startup-due-diligence

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First published on Skala Legal Skills

首次发布于 Skala Legal Skills

Legal Disclaimer

法律免责声明

This skill is provided for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. The analysis and information provided should not be relied upon as a substitute for consultation with a qualified attorney. No attorney-client relationship is created by using this skill. Laws and regulations vary by jurisdiction and change over time. Always consult with a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on specific legal matters. The creators and publishers of this skill disclaim any liability for actions taken or not taken based on the information provided.

本Skill仅用于信息提供与教育目的，不构成法律意见。所提供的分析与信息不应替代与合格律师的咨询。使用本Skill不会建立律师-客户关系。法律法规因司法管辖区而异且会随时间变化。针对特定法律事务，务必咨询您所在司法管辖区的持牌律师。本Skill的创作者与发布者对基于所提供信息采取或未采取的任何行动不承担责任。

Startup Due Diligence Skill

初创公司尽职调查Skill

Overview

概述

Conduct legal due diligence on early-stage US startups (Seed/Series A). This skill supports:

Investors: Identify risks before investing
Founders: Prepare for diligence, fix issues proactively

针对美国早期初创公司（种子轮/A轮）开展法律尽职调查。本Skill支持：

投资者：在投资前识别风险
创始人：为尽职调查做准备，主动解决问题

Workflow

工作流程

Step 1: Intake

步骤1：信息收集

Collect context before proceeding:

1. Perspective: Investor or Founder?
2. Stage: Pre-seed / Seed / Series A
3. Scope: Full DD or specific area (Corporate, Cap Table, IP, etc.)
4. Company basics: Name, State, Entity type, Industry

在开展工作前先收集背景信息：

1. 视角：投资者还是创始人？
2. 阶段：前种子轮 / 种子轮 / A轮
3. 范围：全面尽职调查还是特定领域（公司架构、股权结构表、知识产权等）
4. 公司基本信息：名称、所在州、实体类型、行业

Step 2: Document Collection

步骤2：文档收集

Based on scope, request documents by category. See

references/checklists/

for complete lists:

Category	Reference File
Corporate & Formation	`references/checklists/corporate.md`
Cap Table & Securities	`references/checklists/cap-table.md`
Intellectual Property	`references/checklists/ip.md`
Employment & Founders	`references/checklists/employment.md`
Material Contracts	`references/checklists/contracts.md`
Compliance & Regulatory	`references/checklists/compliance.md`
Litigation	`references/checklists/litigation.md`
Financial	`references/checklists/financials.md`

根据调查范围，按类别索要相关文档。完整清单请见

references/checklists/

：

类别	参考文件
公司设立与架构	`references/checklists/corporate.md`
股权结构表与证券	`references/checklists/cap-table.md`
知识产权	`references/checklists/ip.md`
雇佣与创始人相关	`references/checklists/employment.md`
重要合同	`references/checklists/contracts.md`
合规与监管	`references/checklists/compliance.md`
诉讼相关	`references/checklists/litigation.md`
财务相关	`references/checklists/financials.md`

Step 3: Document Review

步骤3：文档审阅

For each document received:

Identify document type and category
Check against category-specific criteria
Flag issues using severity ratings (see below)
Cross-reference with other documents for consistency

Severity Ratings:

🔴 CRITICAL: Deal blocker, must resolve before closing
🟠 MATERIAL: Significant risk, requires remediation plan
🟡 MINOR: Should be fixed, but not blocking

See

references/red-flags/common-issues.md

for comprehensive issue patterns.

对于收到的每份文档：

识别文档类型与所属类别
对照该类别特定标准进行检查
使用风险等级标记问题（见下文）
与其他文档交叉核对以确保一致性

风险等级：

🔴 CRITICAL（致命）：交易障碍，必须在交割前解决
🟠 MATERIAL（重大）：显著风险，需要制定整改计划
🟡 MINOR（次要）：应予以修复，但不构成交易障碍

常见问题模式请见

references/red-flags/common-issues.md

。

Step 4: Issue Analysis

步骤4：问题分析

For identified issues, provide:

Description: What the issue is
Risk: Why it matters
Remediation: How to fix it
Timeline: Estimated effort to resolve
Escalation: Whether legal counsel required

