExecutionExecuteTeam deployed, 100-day plan runs

What a PRISM Review Covers

  1. Product and roadmap
  2. Engineering execution and velocity
  3. Architecture and platform
  4. AI/data maturity
  5. Security and trust (cyber posture)
  6. Cloud, tooling, and cost
  7. Team and operating rhythm
  8. 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.

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.