economy
March 6, 2026
DiligenceSquared uses AI, voice agents to make M&A research affordable
Instead of relying on expensive management consultants, the startup uses AI voice agents to conduct interviews with customers of the companies the PE firms are considering buying.
TL;DR
- Merger-and-acquisition research is typically time-consuming and expensive, involving significant costs for external advisers.
- DiligenceSquared, a Y Combinator startup, uses AI voice agents to conduct customer interviews for commercial research.
- The startup claims to provide top-tier consultancy-quality research at a fraction of the traditional cost.
- Co-founders Frederik Hansen and Søren Biltoft have extensive experience in private equity due diligence.
- DiligenceSquared has secured $5 million in seed funding led by former Index Ventures partner Damir Becirovic.
- The company's AI-interview model is applied to due diligence, differing from consumer research applications.
- DiligenceSquared's service costs approximately $50,000, compared to $500,000 to $1 million for traditional consultant reports.
- The lower price point makes critical M&A insights more accessible to private equity firms earlier in the deal evaluation process.
- Bridgetown Research is identified as a main competitor in the diligence market.
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