Investment Screening Intelligence
Investment screening is becoming a Europe-wide transaction issue.
Complex transactions demand more than a database check.
DEVIS investigates, connects and interprets the facts behind a transaction, giving legal, compliance and transaction teams an evidence-backed basis for decision-making.
- Coverage
- Europe-wide, including Switzerland
- Delivered as
- A Deal Sprint
- You receive
- A human-reviewed report, linked to its evidence
Regulatory Context
Different legal tests. A common intelligence requirement.
Switzerland is introducing its own screening regime while the European Union has adopted a strengthened framework. The legal tests differ by jurisdiction. The underlying intelligence questions converge.
Switzerland
Parliament adopted the Investment Screening Act on 19 December 2025. SECO currently expects it to enter into force in 2027, and the implementing ordinance is under consultation until 5 October 2026. The Act targets certain acquisitions of Swiss companies in particularly critical sectors by foreign state-controlled investors.
European Union
Regulation (EU) 2026/1386 was published in the Official Journal on 26 June 2026. It requires every Member State to operate a screening mechanism that meets common minimum requirements, and it applies in full from 17 January 2028.
Regulatory position as at 14 September 2026. Sources: SECO, Investment Screening; Regulation (EU) 2026/1386, Official Journal of the European Union.
DEVIS Transaction Intelligence
The facts screening turns on, connected.
DEVIS brings together transaction information, client documentation and external intelligence into one connected, evidence-led picture.
Investor
Who is behind the investment?Ownership, ultimate control, state participation, influential persons and related entities.
Control
How is control exerted?Voting rights, governance rights, contractual influence and control changes resulting from the transaction.
Transaction
What is being acquired, and how?Purpose, structure, financing, counterparties and relevant jurisdictions.
Target Exposure
What could be accessed?Sensitive technology, data, infrastructure, products, services and strategic dependencies.
Consequence
What are the implications?Material findings, conflicting evidence, open questions and issues requiring escalation.
Beyond the Instant Check
From entity screening to decision support.
Entity screening and database checks are an important starting point. DEVIS extends the analysis into the broader transaction context and turns fragmented findings into a structured basis for action.
| Entity screening and database checks | DEVIS Transaction Intelligence |
|---|---|
| Searches defined data sources for entity-level matches | Examines transaction context and surrounding exposure |
| Surfaces sanctions, PEP, adverse-media and registry indicators | Connects ownership, control, relationships, state influence and transaction facts |
| Typically evaluates entities individually | Analyses investor, target, people, related entities and transaction as a connected system |
| Returns matches, alerts and source records | Tests materiality, contradictions and consequences for the transaction |
| Supports screening workflows | Adds an intelligence and decision-support layer above screening |
What You Receive
A factual basis for legal review and escalation.
Built for counsel and internal teams working on transactions that may attract investment screening.
How DEVIS supports the process
- 01
Builds the factual picture behind the investor, the target and the transaction.
- 02
Identifies indirect control, state influence and less obvious relationships.
- 03
Organises findings into a structured evidence base.
- 04
Identifies factual indicators that may warrant deeper investigation, escalation or legal review.
- 05
Supports counsel and internal teams with decision-oriented reporting.
What is included
- 01
A structured, human-reviewed intelligence report.
- 02
Material findings linked to their supporting evidence.
- 03
An exposure and escalation summary.
- 04
Open questions requiring legal or specialist review.
Designed For
Teams responsible for transactions that may attract investment-screening scrutiny.
- M&A Lawyers
- General Counsel
- Compliance
- Transaction Advisory
- Private Equity
- Asset Managers
- Corporate Development
DEVIS provides intelligence and decision support. It does not provide legal advice, determine regulatory filing obligations or replace regulatory counsel. Legal conclusions and filing decisions remain with the client and its advisers.
Private Working Session
Discuss a live transaction or screening question.
DEVIS works alongside existing screening and compliance tools, adding the intelligence and decision layer above them. It begins with a confidential 20-minute introduction.
Request a SessionNo obligation. Engagement structure and pricing are set out in the session.