Investment Committee Memo
Draft a structured IC memo that synthesizes due diligence findings, financial analysis, and deal terms into a professional investment recommendation.
The IC memo is the single document that determines whether your deal gets approved — it needs to be factual, balanced, and airtight, because committee members will find every gap you leave.
Who it's for: PE associates, vice presidents, directors, principals, managing directors
Example
"Write the IC memo for the AcmeCo acquisition" → 10-15 page structured memo with executive summary, company overview, industry analysis, financial deep-dive, investment thesis, deal terms, returns analysis, risk factors, and clear recommendation
New here? 3-minute setup guide → | Already set up? Copy the template below.
# Investment Committee Memo
description: Draft a structured investment committee memo for PE deal approval. Synthesizes due diligence findings, financial analysis, and deal terms into a professional IC-ready document. Use when preparing for investment committee, writing up a deal, or creating a formal recommendation. Triggers on "write IC memo", "investment committee memo", "deal write-up", "prepare IC materials", or "recommendation memo".
## Workflow
### Step 1: Gather Inputs
Collect from the user (or from prior analysis in the session):
- Company overview and business description
- Industry/market context
- Historical financials (3-5 years)
- Management assessment
- Deal terms (price, structure, financing)
- Due diligence findings (commercial, financial, legal, operational)
- Value creation plan / 100-day plan
- Returns analysis (base, upside, downside)
### Step 2: Draft Memo Structure
Standard IC memo format:
**I. Executive Summary** (1 page)
- Company description, deal rationale, key terms
- Recommendation and headline returns
- Top 3 risks and mitigants
**II. Company Overview** (1-2 pages)
- Business description, products/services
- Customer base and go-to-market
- Competitive positioning
- Management team
**III. Industry & Market** (1 page)
- Market size and growth
- Competitive landscape
- Secular trends / tailwinds
- Regulatory environment
**IV. Financial Analysis** (2-3 pages)
- Historical performance (revenue, EBITDA, margins, cash flow)
- Quality of earnings adjustments
- Working capital analysis
- Capex requirements
**V. Investment Thesis** (1 page)
- Why this is an attractive investment (3-5 pillars)
- Value creation levers (organic growth, margin expansion, M&A, multiple expansion)
- 100-day priorities
**VI. Deal Terms & Structure** (1 page)
- Enterprise value and implied multiples
- Sources & uses
- Capital structure / leverage
- Key legal terms
**VII. Returns Analysis** (1 page)
- Base, upside, and downside scenarios
- IRR and MOIC across scenarios
- Key assumptions driving returns
- Sensitivity analysis
**VIII. Risk Factors** (1 page)
- Key risks ranked by severity and likelihood
- Mitigants for each risk
- Deal-breaker risks (if any)
**IX. Recommendation**
- Clear recommendation: Proceed / Pass / Conditional proceed
- Key conditions or next steps
### Step 3: Output Format
- Default: Word document (.docx) with professional formatting
- Alternative: Markdown for quick review
- Include tables for financials and returns, not just prose
## Important Notes
- IC memos should be factual and balanced — present both bull and bear cases honestly
- Don't minimize risks. IC members will find them anyway; credibility matters
- Use the firm's standard memo template if the user provides one
- Financial tables should tie — check that EBITDA bridges, S&U balances, and returns math is consistent
- Ask for missing inputs rather than making assumptions on deal terms or returns
What This Does
Drafts a structured investment committee memo that synthesizes all diligence findings, financial analysis, and deal terms into a professional IC-ready document with a clear recommendation. Follows standard PE memo format used across top firms.
Quick Start
Step 1: Create a Project Folder
Create a folder for your IC memo and place the downloaded template inside as CLAUDE.md. Add any supporting materials (diligence reports, financial models, CIM) to the same folder.
Step 2: Download the Template
Click Download above, then move the file into your project folder as CLAUDE.md.
Step 3: Start Working
"Write the IC memo for AcmeCo — here are the diligence materials"
"Draft the investment committee write-up for this deal"
"Prepare IC materials — base case is 25% IRR at 8x entry"
Memo Structure
| Section | Length | Content |
|---|---|---|
| Executive Summary | 1 page | Deal rationale, key terms, headline returns, top 3 risks |
| Company Overview | 1-2 pages | Business description, customers, GTM, competitive positioning, team |
| Industry & Market | 1 page | TAM, competitive landscape, trends, regulatory environment |
| Financial Analysis | 2-3 pages | Historical performance, QoE adjustments, working capital, capex |
| Investment Thesis | 1 page | 3-5 pillars, value creation levers, 100-day priorities |
| Deal Terms & Structure | 1 page | EV, multiples, sources & uses, capital structure, key legal terms |
| Returns Analysis | 1 page | Base/upside/downside IRR and MOIC, sensitivity tables |
| Risk Factors | 1 page | Ranked risks with mitigants |
| Recommendation | 0.5 page | Proceed / Pass / Conditional proceed |
Tips & Best Practices
- IC memos should be factual and balanced — present both bull and bear cases honestly
- Do not minimize risks. IC members will find them anyway; credibility matters more
- Financial tables should tie — check that EBITDA bridges, sources & uses balance, and returns math is consistent
- Use the firm's standard memo template if available
- Ask for missing inputs rather than making assumptions on deal terms or returns
Output Format
- Default: Word document (.docx) with professional formatting
- Alternative: Markdown for quick review
- Always include tables for financials and returns, not just prose