Industrial FrontierLab → Scale

Technical Due Diligence for Deep Tech Investors

Technical conviction before you commit capital.

An independent, operator level read on deep tech companies, from a team that has built and scaled them. We tell you what works, what does not yet, and what it will take to get there.

Technical due diligence for deep tech

This is technical due diligence for physical technology, not software code review. We test whether the results are reproducible on real feedstock, what the patents actually protect, where the technology sits against where the deck puts it, and what it will take to reach a plant.

Techno-economic analysis

A techno-economic analysis tells you whether the technology can make money at scale. We model cost per unit and capex, then show how sensitive the answer is to the assumptions that matter, so the investment committee sees the numbers behind the claim.

Three ways to engage

01

Deal Screen

A fast first read on one company, before you spend partner time.

Turnaround
3 to 5 business days
We need
The deck and any data you can share
You get
2 page memo and a 30 minute debrief
Pricing
Fixed fee

What we check

  • Technical claims: are the headline numbers physically plausible, and backed by data
  • Stage reality: where the technology actually is versus where the deck puts it
  • The three risks most likely to kill the company
  • What is missing, and the questions to put to the founders
  • A clear call: proceed to diligence, pass, or watch
02

Technical Due Diligence

Know what you are buying before you wire the money.

Turnaround
2 to 4 weeks
We need
Data room access and time with the technical team
You get
Written report, red flag summary, and an IC ready review call
Pricing
Fixed fee, scoped per deal

What we cover

  • Technology and data: reproducibility, real feedstock, performance against claims
  • Scale up path: pilot to commercial plan, equipment, long lead items, irreversible decisions
  • Techno-economics: cost per unit, capex, and sensitivity to the assumptions that matter
  • IP and competition: what the patents protect and who else is building it
  • Team and operations: whether this team can build and run a plant
  • Milestones to underwrite: the proof points the next round should hinge on
03

Expert Call

Operator level insight, on demand.

Length
20 to 90 minutes
Good for
Sector briefings, a second opinion before an IC meeting, or a quick read on one question
Book
Directly, or through Third Bridge, AlphaSense, AlphaSights, or Dialectica

Also available

  • Techno-Economic Analysis
  • Market & Technology Reports
  • Sector Maps
  • Portfolio Support

Questions we ask every company

  1. 01Is the lab data on real feedstock, or synthetic?
  2. 02What does a kilogram cost at pilot scale, and what moves it?
  3. 03Which decision in the scale up plan cannot be reversed?
  4. 04Has anyone on the team commissioned a plant?
  5. 05What do the patents actually protect?

Technologies we can underwrite

  • Direct lithium extraction
  • Sorbents and ion exchange
  • Solvent extraction
  • Brine and produced water
  • Membranes and electrodialysis
  • MOFs and porous sorbents
  • Critical minerals processing
  • Water treatment and PFAS
  • Materials manufacturing scale up

Independence

We disclose any advisory or financial relationship with a company before we review it, and we take no fees tied to the investment decision.

Working a deal in these sectors?

Send a short note on what is in front of you and we will reply within two business days. Already working with Third Bridge, AlphaSense, AlphaSights, or Dialectica? Request Angelo Kirchon by name.

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