CasE #TI2507B
Partner due diligence for an Italian company entering Kazakhstan
Service area: Cross-border transactions / Counterparty due diligence
Sector: Food & Beverage
Region: Italy — Kazakhstan
Sector: Food & Beverage
Region: Italy — Kazakhstan
Context
An Italian family-owned company in the Food & Beverage sector was looking for a distributor to enter the Kazakh market. Three potential partners were shortlisted. All appeared reliable on paper, but verifying them remotely was impossible.
What made it complex
The task was not simply to review registration data and corporate documents, but to understand the actual operational capacity of each company, its market reputation, and its compatibility with Italian business culture.
Scope of work
- Reviewing the legal and financial background of all three companies through local partners
- Conducting reputational due diligence through conversations with industry participants, former partners and clients
- Verifying operational capacity through on-site visits conducted by local partners and validation of the collected information
- Preparing a structured report outlining the strengths and risks of each option
- Recommending the most appropriate format for launching a pilot partnership
Result
Based on the report, the client selected one partner and started with a limited pilot agreement. Within a year, the cooperation was expanded, while one of the other shortlisted candidates had already exited the market.
Key Takeaway
Corporate records and polished presentations say very little about a partner’s real operational capability. The most valuable insights come from industry conversations and on-the-ground verification. This cannot be done remotely.