Due Diligence Checklists › ClimateTech › Series A

ClimateTech Startup Investment Checklist: Series A Stage (2026)

This checklist covers 20 due diligence items for ClimateTech startups at the Series A stage. Each item has been validated against institutional investor practice. DDR automates the majority of these checks from a single pitch deck PDF upload.

20 checklist items · 2 red flags automatically detected · See a sample DDR report

Series A Requirements

✓ $1M+ ARR or strong path within 12 months
✓ Proven repeatable go-to-market motion
✓ Net Revenue Retention >100% (expansion > churn)
✓ Gross margins indicating sustainable unit economics
✓ Management team capable of scaling to $10M ARR
✓ Clear competitive differentiation and moat building

ClimateTech Sector

✓ GHG Protocol alignment documented and audited
✓ SEC and CSRD compliance roadmap reviewed
✓ Carbon credit quality policy reviewed
✓ Enterprise reference customers in regulated industries confirmed

Deep Dive

✓ GHG methodology alignment with GHG Protocol and ISO 14064
✓ SEC and EU CSRD regulatory compliance roadmap
✓ Carbon credit quality verification for any offset products
✓ Data security for sensitive corporate emissions data

Regulatory

✓ Verify: SEC climate disclosure rule: Scope 1, 2, and material Scope 3 reporting for public companies
✓ Verify: EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD): mandatory for EU companies and US multinationals
✓ Verify: Greenwashing liability: FTC Green Guides and EU green claims directive

OSINT Signals

✓ Check: CDP response quality for enterprise customers
✓ Check: GHG Protocol methodology certification
✓ Check: LinkedIn sustainability team at target enterprise accounts
DDR AUTOMATES THIS CHECKLIST

Upload a ClimateTech startup pitch deck and DDR automatically completes 14+ of these 20 checklist items — sourcing data from 13 OSINT signals, benchmarking against 2 comparable companies, and detecting all 2 critical red flags.

GET YOUR FREE SCAN →

ClimateTech Due Diligence — All Guides

Due Diligence Guides by Sector

SaaSFintechAI & MLEdTechHealthTechCleanTechMarketplaceE-Commerce