Crema, a design & technology consultancy based in Kansas City, MO, was approached by top 3 global private equity firm to conduct a rapid AI Disruption Due Diligence sprint evaluating a potential acquisition in the infrastructure asset design software space.
The target was an established, long-tenured software platform built on a legacy desktop ecosystem, in a highly specialized market. The firm needed to pressure-test a critical question: does this software represent a defensible moat, or is it vulnerable to AI disintermediation?
Crema's objective was to deliver a rigorous build vs. buy analysis within a compressed 10-day due diligence window. Using a spike-and-assess methodology, the team decomposed the platform's core capabilities and executed working prototypes using modern AI-assisted development tools.
This included a CAD-integrated design tooling, a generative rules engine trained on domain-specific code documentation, and an interactive 3D layout tool with automated standards validation.These demonstrations gave the client a grounded, evidence-based view of what modern AI tooling could realistically replicate quickly, and where genuine technical barriers remained.
The engagement concluded with a clear, confidential recommendation delivered directly to the firm's investment team. Out of respect for the sensitivity of the transaction and our client's intellectual property, the specifics remain private — a standard Crema holds for all engagements of this nature.
"This engagement required us to move at an untraditional pace. Prototyping, researching, and synthesizing a high-stakes technical recommendation in under two weeks. [And the team wowed us.] The question wasn't whether AI could disrupt this space, but how long it would take and what it would cost. That's the kind of clarity that drives confident investment decisions."
— Dan Linhart, Crema
