Aegryn Certification
An independent quality label
for organisations that build to last.
CIFSO 5000 Certification is a quality audit of the valuation of a company's assets. An organisation's value is not invented during a negotiation: it is documented well before, independently, reproducibly and defensibly.
TITLE DEED OF VALUE
A watch without its papers loses part of its value.
So does a company. CIFSO 5000 is the equivalent of a title deed for the company and the valuation of its assets: it establishes what the organisation really owns (code, rights, finances, security, organisation), certifies that these assets are controlled and transferable, and sets their reference value with the CIFSO Valuation Index as the source. Without this document, value is argued; with it, value is demonstrated.
CIFSO 5000
- What the company owns: verified inventory of its assets across five dimensions
- What it controls: chain of title, data, dependencies, AI exposure
- What it is worth: reference multiple from the CIFSO Valuation Index
- What it can transfer: verifiable certificate, valid twelve months
Exceptional
Top 1% of certified organisations. Excellence across all 5 CIFSO dimensions. Immediate institutional transaction.
Excellent
Mature organisation, documented across 5 dimensions. Reliable valuation, standard transaction without reservation.
Solid
Strong CIFSO fundamentals, some optimisations recommended. Confirmed valuation with improvement plan.
Developing
Identified potential across several dimensions. Documented improvement areas, value plan provided.
Emerging
Organisation in structuring phase. CIFSO remediation plan required before any transaction.
The CIFSO protocol — 5 dimensions
One grade, five truths.
Code & Architecture
Code quality, architecture, tests, documentation, technical debt, dependencies. What makes the asset transferable without its author.
IP & Rights
Trademark, software rights assignment, open-source licences, client and supplier contracts, disputes. The chain of title: what an acquirer checks first.
Finances & Metrics
ARR/MRR, recurrence, auditability, margins, cash flow, client concentration, financial history. The economic truth of the organisation.
Security & Sovereignty
Cybersecurity, GDPR, NIS2/DORA/AI Act, technological independence and AI exposure: non-sovereign providers, data shared, client protection. Real control of assets and data.
Organisation & Talent
Founder dependency, leadership team, succession plan, culture and retention. A company too dependent on its founder is systematically worth 20 to 30% less at transfer.
Who certifies, and why
Certification CIFSO 5000 serves every stakeholder.
Certification is not reserved for organisations that want to sell. It is a tool for any leader who wants to document, prove, and communicate the value of their organisation , at any stage.
Annual report & investor communication
A quality label that appears in your annual report.
Like an existing independent standard, the Certification CIFSO 5000 can be referenced in your annual report, investor documentation, or board presentation. It signals to shareholders, lenders, and partners that your value has been independently verified, not just declared.
Signal to shareholders and partners: your organisational value is independently documented.
Bank financing & credit conditions
A score that strengthens your position with lenders.
Banks assess creditworthiness primarily through balance sheets and EBITDA. The Certification CIFSO 5000 adds what financial statements cannot show: IP chain of title, governance quality, cybersecurity posture, and organisational resilience. A certified organisation presents a more complete and defensible risk profile.
Signal to lenders: the intangible value of this organisation is documented, not estimated.
Pre-investment due diligence (PE / VC / FO)
An independent baseline before you commit capital.
An investment committee needs an independent view of what it is acquiring: not only financials, but governance, IP, security, and organisational dependency. The Certification CIFSO 5000 provides exactly this: a structured, reproducible, and documented assessment that complements financial due diligence.
Signal to investment committees: this asset has been independently assessed before capital was committed.
Pre-fundraising certification (Series A–C)
Demonstrate investment-readiness across all dimensions.
Investors increasingly expect founders to demonstrate readiness not just on financials but on IP ownership, technical architecture, security, and governance. A Certification CIFSO 5000 becomes a data room document that pre-empts due diligence questions and accelerates the investment decision.
Signal to investors: investment-ready across all five dimensions, not just the financial model.
Family succession & business transfer
A neutral document for a complex conversation.
More than 3.5 million European SMEs face succession challenges without a qualified buyer or clear valuation. The Certification CIFSO 5000 provides a neutral, documented assessment that all parties — ceding founder, heirs, buyers, and advisors — can rely on. Independent. Reproducible. Defensible.
Signal to all parties: the value of this organisation has been independently documented before the transfer.
What your grade communicates
Every interlocutor reads your grade differently.
A Certification CIFSO 5000 grade is a structured signal. Each profile reads a different meaning into each grade level.
