Pelles

Pelles automates technical due diligence with AI, helping VCs and investors assess startups’ codebases and architecture faster.

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Pelles is an AI-powered platform that streamlines technical due diligence (TDD) for venture capital firms, accelerators, and angel investors. It automates the evaluation of a startup’s software stack, engineering practices, codebase maturity, and scalability — helping investors gain clear technical insights without hiring costly third-party consultants.

Designed for non-technical investors and technical advisors alike, Pelles analyzes source code, documentation, repositories, architecture, and infrastructure patterns to generate objective, data-driven technical assessments. This allows firms to de-risk early-stage investments, make faster decisions, and better support their portfolio companies post-investment.

Features

  • Automated Codebase Analysis: Pelles scans Git repositories to assess code quality, modularity, test coverage, and maintainability.

  • Architecture Review: Evaluates software architecture and infrastructure choices for scalability, security, and technical debt.

  • Red Flag Detection: Identifies issues such as hard-coded secrets, deprecated libraries, or missing documentation.

  • Customizable Checklists: Aligns the AI review process with your firm’s technical diligence standards.

  • AI-Powered Reports: Delivers comprehensive diligence reports in plain English with visual summaries and risk scoring.

  • Team Evaluation Metrics: Assesses engineering velocity, team structure, and development practices via commit patterns and activity logs.

  • Security and Compliance Flags: Surfaces concerns around open-source dependencies, compliance risks, and DevOps hygiene.

  • Cloud & Infra Scanning: Analyzes Terraform, Docker, Kubernetes, and CI/CD configurations for best practice adherence.

  • Confidential & Secure: Operates with strong encryption and permissioned access — no code is shared externally.

  • Actionable Recommendations: Provides suggestions for remediation and future technical roadmap improvements.

How It Works

  1. Startup Connects Repository: The founder or CTO connects their GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket repository securely through Pelles.

  2. AI Scans and Analyzes: The platform’s AI models begin scanning the codebase, infrastructure files, documentation, and repo activity.

  3. Generate Report: Within hours, Pelles produces a detailed, human-readable due diligence report, complete with findings and scores.

  4. Review with Founders: Investors can review findings with the startup’s team to clarify risks or plan follow-ups.

  5. Store & Track: Reports can be stored in the investor dashboard for future portfolio tracking and benchmarking.

Use Cases

  • Pre-Investment Due Diligence: Evaluate the technical foundation of a startup before finalizing a term sheet.

  • Accelerator Vetting: Assess multiple early-stage companies quickly during accelerator selection cycles.

  • Portfolio Monitoring: Track improvements and risks in existing portfolio companies over time.

  • Technical Advisory Support: Help technical advisors save time by providing pre-analyzed, objective code insights.

  • Non-Technical VC Teams: Empower investors without engineering backgrounds to understand technical health signals.

  • Exit & M&A Prep: Ensure a startup’s tech stack is audit-ready before acquisition or next funding round.

Pricing

As of June 2025, Pelles does not list public pricing on its website. Instead, the platform offers custom pricing based on usage needs, which may include:

  • Number of startups or repositories evaluated

  • Level of detail required in reporting

  • Access to portfolio monitoring and tracking tools

  • Customization of due diligence templates and risk profiles

  • Support and advisory integration

Interested firms can request access or schedule a demo via https://www.pelles.ai.

Strengths

  • Fast Turnaround: Cuts down technical diligence from weeks to hours.

  • Objective Analysis: AI-powered scoring reduces subjectivity and bias.

  • Security Focused: Confidential by design, with no code sharing or third-party review.

  • Supports Non-Technical Investors: Makes technical assessments accessible to general partners without engineering backgrounds.

  • Scalable for Accelerators: Evaluate large cohorts with minimal manual overhead.

  • Customizable Frameworks: Aligns with internal TDD policies and frameworks.

  • Visual and Written Reports: Clear, digestible summaries for stakeholders at all technical levels.

  • Action-Oriented: Offers founders a path to remediation, not just criticism.

Drawbacks

  • No Free Tier: Currently geared toward VCs and accelerators — not startups or independent devs.

  • Limited Public Reviews: As of now, Pelles has limited visibility on platforms like G2 or Capterra.

  • May Miss Contextual Nuances: AI-generated findings should still be reviewed alongside human insight.

  • Startup Buy-in Needed: Requires access to private repos, which some founders may hesitate to grant.

  • Enterprise-Style Pricing: Likely cost-prohibitive for small angel investors or one-off use cases.

Comparison with Other Tools

  • vs. Manual Technical Advisors: Pelles offers faster and more scalable results, but may not replace deep architectural consulting.

  • vs. GitHub Insights: GitHub provides activity stats, but not AI-based risk analysis or architecture review.

  • vs. Code Climate / SonarQube: These tools are developer-oriented for CI/CD integration; Pelles is built for investor-focused insights.

  • vs. Vanta or Drata: These platforms focus on compliance automation. Pelles is targeted toward technical due diligence rather than continuous security audits.

  • vs. SourceLevel or LinearB: Pelles focuses on codebase readiness and investor risk, rather than engineering team productivity.

In summary, Pelles is purpose-built to help VCs make faster, better-informed investment decisions based on technical facts — not assumptions.

Customer Reviews and Testimonials

While user reviews on public platforms are limited due to the niche, enterprise-focused nature of Pelles, early feedback from VCs and accelerators has been positive:

“We used to rely on freelancers for technical audits — Pelles gives us deeper insight, faster.”

“It’s a must-have for our due diligence stack. We won’t go back to spreadsheets and guesswork.”

“Our non-technical partners now feel confident leading conversations about code quality and architecture.”

Several early-stage funds and startup programs have begun integrating Pelles into their diligence workflows, citing speed, objectivity, and depth as key benefits.

Conclusion

Pelles is redefining how venture firms approach technical due diligence. By using AI to analyze source code, architecture, and team behaviors, the platform empowers investors to ask better questions, identify hidden risks, and make confident, timely decisions.

If you’re part of a VC firm, accelerator, or tech-focused fund that regularly assesses early-stage companies, Pelles offers a smarter, faster, and more scalable way to de-risk investments and support your portfolio long-term.