Cyprus

Know Your Customer Assessment

Financial Services

Nicosia, Cyprus

Research

Challenge

A European private equity fund was considering placing an investment in a Cyprus-based tech startup. Prior to making such an investment, the client's internal risk management division required the conduct of enhanced due diligence on the principals running the startup.

Solution

 Madison Springfield analysts conducted both primary research in Nicosia and secondary research through subscription-based and other databases to verify the identities of the principals and identify any potentially alerting past activities or transactions.

Result

The one week assessment identified a number of questionable claims in the information provided by the startup's management team. Furthermore, the assessment identified a number of financial and operational inconsistencies that the startup was unable to explain. This information enabled the client to confidently elect to avoid pursuing the investment opportunity further.