针对识别出的问题，需提供：

问题描述：具体问题是什么
风险说明：该问题的影响
整改方案：如何解决问题
时间预估：解决问题所需的大致时间
升级建议：是否需要咨询法律顾问

Step 5: Report Generation

步骤5：报告生成

Generate deliverables using templates in

assets/templates/

CRITICAL: Template Usage Protocol

NEVER directly edit template .docx files. Always use the deterministic script:

bash

undefined

使用

assets/templates/

中的模板生成交付成果。

重要提示：模板使用规范

切勿直接编辑模板 .docx 文件，请务必使用确定性脚本：

bash

undefined

1. Collect data into JSON

1. 将数据整理为JSON格式

cat > data.json << 'EOF' { "COMPANY_NAME": "Acme Inc.", "REPORT_DATE": "2024-01-15", ... } EOF

2. Validate data

2. 验证数据

python scripts/validate_data.py diligence-report data.json

3. Populate template (deterministic - only fills {{PLACEHOLDERS}})

3. 填充模板（确定性操作 - 仅替换 {{PLACEHOLDERS}} 占位符）

python scripts/populate_template.py assets/templates/diligence-report.docx data.json output.docx


This ensures template text is NEVER modified - only placeholders are filled.

python scripts/populate_template.py assets/templates/diligence-report.docx data.json output.docx


此规范确保模板文本不会被修改，仅填充占位符内容。

Guidance Documents

指导文档

Load these as needed based on the issues encountered:

Topic	Reference
SAFE notes & convertibles	`references/guidance/safe-notes.md`
Delaware C-Corp specifics	`references/guidance/delaware-corp.md`
Stock options & 409A	`references/guidance/409a-options.md`
Founder equity & vesting	`references/guidance/founder-equity.md`

可根据遇到的问题按需加载以下文档：

主题	参考文档
SAFE票据与可转换票据	`references/guidance/safe-notes.md`
特拉华州C型公司细则	`references/guidance/delaware-corp.md`
股票期权与409A估值	`references/guidance/409a-options.md`
创始人股权与归属	`references/guidance/founder-equity.md`

Quick Reference: Common Red Flags

快速参考：常见红色预警

Corporate

Missing board/stockholder consents for key actions
Charter not filed or not current
No bylaws or outdated bylaws

Cap Table

Discrepancies between cap table and stock ledger
Options granted without 409A valuation
SAFE/note terms not modeled in pro forma

No IP assignment from founders (pre-incorporation work)
Missing PIIA from contractors who built product
Open source license violations

Employment

Founder shares not vesting (or fully vested day 1)
Key employees without offer letters/agreements
Misclassified contractors

Compliance

No securities filings (Form D, Blue Sky)
Missing 83(b) elections for early exercises

公司架构类

关键行动缺失董事会/股东会决议
公司章程未提交或未及时更新
无公司章程细则或细则过时

股权结构表类

股权结构表与股权登记簿存在差异
授予期权时未做409A估值
股权预测模型未包含SAFE/票据条款

知识产权类

创始人未转让公司成立前的知识产权
产品开发承包商未签署保密与发明转让协议（PIIA）
违反开源软件许可协议

雇佣类

创始人股权未设置归属机制（或首日完全归属）
核心员工未签署聘用函/协议
承包商分类错误

合规类

未提交证券备案文件（Form D、蓝天法备案）
早期行权未提交83(b)选举申请

Output Formats

输出格式

Summary Table: Quick overview of findings by category
Detailed Report: Full analysis with recommendations (DOCX)
Issue Tracker: Spreadsheet format for tracking remediation
Document Request List: Customized checklist for target company

摘要表格：按类别汇总调查结果的快速概览
详细报告：包含分析与建议的完整报告（DOCX格式）
问题追踪表：用于追踪整改进度的电子表格格式
文档需求清单：针对目标公司定制的检查清单

Disclaimers

免责声明

This is diligence assistance, not legal advice
All findings should be reviewed by qualified legal counsel
Escalate securities, tax, and regulatory matters to specialists
Document review is point-in-time; circumstances may change

本Skill仅为尽职调查辅助工具，不构成法律意见
所有调查结果需经合格法律顾问审阅
证券、税务与监管相关问题需升级至专业人士处理
文档审阅为时点性结果，情况可能随时间变化