# AI startup research with citations you can open and date

> AI startup research with citations is planned for Delsivo's first release. From a deal, the research step investigates public claims, competitors, buyer segments, pricing and market assumptions, then saves each finding with its source and the date it was read. It keeps evidence that cuts against the pitch, marks what it couldn't support, and sends the research provider only queries, never private documents.

Source: https://delsivo.com/features/research-with-sources · Updated 2026-11-06 · Planned, not available yet

## Key takeaways

- Planned for the first release. The pilot has no web research step.
- Findings are labelled public, founder reported or analyst verified, so they never blur together.
- Counterevidence and open questions are saved, not just support for the pitch.
- Only search queries about the company and market leave Delsivo. Decks, files and notes do not.

## What AI startup research with citations covers

Research starts from what the deal already holds: the deck facts, the claims and your thesis questions. It looks outward for what a careful analyst would check in a first pass.

- Competitors the deck names and ones it leaves out
- Market size assumptions and who the buyer segments are
- Pricing of comparable products, where it is published
- The funding climate for the sector
- Public statements that confirm or contradict a founder claim

Each run produces findings, counterevidence and open questions. Nothing is added to the deal as fact until an analyst accepts it.

## How a finding is labelled

Research findings carry one of three origins. The label decides how much weight your team should give a line in a brief.

| Origin | Meaning | Example |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Public | Found on a public web page, saved with the address and the date it was read | A competitor's published price list |
| Founder reported | Said by the founder in the deck, a form or the interview | "We are the only tool for clinic chains in Pune" |
| Analyst verified | Checked by someone on your team against a document or source | Revenue matched to a bank statement in the data room |

When a public finding contradicts a founder claim, the claim is not overwritten. A suggestion goes to the [claim tracker](https://delsivo.com/features/claim-tracker) so an analyst can mark it disputed with both sources visible.

## From question to saved finding

1. An analyst starts research on a deal, or picks a claim or thesis question to research.
2. Delsivo builds search queries from authorised fields only, such as the company name, sector and the claim text.
3. The research provider returns pages. Their content is treated as untrusted input: text inside a page is never followed as an instruction.
4. The AI drafts findings, each tied to a source address and a date. A quote that isn't on the source is dropped.
5. Unsupported claims are flagged, and gaps become open questions for the founder or the call.
6. The analyst accepts, edits or dismisses each finding.

## What research doesn't do

- It doesn't read paywalled databases or private sources.
- It doesn't send decks, data room files, transcripts or internal notes to the research provider.
- It doesn't decide whether a market is attractive. It lists what was found and what is missing.
- It isn't a substitute for customer or reference calls. Those stay with your team.

Which research provider is used, and on what data terms, will be listed on the [security](https://delsivo.com/security) and subprocessors pages before any fund turns research on.

## Frequently asked questions

### Can I trust a research finding without opening it?

You shouldn't have to. Every finding shows the source address and the date it was read, so anyone can check it in a click before relying on it.

### Does research run automatically on every deal?

The first release design has an analyst start it from a deal, a claim or a question, so research spend goes where the team wants it. Funds can turn research off.

### Will research tell me a startup is a good investment?

No. It finds and cites evidence, including evidence against the pitch, and lists open questions. Your team weighs it and decides.

### What happens to old research when facts change?

Each finding keeps its date. New research adds findings rather than rewriting old ones, so you can see what was known when a decision was made.

## Related pages

- [AI deal assistant](https://delsivo.com/features/ask-this-deal)
- [Startup claims tracker](https://delsivo.com/features/claim-tracker)
- [Verify traction claims](https://delsivo.com/use-cases/verifying-traction-claims)
- [Claims and evidence](https://delsivo.com/claims-and-evidence)