Industry · Startups and scale-ups
So that unit costs do not sink your next round. Ahead of a funding round or in technical due diligence, what counts is a figure per line item, not an assessment.
AI
01 / The starting position
How do I know it is time for an audit?
Investors and buyers want certainty and demand an auditable report on cost and dependencies.
The prototype was pieced together from what was available; the series is meant to scale. Investors recalculate the margin before they sign.
One supplier holds leverage over your product, and nobody has worked out what a switch would cost. That is exactly the figure investors in the round want to see.
02 / Differentiation
Why Meritong and not another provider?
From prototype to series production. I examine every component for cost, dependencies and AI suitability.
Software and firmware are a decisive factor today. That is why I review them from the full assessment upwards, provided your product contains software or firmware.
I speak fluent Mandarin and read original Chinese documentation. I hold the conversations with your suppliers in Mandarin and, where needed, in English, German or Spanish.
Want to run AI on your hardware? I assess on technical grounds whether a component supports the planned AI application.
03 / The solution
What does the audit actually solve in my situation?
Three approaches, one result: a document that stands up in front of investors because it backs up your unit costs line item by line item.
Every line item assessed for switching costs, second source, regulatory exposure and concentration. The result is an amount per line item that you can put in front of investors, your advisory board and engineering.
The audit is timed to the data room deadline. Fixed scope, fixed price, fixed schedule; the engagement brief is two pages long.
The cost check starts at €2,000. In the free intro call you get the potential check up front, with no NDA required.
| Line item | Severity | Replacement cost |
|---|---|---|
| MCU · STM32H7xxPeripheral mapping in firmware | HIGH (88) | €12–18k |
| Inference runtime · SDKModel format locked in | HIGH (76) | €20k–35k |
| Sensors · single sourceCalibration data held by the manufacturer | MEDIUM (57) | €4k–7k |
04 / Client testimonials
Who has already worked with Sebastian Kirsch?
When critical components could no longer be sourced through the usual channels, Sebastian opened up alternatives for us on the Asian market: fast, structured and on site. He not only found suppliers, he also checked them for integrity and the goods for authenticity. In the end we had a clear and dependable basis for our decision.
Sebastian conducted a scalability audit of our systems and supply chain and helped us define a development and procurement roadmap aligned with our financial constraints. He identified a better-fit hardware component and supplier in China, projected to save tens of thousands of euros at scale, and supported the efficient integration into our software stack.
Sebastian combines deep technical understanding with strong system-level thinking across software, hardware, and global supply chains. He consistently demonstrated excellent analytical skills and the ability to communicate complex topics clearly across engineering and executive teams.
Sebastian led the implementation of a cloud-based platform with integrated edge devices for our municipality. He coordinated across software, hardware, and stakeholder groups and successfully delivered a system that operates reliably at scale. His ability to translate complex technical requirements into practical solutions was particularly valuable.
05 / Packages and prices
What does a BOM audit cost?
You name the type of component, for example camera sensor, optics or focus drive, and you get an order of magnitude back: how many alternative suppliers are worth considering and what saving is realistically on the table. An NDA can be signed on request. The potential check can, however, also be carried out without any confidential information.
For small bills of materials, limited budgets, or a single component where time is pressing.
For any company with its own bill of materials. In one engagement the savings identified came to 3.8 times the fee.
For clients after Package 2 for whom implementation pays off.
Supplier meetings and factory visits in China, Vietnam, Thailand and other countries, when you want to meet a supplier in person or see the factory from the inside.
I build the relationship with the manufacturer directly and negotiate in the local language on prices, delivery and payment terms, quality requirements and everything else that secures your procurement.
Quarterly reassessment, monitoring of end-of-life notices, ongoing contact with your suppliers, support with integration and advice on a resilient software and firmware architecture. Terms are discussed at the report handover.
You have found an alternative, for example from a Chinese manufacturer, but cannot reach its engineers because the documentation is only available in Chinese or your follow-up questions fail on language? I handle the technical clarification directly with the manufacturer, in their language, and in Mandarin with Chinese manufacturers.
06 / Questions
What gets asked before an engagement?
Depending on scope, the audit takes one to four weeks and is timed to the data room deadline. The delivery date is stated in the engagement brief, along with fixed scope and fixed price.
There is no volume threshold. The only criterion is that the achievable saving exceeds the fee. Anyone with few but critical line items is a case for the cost check from €2,000.
An auditable report with a severity level and an amount per line item, candidate suppliers and switching effort. Not a traffic-light chart, but a calculation that holds up in due diligence.
A bill of materials is enough to start with, an Excel export will do, it does not have to be a maintained ERP. For the deeper levels the schematic and access to the firmware are added, above all to the driver code that is tied to specific components. Whatever is missing we clarify in the intro call, before the engagement brief is written.
A confidentiality agreement is concluded for every commissioned audit before any documents are handed over. The potential check does not require an NDA, because you only name the type of component, not your bill of materials. An NDA can, however, be signed for it on request.
Not from us: the search for alternatives runs through the market, not through your existing supplier. Only once you expressly commission a negotiation or a supplier meeting do I contact suppliers. Even then you decide in whose name and on what grounds.
No, that is the cheapest moment. The prototype bill of materials lists what was bought together for one build; the series bill of materials lists what you pay for a thousand times over. Between those two stages a component is still considerably easier to swap, because the device is usually not yet in production use at the customer. Later the change can pull layout, manufacturing and firmware with it.
Yes. Hardware, the sourcing market and the assessment per line item stand independently of the software. The firmware level examines whether a component swap triggers a hidden software project — if it does not apply, that risk falls away and the rest of the analysis is unchanged.
For microcontrollers, GD32, APM32 and AT32 are genuine options, not merely data sheet copies. But pin-compatible does not mean interchangeable: the differences lie in peripheral mapping, in start-up times and in the toolchain. The audit names the candidates and the effort that arises through to qualification.
Through the scope: how many line items are examined and how deeply. That produces a fixed price stated in the engagement brief — no billing by time spent and no supplementary claims. The three packages are further up this page; which one fits your case is something we discuss in the free intro call.
07 / Articles
How deep does the technical substance go?
AIMost hardware companies notice their lock-in only when it is too late. The cause almost never lies in purchasing.
How hardware decisions, software ecosystems and compliance requirements quietly create dependencies.
In 2025 more than 620,000 part numbers went obsolete, roughly half of them without a product change notification.
08 / The next step
How do I start?
Thirty minutes. Your situation, your product, your suppliers. At the end you have the potential check: how many alternative suppliers are worth considering and what saving is realistically on the table.
