Commercial and technical diligence for industrials, automation and control, and AI infrastructure
I advise PE sponsors evaluating industrials, automation and control, and AI infrastructure investments. I work with hyperscaler strategy teams on data centre and AI infrastructure decisions, with industrial acquirers on consolidation across the industrial and AI infrastructure stack, and with management consulting firms and equity research on their industrials and AI infrastructure work. Both commercial and technical diligence.
Enquire about advisory →Who this is for
Three specific audiences drive most of my current advisory work:
- PE sponsors evaluating power-electronics, thermal, or data-centre-adjacent acquisitions. Technical DD, commercial DD, portfolio-company operating advice.
- Hyperscaler strategy teams making architecture decisions on the 800V DC transition, cooling, on-site power, nuclear PPAs, and grid interconnection. Vendor selection, deal structuring, regulatory-workstream sequencing.
- Industrial acquirers and corporate development at electrical, thermal, automation, control, and adjacent industrial businesses thinking about AI infrastructure exposure and consolidation strategy.
If you don't sit in one of these three buckets, my work probably isn't the right fit. But the essays on this site are free to read regardless.
What I actually do
Commercial + technical due diligence
End-to-end DD for AI infrastructure acquisitions across the six-layer power chain, thermal, cooling, and modular DC segments. Uses the full 14-essay DD methodology published here as reference framework. Typical engagement: 4-8 weeks, 2-4 senior analyst equivalents.
Architecture + vendor selection advisory
For hyperscalers and large enterprise operators: 800V DC architecture decisions, cooling vendor selection, on-site power procurement (SOFC / SMR / geothermal), grid interconnection sequencing. Draws on the DC-DC Transition series + Tech Spotlights. Typical engagement: 6-12 weeks per architecture decision.
Regulatory workstream sequencing
For operators and investors: ordering and pacing the ten regulatory-adjacent workstreams (FERC + ISO, state PUCs, EPA, local zoning, CFIUS + international FDI, export controls, EU compliance, NEC/UL/NFPA, labour) that determine whether AI capex actually gets delivered. Uses the Regulatory Layer series. Typical engagement: 8-16 weeks.
Portfolio-company operating advisory
For PE portfolio companies in power, thermal, industrial-tech: commercial strategy, pricing, go-to-market for software + hardware-plus-services offerings, integration playbook for post-close. Draws on twenty years of P&L operating experience at Eaton, Honeywell, Cisco, BCG.
Background
- Eaton CorporationHead of EMEA Digital Business. Full P&L on portfolio spanning software platforms, IoT gateways, smart controllers. Utilities + data centres + industrial customers across 30+ countries.
- HoneywellSenior general management + commercial leadership. Connected Industrials, Building Automation, Process Solutions.
- Cisco SwitzerlandEnterprise technology sales and go-to-market leadership.
- The Boston Consulting Group (London)Growth strategy, commercial due diligence, pricing, operating-model design across industrial, technology, energy clients.
- EducationMBA from IMD Lausanne. Undergraduate engineering from India.
- Industrial automation and control
- Electrical distribution and critical power
- Data centres and AI infrastructure
- Building automation
- Process industries (oil & gas, petrochemicals, refining, metals & mining, pulp & paper)
- Industrial protocols (IEC 61850, OPC UA, Modbus, BACnet)
- OT/IT cybersecurity (IEC 62443)
- Power electronics, HVDC, 800V architectures
- Liquid cooling, asset performance management, digital twins
How to engage
Most engagements start with a scoping call to understand the specific decision, timing, and stakeholder set. From there I propose a tailored scope, timeline, and fee.
Three engagement types
Retained advisor
Monthly retainer, typically 6-12 months. Ongoing subject-matter access to your team for a specific investment thesis, portfolio company, or infrastructure build. Includes structured monthly check-ins, ad-hoc technical questions, and written analysis on request.
Best fit: PE sponsors deploying a power/DC thesis across multiple deals; hyperscaler strategy teams scoping multi-year infrastructure decisions.
Workshop
A structured half-day or full-day session with your team. Pre-work + tailored slide pack + facilitated discussion. Delivered on-site or remote. Outputs: a decision framework, a specific recommendation, and a written follow-up memo within one week.
Best fit: Corp-dev + strategy teams evaluating a new segment; investment committees pressure-testing a specific transaction; boards refreshing a portfolio company thesis.
Named research
A defined-scope research project with a specific deliverable, typically 20-40 pages. Client-anchored but the output can be published under my byline if the topic serves the wider readership. 4-8 week engagement window.
Best fit: Firms funding original analytical work to inform a fund thesis, an M&A programme, or a public policy position.
Anonymised prior scopes
- PE sponsor evaluating a $500M+ power-electronics acquisition
- Retainer covering technical DD, competitive positioning, integration architecture
- 6 weeks; 3 stakeholder groups (deal team, ops, LPs)
- Output: DD report + integration playbook + LP-facing summary
- Hyperscaler strategy team scoping a 500 MW nuclear PPA
- Capital-stack comparison across restart / SMR / traditional-large routes
- 4 weeks; 20-page written deliverable with 8 charts
- Output: internal decision memo + framework for the next 2-3 similar decisions
Fees scoped per engagement on the initial call.
Independent. No fund carry, no vendor commissions, no undisclosed relationships. Conflicts declared explicitly at scoping.
Enquire about advisory
Send a note describing the situation, the specific decision, and your timing. Response within one business week (usually faster).
hello@adikumar.co →