Corporate intelligence refers to the legal collection, analysis and use of publicly available information about a company, its management, competitors and environment, for strategic decision-making purposes. In M&A, it complements financial due diligence with a reputational and strategic dimension: analysis of competitive positioning, verification of disclosed information, detection of operational or legal risks not visible in financial statements. It uses open-source intelligence (OSINT), public registries and professional networks.

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Example: before engaging in negotiations to acquire a Swiss competitor valued at CHF 30.0 million, an industrial buyer commissions a corporate intelligence review. The analysis surfaces undisclosed labour tensions, an ongoing commercial dispute with a major client and a tax audit in final stages — information that leads to a price adjustment and strengthened warranty provisions in the SPA.

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Hectelion integrates corporate intelligence into its holistic due diligence approach to identify risks not visible in financial statements.