WED, OCTOBER 21, 2026
Independent · In‑Depth · Practitioner‑Tested
Claude Research

Vendor Stability Due Diligence Prompts

Four AI companies were in reported acquisition or funding talks this week, and one filed for bankruptcy and sold its assets for a tenth of what it raised. These prompts work out whether the AI vendor you depend on will still exist in a year, and what happens to your data if it does not. Paste in the vendor name, their funding history and your contract terms.

⌨️ 6 prompts 🕐 Updated Oct 21, 2026
💡 How to use these prompts: Replace everything in [BRACKETS] with your specific details before sending. Click Copy to copy any prompt to your clipboard instantly.
1
Funding against burn
Working out how long a vendor can keep operating
Given this vendor funding history and headcount below, estimate the runway remaining under conservative assumptions. State what you had to assume rather than burying it, and say what would change the answer most.
2
What happens to your data
The question Character.AI users are now finding out the answer to
If this vendor entered bankruptcy tomorrow, trace what would happen to the data I have given them. Who could end up owning it, what consent would be required, and which parts of my contract survive an asset sale.
3
The exit test
Measuring lock-in before it is urgent
Describe exactly what I would have to do to migrate off this vendor in thirty days. List every piece of data I could not export, every integration I would have to rebuild, and every thing I would simply lose.
4
Read the acquisition
Deciding whether to renew during a rumoured deal
This vendor is reported to be in acquisition talks. Walk through what typically changes for existing customers after a deal of this shape closes - pricing, terms, product direction and support. Separate what usually happens from what is guaranteed in writing.
5
Single points of failure
Finding the dependency you forgot about
Map every part of my product that would break if this one vendor disappeared overnight. Rank by how long each would take to replace, not by how important it feels.
6
The contract clauses that matter
Knowing what you actually signed
Read the terms below and extract only the clauses that decide what happens on acquisition, bankruptcy, price change or service discontinuation. Quote them exactly and translate each into plain language.