After a startup has convinced investors that it is ready for due diligence, the next step often is to present their “dataroom”. This is a virtual storage area that houses all the documents that investors want to review. It helps the company organize them in a way they can easily access and understand.
Traditionally this process was carried out in a physical space, but now it is most commonly conducted online through what are referred to as virtual data rooms. They are designed to provide a safe environment for businesses to keep confidential data.
It means that companies can save money by paying for the software they require and not having to pay for a security staff to monitor the physical room. There are numerous providers of virtual data rooms that vary in terms of features and cost therefore it is essential to research and select one which suits a business.
Some provide a simple option for managing documents, whereas others, such as iDeals or Citrix offer more sophisticated features such as multilingual search and analytics as well as data tracking and OCR, and smart AI categories. Once a startup has decided on a provider, it should then decide which documents to include and which kind of folder structure would work best for their requirements. It is important to group together financial data as well as legal documents and contracts, as well as other related information to make it easier to access for prospective buyers.