Independent technical audits · Codebase rescue · Technical due diligence
Independent eyes, when the codebase is on the critical path
For startups heading into a funding round or acquisition, and for technical leaders who have just inherited a system or team and need an honest read. Founded by a former CTO with 20+ years across healthcare, IoT, and enterprise systems.
Situations We Fix
If one of these sounds like the conversation you're having internally, we should probably talk.
“I inherited this and it's worse than I was told”
You're a new CTO or VP Engineering, a few weeks into the role. The team is good people but the system is tangled and you have to defend a remediation plan to the CEO or board. We give you the independent, evidence-backed assessment to do that.
How we approach this →“Diligence is coming and I don't know what they'll find”
You're a founder or CTO heading into a Series B+, late-stage round, or acquisition talks. Investors will run technical due diligence whether you're ready or not. We audit the codebase before they do, so you find the issues first and have honest, prepared answers for the rest.
How we approach this →“We're acquiring a company and need an honest technical read”
You're a PE firm, strategic acquirer, or VC. The deal is moving fast and you need a credentialed independent engineer to assess the target. Code, architecture, operations, team, reported to executive and engineering audiences within the diligence window.
How we approach this →“Production keeps falling over and the team is stretched”
Performance regressions, mysterious bugs, knowledge gaps from team turnover, a system no one fully understands any more. We diagnose, stabilise, document, and either fix it directly or hand your team a clear path forward.
How we approach this →What We Do
Four engagement shapes, all starting with reading what's actually there before recommending anything.
Codebase & Technical Audit
Independent, evidence-backed assessment of your codebase, architecture, security posture, and engineering process. Written report, executive and engineering audiences, prioritised recommendations.
Learn more →Codebase Rescue & Recovery
Hands-on remediation of inherited or troubled systems. Untangle the code, stabilise production, document what your team actually owns, and either fix it or guide your team through the fix.
Learn more →Technical Due Diligence
Independent technical due diligence for acquirers, PE firms, VCs, and corporate development teams. Time-bound to the deal, reported in formats your investment committee can actually use.
Learn more →Fractional Technical Leadership
Senior backup for technical leaders who have just inherited a struggling team, and fractional CTO cover for companies between full-time hires. Calibrated to the engagement, not a fixed-hours retainer.
Learn more →Once we know the codebase, follow-on engagements often include architecture & technical strategy and custom software development. Most clients arrive through audit or rescue and stay for the work that follows.
Straightforward Pricing
Transparent rates, billed in 15-minute increments. Prepaid blocks unlock deeper discounts.
Our base rate is $250/hr. Prepaid blocks of time are offered at a discount, are non-refundable, and never expire.
Prepaid Blocks
| Block Size | Cost | Discount | Effective Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40 hours | $8,000 | 20% | $200.00/hr |
| 20 hours | $4,500 | 10% | $225.00/hr |
| 8 hours | $1,900 | 5% | $237.50/hr |
Burn Rates
Time is burned from the largest block available. Work outside business hours accrues at a higher rate.
| When | Rate |
|---|---|
| 9am – 5pm (weekdays) | ×1.0 |
| 5pm – Midnight (weekdays) | ×1.5 |
| Midnight – 9am (weekdays) | ×2.0 |
| Weekends (Fri midnight – Mon 9am) | ×2.0 |
On-Call Services
Guaranteed availability within an agreed response window. Stand-by time burns at ×0.75 from the same block as active work. When called upon, standard burn rates apply.
Example
A client holds a 40-hour block. An emergency arises at 11pm on a Tuesday and takes 2 hours to resolve. The first hour (11pm–midnight) burns at ×1.5, the second (midnight–1am) at ×2.0, deducting 3.5 hours from the block.
Why Wasaka
For audit and due diligence work, the question the buyer is really asking is: “whose judgement am I relying on?”
Wasaka Technologies was founded by Dan Rumney, a software engineer with over 20 years of hands-on experience across the stack: assembler and firmware on one end, modern cloud platforms on the other.
Dan has served as CTO, VP of Software Engineering, and Director of Product Engineering at companies ranging from healthcare startups to IBM. He holds a degree in Physics from the University of Oxford.
