Ed Brandman on Building ToltIQ: How AI is Revolutionizing Private Markets Diligence
Former KKR CIO Ed Brandman joins Dez Fleming to discuss his transition from retirement to founding ToltIQ, an AI-powered platform revolutionizing due diligence for early-stage venture capital and private markets firms. Brandman shares insights from his decade at KKR, where he scaled technology operations from 5 to 145 people as AUM grew from $30-40 billion to $250 billion. He explains how ToltIQ leverages generative AI to analyze virtual data rooms, enabling B2B startup investors and private equity teams to accelerate their diligence processes from weeks to hours. The conversation explores the challenges of building on rapidly evolving AI models, the future of workforce augmentation, and practical advice for college students entering an AI-driven job market.
Key Takeaways:
- AI is transforming traditional diligence workflows by enabling rapid analysis of unstructured documents in virtual data rooms
- The evolution from manual document review to AI-augmented analysis represents a fundamental shift in how private markets firms operate
- Building AI applications requires constant adaptation to changing model capabilities and non-deterministic outcomes
- Every professional role will soon require AI literacy and daily experimentation with these tools
ToltIQ's platform demonstrates how data-driven venture capital firms can maintain competitive advantages while dramatically improving efficiency. As Brandman notes, the models we have today represent the "dumbest" they'll ever be, making early adoption and experimentation critical for future success.
