Working resource

Data Center Acquisition Evidence Matrix

US data center sourcing and transaction advisory

Published by Stacked AI

Use this matrix to organize an initial acquisition screen before deciding whether and how to advance. It connects a seller's statement or model assumption to its source, the work needed to assess it and the business decision it could change.

Copy the blank fields into a private working document. This is an evidence-request and decision tool, not an LOI template or a substitute for technical, financial or legal diligence. Completing it does not establish that an asset should be acquired or that an agreement is binding, transferable or enforceable.

1. Define the proposed acquisition

Working fieldYour entry
Asset/platform reference and review date—
Proposed transaction perimeter: entities, assets, operations and exclusions—
Intended use and the business case to test—
Initial and later capacity requirements; units and measurement boundary—
Required operating and transaction milestones—
Seller information received; source and version dates—
Decision deadline and approval required for the next step—
Responsible review roles and specialist work still to commission—

Write down what the buyer believes it is acquiring before assessing the claims. Building ownership, utility service, equipment, customer contracts and operating responsibility may each have a different documentary basis.

Use evidence statuses consistently

StatusMeaning in this worksheet
UnknownThe relevant information or source has not been identified.
RequestedA specific request has an owner and due date; its answer has not been assessed.
Received — not reviewedMaterial is available, but the relevant claim has not been checked.
Reviewed — unresolvedMaterial has been examined, but a gap, condition or conflict prevents a conclusion on this claim.
Verified — with scopeA specific claim has been checked against the recorded source. Record the check, reviewer role, date and limits.

These workflow labels complement the evidence and editorial methodology. Mark reported statements, assumptions and estimates explicitly. “Verified” applies only to the stated check; it does not guarantee delivery, establish legal enforceability or certify the whole site. A document can confirm one claim while leaving another unresolved. Split those claims into separate entries.

2. Open an evidence record for each material issue

The requests below are prompts, not a claim that every item exists or applies to every transaction. Record why a topic is not applicable instead of leaving it silently unchecked.

TopicEvidence and questions to requestBusiness decision it could affect
A1: Transaction perimeterAsset/entity schedule, ownership information, included operations and stated exclusions; identify the parties responsible for the proposed saleWhether the offered perimeter matches the business case and the specialist scope needed
A2: Power quantity and timingSite-specific service documents, capacity definitions, utility correspondence, material conditions and remaining workUsable capacity, deployment sequence and dependency exposure
A3: Tariff and service assumptionsDocuments underlying the current service and cost assumptions; identify pending questions for the utility and appropriate advisersOperating assumptions, unresolved costs and further review required
A4: Equipment and facility conditionEquipment register, available inspection/maintenance records, procurement status, known exceptions and planned worksCapital needs, readiness and work outside the seller's assumed scope
A5: Customer and occupancy evidenceCustomer/lease schedule reconciled to the available agreements and operating records; distinguish current commitments from pipelineThe basis of revenue, occupancy and expansion assumptions
A6: Signatory and guarantorIdentify the contracting entity separately from any claimed guarantor; request the underlying documents and conditionsWhich credit assumption needs review and whether the model relies on support not yet established
A7: Costs and capitalHistorical information and model inputs, included/excluded costs, planned maintenance and replacement assumptionsWhether the commercial comparison covers the same scope as the asset and operating plan
A8: Site permissions and constraintsAvailable permits, reports, access/service arrangements and relevant correspondence; identify unresolved scope or use questionsIntended-use feasibility and the specialist investigations needed
A9: Operations and transitionOperating responsibilities, service dependencies, transition plan and evidence required for handoverContinuity, staffing/service assumptions and readiness after completion
A10: Schedule and open conditionsA dependency schedule with responsible parties, supporting records and decision datesWhether the proposed next step fits the buyer's timeline and fallback

Counsel should assess ownership, contractual rights, guarantee terms, assignment and legal effect. The appropriate technical advisers should assess design, condition and operating suitability. The matrix records their questions and findings; it does not supply those conclusions.

3. Use this record to separate assertions from findings

Copy one record per claim. Keep a seller's statement visible beside the review finding, especially where they differ.

Evidence recordYour entry
Topic ID; seller statement or model assumption—
Exact question the review must answer—
Evidence status and any reported/assumed/estimated basis—
Source/issuer, document date, version and relevant section—
Check performed, reviewer role and date—
Finding supported within that review scope—
Conditions, exclusions, conflicts or missing information—
Business-case input or decision affected—
Next request or specialist review, owner and due date—

Receiving an agreement is not the same as confirming what rights it provides. A company name in a schedule is not the same as verified support for a lease obligation. Separate those questions rather than marking the whole topic complete.

4. Reconcile the screen with the proposed business case

Business-case inputCurrent basis / evidence IDEffect if not supportedNext action
Usable initial and expansion capacity———
Operating date and deployment sequence———
Customer/occupancy and credit assumptions———
Operating costs and required capital———
Transition and continuing service requirements———
Other material assumption———

Show the direction of the effect first. Quantify it only when there is a stated method and adequate inputs. An unknown cost is not zero; an unresolved issue is not automatically a loss. Do not combine unsupported estimates into a precise headline adjustment.

5. Record the next decision and its conditions

Decision fieldYour entry
What the evidence supports doing next—
Material issues that remain unresolved; evidence IDs—
Information or specialist findings required before advancing further—
Changes in scope or assumptions to evaluate—
Reason to continue review, pause for evidence, or set aside for now—
Responsible parties, due dates and next approval point—

Keep this screening record separate from negotiation language. Any proposed binding terms or protections belong in the appropriate legal process. Revisit the screen when the perimeter, power position, operating plan or supporting documents change.

Explore the Power and Credit Screen and the power-delivery evidence guide. Contact Stacked AI with the proposed asset, decision and deadline; agree a suitable process before sending confidential transaction documents.

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