The combination of executive credentials and full-stack range matters most where audit, rescue, and due-diligence work lives: signing off on a remediation budget, defending a number to a board, or telling an acquirer what they're really buying. The buyer is hiring judgement, and the résumé is part of the deliverable.
We work with a small number of clients at a time so each engagement gets senior attention. No juniors billed at senior rates, no offshored review work, no surprises in the report.
Where We've Done This Before
Audit and rescue work is judgement work. Industry context shortens the time to a credible read.
Healthcare & HIPAA
Years as CTO and VP Engineering at health-tech companies. Audits and rescues on HIPAA-regulated clinical platforms and PHI-handling systems.
Learn more →Startups in Motion
Series-A through pre-acquisition. Pre-diligence audits, post-acquisition rescues, and CTO cover during transitions where the codebase suddenly matters more than it did last quarter.
Connected Devices & IoT
End-to-end systems where the codebase spans firmware on a device and the cloud platform that manages it. Few independent auditors can read both halves.
Enterprise & Legacy
Large-scale systems built for reliability and maintainability, informed by a decade of engineering at IBM. Comfortable with codebases that are older than some of their engineers.
Frequently Asked Questions
The things prospective clients usually want to know first.
What does Wasaka Technologies do?
Wasaka Technologies provides independent codebase audits, rescue engagements, and technical due diligence. Typical clients are startups preparing for a funding round or acquisition who need an honest read on the codebase before investors do, and technical leaders who have just inherited a system or team and need a credentialed independent assessment to defend a remediation plan.
What is the difference between an audit, a rescue, and technical due diligence?
An audit is a written, evidence-backed assessment: what's load-bearing, what's fragile, what would block the team from moving twice as fast. A rescue is hands-on remediation: stabilising production, untangling inherited code, and documenting what the team actually owns. Technical due diligence is an audit performed for a third party (an acquirer, PE firm, or investor) on a target company, time-bound to the deal.
I just inherited a CTO or VP Engineering role and the codebase is worse than I was told. Can you help?
Yes. This is one of the most common engagements we take on. We perform an independent assessment of what you actually own, document what we find, and produce a prioritised remediation plan you can defend to a CEO or board. The fact that the assessment is independent matters: it gives you cover to push for the budget you need.
We're heading into a funding round or acquisition. How soon should we audit?
Earlier than feels comfortable. Investors and acquirers will run technical due diligence whether you're ready or not. Commissioning your own audit 8–16 weeks before the diligence window means you find the issues first, fix the easy ones, and have honest, prepared answers for the rest. A clean diligence report is one of the cheapest ways to de-risk a deal.
Do you do technical due diligence for acquirers and investors?
Yes. We perform independent technical due diligence for PE firms, strategic acquirers, VCs, and corporate development teams evaluating a target. Reports are tailored to the audience: executive-facing summaries with prioritised risks, and engineering-facing detail where the deal needs it. Engagements are typically 2–4 weeks.
Do you work on HIPAA-regulated healthcare software?
Yes. Our founder spent years as CTO and VP of Engineering at healthcare technology companies, building HIPAA-compliant clinical platforms and health tech products. We're equipped to audit, due-diligence, and rescue systems handling protected health information (PHI).
How do you charge for audits and rescues?
Our base rate is $250/hr, billed in 15-minute increments. Prepaid blocks of 8, 20, and 40 hours are available at increasing discounts and never expire. A focused code review on a small codebase typically runs one week; a full technical audit covering architecture, code, operations, and process is usually two to four weeks. See the Pricing section for full details.
Where are you based and do you work remotely?
Wasaka Technologies is based in Chicago, Illinois, and works with clients across the United States and internationally on a remote basis. On-site visits in the Chicago area can be arranged when useful.
Do you also build software, or only audit it?
Both. Most clients arrive through an audit or rescue and stay for follow-on work: architecture and strategy, or custom software development. Two decades of full-stack experience (assembler and firmware through to modern cloud platforms) means we're equally comfortable auditing IoT systems where the codebase spans on-device firmware and the cloud platform that manages it.
Let's Talk
Tell us what's at stake: an inherited codebase, an upcoming diligence window, a system that won't stay up. We'll get back to you within one business day.
Audit, rescue, due diligence, fractional cover, or you're not sure which yet. The first call is usually short and free; we'll tell you whether we're the right fit before scope is set.