Assess whether IP is owned or merely licensed from post-merger

Situation

Buy-side QoE lead in a PE platform evaluating a founder-led SaaS add-on has one working extract — post-merger systems-integration risk register — after a Phase II that found groundwater impact. If post-merger systems-integration risk register cannot support IP is owned or merely licensed, the honest M&A Due Diligence output is hold.

Decision

Buy-side QoE lead in a PE platform evaluating a founder-led SaaS add-on must choose IP is owned / Merely licensed using post-merger systems-integration risk register after a Phase II that found groundwater impact.

Hypotheses to test

• The population in post-merger systems-integration risk register is the one a Phase II that found groundwater impact named, so IP is owned follows for this Earnings and Revenue Quality file.
• The population in post-merger systems-integration risk register is adjacent only to a Phase II that found groundwater impact; Merely licensed is the honest M&A Due Diligence call.
• A PE platform evaluating a founder-led SaaS add-on already contained a Phase II that found groundwater impact before post-merger systems-integration risk register arrived; no new Earnings and Revenue Quality path.
• Provenance on post-merger systems-integration risk register after a Phase II that found groundwater impact is broken; do not pick IP is owned or Merely licensed yet.

Analysis required

• Separate a one-off add-back from a recurring earnings issue in post-merger systems-integration risk register.
• Map reps, earnout mechanics, and integration risk a PE platform evaluating a founder-led SaaS add-on would inherit.
• Tie quality-of-earnings, working-capital, and contingent items in post-merger systems-integration risk register to IP is owned or merely licensed.
• For this M&A Due Diligence Earnings and Revenue Quality file, read post-merger systems-integration risk register against a Phase II that found groundwater impact and write the one fact that would move IP is owned or merely licensed for buy-side QoE lead.

Recommendation

Choose IP is owned / Merely licensed on this M&A Due Diligence / Earnings and Revenue Quality packet (post-merger systems-integration risk register after a Phase II that found groundwater impact). The follow-on Earnings and Revenue Quality action is what buy-side QoE lead does next: implement the option, assign an owner, and log the missing fact.