Reference Infrastructure

Independent Trust & Governance Validation Infrastructure for Cross-Border Transactions

A reusable, jurisdiction-neutral infrastructure layer designed to validate counterparties before and after capital deployment across complex cross-border environments.

01. The Structural Deficit

Fragmented Diligence

While global capital mobility has accelerated, trust infrastructure remains localized. Transaction failures are rarely caused by commercial viability alone. They more often arise from misjudged counterparty risk, fragmented diligence practices, and the absence of continuous governance oversight.

02. The Infrastructure Layer

Embedded Validation

CLARUS provides an auditable layer of trust validation. This is a permanent governance infrastructure layer, not a one-off due diligence service. We operate as an infrastructure reference layer, integrated directly into the institutional workflows of risk committees, investment boards, and compliance functions.

03. Operational Guardrails

Absolute Independence

We provide standardized validation frameworks, not bespoke advisory. CLARUS does not structure transactions, broker deals, or operate on success fees. Our mandate is the objective validation of governance infrastructure.

Systemic Capabilities

CLARUS delivers a standardized suite of validation protocols designed to bridge the trust deficit in cross-border environments. Our architecture is built for native integration into enterprise risk systems.

Module 01

Counterparty Trust Registry

Purpose & Scope

A centralized repository of validated entity profiles, encompassing UBO clarity, historical governance adherence, and baseline operational integrity.

Institutional Application

Eliminates reliance on fragmented diligence. Serves as the initial screening mechanism for ICs evaluating new market entrants.

Deliverables

Standardized registry profiles, enterprise-accessible interfaces for internal GRC systems, and baseline trust metrics.

Commercial Model

Annual infrastructure subscription based on registry access volume. No transaction success fees.

Scope Boundary

This output does not constitute an endorsement, valuation, legal opinion, or investment recommendation.

Module 02

Governance & Trust Score (GTS)

Purpose & Scope

A methodology-driven assessment of governance maturity, covering board independence, internal controls, and regulatory posture.

Institutional Application

Translates qualitative risks into standardized metrics. Designed to operate as a standardized pre-deal governance gate referenced in IC memoranda prior to term sheet execution.

Deliverables

Quantitative Governance & Trust Scores (GTS), directional risk indicators, and dimension-level governance breakdowns.

Commercial Model

Tiered consumption model based on scoring requests. Zero correlation to deal size or capital deployed.

Scope Boundary

This output does not constitute an endorsement, valuation, legal opinion, or investment recommendation.

Module 03

Structured Governance Diligence

Purpose & Scope

Deep-tier mapping of affiliated entities, political exposure, localized litigation history, and operational control verification.

Institutional Application

Addresses informational asymmetry in emerging markets. Deployed during final phases of diligence prior to transaction closing.

Deliverables

Audit-ready diligence dossiers, visual UBO mapping networks, and categorized risk-flag reports.

Commercial Model

Fixed-fee per validation target. Independent of transaction outcome.

Scope Boundary

This output does not constitute an endorsement, valuation, legal opinion, or investment recommendation.

Module 04

Ongoing Monitoring & Triggers

Purpose & Scope

Persistent surveillance tracking leadership changes, regulatory enforcement actions, and shifts in corporate structure.

Institutional Application

Automated risk alerts routed to compliance officers, shifting risk management from a static pre-deal exercise to continuous oversight.

Deliverables

Event-driven and periodic trigger notifications for material governance changes, with configurable refresh cadences.

Commercial Model

Annual infrastructure subscription per monitored entity.

Methodological Framework

CLARUS deploys a structured, sequential framework designed to establish trust before capital exposure and maintain verifiable oversight throughout the lifecycle of the relationship.

01

Pre-Deal Governance Gate

The CTGI framework operates as an initial filter in the transaction lifecycle. Before substantial resources are allocated, counterparties are subjected to our standardized trust scoring. This sits definitively at the LOI / MoU / Term Sheet stage, establishing an objective baseline of governance maturity to ensure capital is only considered alongside entities meeting predefined institutional thresholds.

02

Post-Deal Monitoring

Governance is not static. Following capital deployment, the infrastructure shifts from assessment to surveillance. Utilizing a matrix of localized data sets, we establish continuous risk triggers with a defined refresh cadence. Material deviations are immediately escalated to the client’s risk function.

03

Methodology & Source Traceability

Every validation output is supported by a verifiable audit trail with source references, timestamps, and versioned methodology records. Our infrastructure captures the exact data sources utilized to reach a specific trust score, ensuring absolute source traceability.

04

Data Governance & Update Cadence

To maintain an institutional-grade standard, CLARUS employs strict version control and QA protocols. Internal governance mandates a rigorous update cadence where data sets are regularly verified against primary sources. Any updates to our scoring algorithms are strictly versioned.

