The concierge service vs the automated analyst

Sterling The concierge

Sterling is famous for its service model. You don't just get software; you get a dedicated project manager who helps you set up the room, manage permissions, and troubleshoot issues 24/7. It is designed to take the administrative burden off the seller and the banker.

Colabra The automated analyst

Colabra is designed to take the analytical burden off the buyer. We don't just manage the files; we read them. Our AI runs a forensic diligence process—mapping entities, flagging risks, and identifying gaps—that a human project manager, no matter how helpful, cannot do for you.

Why the "buy-side" experience differs

Seller's control vs buyer's conviction

Sterling is built for the seller. Its best features—like advanced rights management and view protection—are designed to keep the data locked down. Colabra is built for the buyer. Our features are designed to open the data up. We extract the text, link the evidence, and surface the risks that strict permissions try to obscure.

Static hosting vs dynamic audit

Sterling hosts the documents exactly as they were uploaded. If the seller uploads a messy folder structure, that is what you see. Colabra transforms the view. We automatically re-organise the files, cluster related documents, and rename poorly titled PDFs, giving the buyer a clean, structured index regardless of the seller's mess.

Portability

Sterling is a destination the seller chooses. If the deal falls through and the next target uses a different VDR, your workflow changes. Colabra is your constant. It is a portable workspace that travels with your deal team, ensuring you have the same powerful risk analysis tools on every transaction, independent of the VDR.

See Colabra in action →