| Profile | ★ | AAA | AA | A | B |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
PE acquirer | Institutional-grade asset. Executable at premium valuation. Accelerated due diligence. | High-quality target. Standard process, no material risk flag. Reliable valuation basis. | Solid asset with documented reservations. Deal executable with escrow or price adjustment clause. | Viable asset, remediation areas identified. Value plan required before full process. | CIFSO remediation plan required before transaction. Timeline extended accordingly. |
Investment bank / M&A advisor | Certifiable mandate. Supports premium process and top-tier buyer pool. | Standard mandate, full process executable. Complete documentation for information memorandum. | Mandate with documented reservations. Improvement plan recommended in data room. | Mandate with conditions. Buyer pool may be narrower. Value plan strengthens positioning. | Preliminary remediation phase required. Timeline impact: 60–90 additional days. |
Bank / Lender | Exceptional intangible documentation. Supports premium credit conditions. | Complete and auditable risk profile. Reduces lender uncertainty on intangible value. | Solid profile with documented gaps. Supports standard credit conditions. | Acceptable profile. Identified gaps may influence rate or conditions. | Incomplete documentation. Lender may require additional guarantees or CIFSO remediation. |
Venture / Growth investor | Top-decile asset. Maximum investment committee confidence across all dimensions. | Investment-ready across all five dimensions. Due diligence significantly accelerated. | Investment-ready with optimisation points. Structured follow-up plan sufficient. | Fundable with identified areas. Remediation plan should accompany documentation. | Pre-investment CIFSO remediation recommended before capital commitment. |
Shareholder / Board | Benchmark asset. Full disclosure confidence for annual report and AGM. | Documented and verifiable organisational quality. Supports board and investor relations. | Solid organisation with improvement areas. Audit committee can track remediation. | Requires structured improvement plan with board-level visibility. | Requires priority remediation plan with board oversight and timeline commitment. |
Strategic buyer | Ready-to-close asset. Full documentation available. Exceptional premium justified. | Standard acquisition timeline. Documentation complete. Reliable basis for SPA. | Acquisition with identified reservations. Escrow or price adjustment mechanism recommended. | Acquisition with conditions. Integration plan and value adjustment to be negotiated. | Transaction not recommended without prior remediation. Buyer risk elevated. |
CIFSO 5000 and existing certification standards
Where existing standards stop. Where CIFSO 5000 begins.
Existing certification standards verify systems and processes. The Certification CIFSO 5000 verifies organisational value and transferability. These are two different objects, complementary, not competing.
Where existing standards certify systems, CIFSO 5000 certifies value and transferability.
Dimension
Existing standards
CIFSO 5000 Certification
Code & Architecture
No existing standard covers IP chain of title in an M&A context.
Certifies code ownership, IP transfer chain, brand, and proprietary data as transferable value.
IP & Rights
Quality management standards partially address process governance.
Certifies cap table integrity, regulatory compliance, contractual governance, and M&A-specific legal structure.
Finance & Metrics
No standard certifies ARR/MRR, client concentration, or financial transferability.
Certifies recurring revenue verifiability, financial auditability, burn rate, and economic transferability.
Security & Sovereignty
Information security standards certify management systems within a fixed perimeter.
Certifies cybersecurity posture, EU regulatory compliance, and technological independence in an M&A context.
Organisation & Talent
No existing standard covers founder dependency or succession readiness.
Certifies organisational resilience, management depth, succession plan, and retention, the dimension most undervalued in transactions.
CIFSO 5000 Certification is an independent organisational assessment protocol developed by Aegryn. It is not an accreditation under a national or international accreditation body, and does not replace existing certification standards. It is designed to operate alongside them.
Certification CIFSO 5000 — Pricing
One certification. Five dimensions of value.
All tiers include the full five-dimension CIFSO 5000 audit, independent report, official grade, and registration in the Aegryn certified register.
Express
Organisations under 20 employees, single site
From €5,000
15 business days
Full 5-dimension CIFSO 5000 audit
Independent certification report
Official grade (★ to B)
Registration in Aegryn certified register
12-month certificate validity
Standard
20–100 employees, one or two sites
From €9,000
25 business days
Full 5-dimension CIFSO 5000 audit
Independent report with sub-codes
Official grade + improvement recommendations
Registration in Aegryn certified register
12-month certificate validity
One included revision session
Premium
100+ employees or multi-site organisations
From €15,000
35 business days
Extended 5-dimension CIFSO 5000 audit
Full report with sub-code table
Official grade + structured remediation roadmap
Registration in Aegryn certified register
12-month certificate validity
Two included revision sessions
Dedicated Aegryn contact throughout
Prices exclusive of tax. Swiss jurisdiction. Indicative, final quote issued after pre-qualification.
Download the methodologyCertification process
Certification process
From submission to grade issuance: 15 to 35 business days depending on the size and complexity of the organisation.
- 01
Submission
File upload on the secure platform, completeness check and pre-qualification within 5 business days.
- 02
CIFSO 5000 audit
Two certified analysts assess the five C-I-F-S-O dimensions: document review, interviews, cross-checks.
- 03
Scoring & report
Deliberation under a reproducible protocol, independent review by the second analyst, certification report.
- 04
Certification
Issuance of the official versioned certificate, valid 12 months, and publication in the Aegryn certified register.
CIFSO 5000 Certification
The independent standard for certifying the value and transferability of organisations
Complete documentation
CIFSO 5000 Brochure
The reference document for understanding the certification: purpose, audiences, added value, methodology, process, timeline, deliverables, validity and independent governance.
- Structured contents
- Five dimensions in detail
- Six-step process
- Timeline and deliverables
- Validity and renewal
- Independent governance
15 pages · PDF
Submit an asset
Get the grade that gives your asset its price.
Aegryn certification is your asset's passport to institutional buyers and M&A processes.