ABSTRACT
This chapter describes some background research about due diligence with respect to young companies and provides a definition of technology parks. It focuses on technology parks, although many of the aspects can apply for an incubator as well. The chapter focuses on a real-life checklist developed for the assessment of young companies. The 'case study' checklist, using unique criteria to evaluate young companies, was developed and refined at the MikroForum Technology Site, a technology park, near Mainz, in Germany. The chapter highlights the specific criteria that were developed at MikroForum. The due diligence criteria checklist used by MikroForum to evaluate its tenants, and its applicants for capital, was developed by a faculty at EBS Business School, one of the park's strategic partners. The due diligence concept, and ultimately the developed checklist also needed to focus on assessing young companies that are applying for venture capital offered by MikroForum's investors.
