How do the three tools compare?
Every cell below comes from the tool's own pages, read on 1 November 2026. Prices and features change, so check the linked page before you decide.
| Question | Brutally Honest Startup Assessment | Evalyze Startup Analyzer | Investment Readiness Scorecard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who answers | Every co-founder, alone | The founder uploads a PDF or PowerPoint deck | The company, as an online self-assessment |
| What it measures | 144 questions, 414 points across four dimensions, five levels | Six areas, graded out of 10, with a 350 to 850 readiness score | Seven areas, from team and competencies to scaling strategy |
| What you get | Your own report, then a team report that shows where co-founders split | A score, a benchmark, a memo written about the startup and the fix for each gap | Scores, gaps and recommendations, with individual advice offered by BayFOR |
| Cost | 950 EUR per team, VAT included, with a 60-minute mentorship session | Free Starter plan; Pro listed at 17 USD a month with 199 USD charged when annual, plus taxes | BayFOR describes its investment readiness support as free |
What does the Brutally Honest Startup Assessment measure?
The Brutally Honest Startup Assessment is a team assessment. Every co-founder answers the same questions alone, in about 90 minutes, and a co-founder cannot see another's answers until both have submitted. The score is out of 414 points across four dimensions and falls into one of five levels.
Its own pages say what it leaves out. It does not predict funding, and the answers are the founders' own and have not been checked against documents. Its report is built for one question: where do the co-founders see the company differently? Read how the score works for the detail.
What does the Evalyze Startup Analyzer measure?
Evalyze describes itself as an AI fundraising platform for pre-seed to Series A founders. Its Startup Analyzer starts from a PDF or PowerPoint deck, scores the startup across six areas and compares each area with startups at the same stage. It says the benchmark is built on 8,000+ rounds that closed.
The Starter plan is free and includes 3 Startup Analyzer reports a month and a basic score. Pro adds 15 reports a month, 3 Pitch Coach analyses, investor outreach drafted for the founder's approval and two 30-minute strategy calls a month. Evalyze also lists a managed fundraising service with a flat monthly fee, and the price is given on contact.
It is the better fit when the job is a pitch deck, a list of matched investors and outreach in one place. Its pages describe a deck-based read of one startup. They do not describe a comparison between co-founders.
What does the Investment Readiness Scorecard measure?
The Investment Readiness Scorecard was developed in the EEN2EIC project and is part of the Ready4Invest Toolkit of the Enterprise Europe Network. The Bavarian research agency BayFOR describes the online assessment as covering seven areas: team and competencies, technology and innovation, market potential, business model, financial planning, customer relationships and sales, and scaling strategy.
The toolkit's own page says the scorecard is an online self-assessment by the SME, with an automated report of scores, gaps and recommendations that is sent to an advisor for follow-up. BayFOR describes its support as free and aimed at innovative start-ups, scale-ups and growth-oriented SMEs with international potential. Bavarian companies should select BayFOR as their responsible Enterprise Europe Network organisation.
It is the better fit for a European SME that wants a free first read and an advisor to talk it through. It is a self-assessment, so it shows one view of the company.
Which startup assessment tool should you use?
- Use the Brutally Honest Startup Assessment if you have two or more co-founders and want to see where your views of the company part ways.
- Use Evalyze if you are about to raise and want deck feedback, matched investors and outreach in one place.
- Use the Investment Readiness Scorecard if you are a European SME and want a free self-assessment with advisor follow-up.
None of the three replaces an investor's own checks. They are three different questions: whether the team agrees, whether the deck is ready, and whether the company is ready for investors.
Where this comes from
- Brutally Honest Startup Assessment, as listed on the TBHM assessment page
- Evalyze: Startup Analyzer
- Evalyze: pricing
- Evalyze: home page
- BayFOR: Well Prepared for Investor Meetings, Free Investment Readiness Assessment
- EEN2EIC: IRS Toolkit, Ready4Invest
Read on 1 November 2026.