Institutional Application

CLARUS is purpose-built for entities managing complex, cross-border exposure particularly within the corridors of Southeast Asia, Greater China, the Middle East, and emerging markets.

Corporates

JVs, Supply Chain, M&A

The Blind Spot

Multinational corporates expanding into emerging markets frequently encounter joint venture partners or critical suppliers with opaque governance structures and undisclosed political exposure.

CLARUS Infrastructure

We provide corporate risk teams with an independent validation layer to assess the integrity of local partners, ensuring acquisitions are built on verified, transparent foundations.

Family Offices

Direct & Co-Investments

The Blind Spot

Principals and CIOs often deploy capital rapidly into private transactions. They typically lack the internal bandwidth to conduct exhaustive, localized governance diligence on every co-investment partner.

CLARUS Infrastructure

CLARUS acts as an extension of the family office’s risk function, providing a highly structured clearing gate to validate the individuals and entities controlling the target investment.

Investment Funds

PE, VC, Credit in EM

The Blind Spot

Risk committees face pressure to deploy capital in high-growth, low-transparency jurisdictions. Relying solely on localized, conflicted intermediaries for diligence often leads to compromised decision-making.

CLARUS Infrastructure

We supply risk committees with objective, jurisdiction-neutral trust scoring. This allows managing partners to fulfill fiduciary duties with confidence, backed by an independent methodology.

Methodology & Standards

The integrity of CLARUS relies entirely upon the rigor, consistency, and transparency of the CTGI framework.

Framework Component

Trust Scoring Framework

A proprietary, methodology-driven scoring framework combining structured qualitative assessment with standardized quantitative indicators. The framework assesses multiple dimensions: corporate transparency, leadership integrity, regulatory adherence, and operational resilience.

Framework Component

Governance Taxonomy

To ensure consistency across borders, CLARUS utilizes a strict classification system. This taxonomy categorizes risks across jurisdictional lines, enabling institutions to accurately compare governance postures by severity and proximity.

Framework Component

Audit Trails & Versioning

Integrity requires traceability. Every data point ingested and analyzed is meticulously recorded. Our methodology is subject to strict versioning discipline; any calibration of the scoring framework is archived, ensuring historical decisions can be reconstructed during audits.

Strict Scope Boundaries

  • No Advisory: We do not provide legal advice, tax advice, or investment recommendations.
  • No Brokerage: We do not source deals, broker transactions, or take equity.
  • No Success Fees: CLARUS operates strictly on an infrastructure subscription or validation-fee model to ensure absolute independence.
  • No Commercial Valuation: We do not opine on the financial valuation or commercial merit of any target or transaction.
Index Directory

Governance Insights

Structural Analysis on Cross-Border Governance.

A public-facing governance reference index providing macro-level structural analysis on cross-border governance standards, fiduciary practices, and regulatory frameworks in emerging markets.

Regional Governance Briefs

  • Southeast Asia

    Jurisdictional Alignment & Entity Structuring

  • Greater China

    Cross-Border Control & Regulatory Posture

  • Middle East

    Fiduciary Standards & Ownership Opacity

Thematic Governance Memos

  • Governance Failure Patterns

    Structural Analysis

  • Board Independence Validity

    Diligence Methodology

  • Beneficial Ownership Transparency

    Cross-Border Frameworks

Database Directory

Risk Signals Database

Systemic Governance and Compliance Signals.

Last Updated Title / Short Description Jurisdiction Category Severity
Feb 18, 2026 Beneficial Ownership Registry Overhaul Impending amendments to corporate transparency disclosures impacting offshore holding structures. Greater China Regulatory Posture Elevated
Feb 10, 2026 Fiduciary Liability Shifts in Joint Ventures Emerging precedents reallocating liability matrices among minority shareholders. Southeast Asia Corporate Control Medium

About CLARUS

Thesis & Mission

Closing the Structural Deficit

CLARUS was established on a singular thesis: global capital mobility has fundamentally outpaced the infrastructure required to validate trust. Our mission is to provide the definitive, independent reference standard and infrastructure layer for counterparty governance, enabling institutions to deploy capital across borders with absolute fiduciary clarity.

Ethics

Absolute Independence

Independence is our core asset. CLARUS operates with strict neutrality. We are entirely unconflicted by transaction outcomes. We do not engage in brokerage, we do not accept success fees, and we maintain rigid operational firewalls to prevent outside influence on our validation methodologies.

Oversight

Advisory Board

CLARUS is guided by an advisory board comprising former institutional risk officers, cross-border legal experts, and governance specialists. This body provides strategic oversight of the CTGI methodology, ensuring alignment with the highest echelons of global institutional requirements.

Official Request Form

Institutional Briefing Request

CLARUS provides detailed, confidential briefings to qualified institutional stakeholders regarding our methodological architecture, integration capabilities, and a demonstration of the validation infrastructure.

Qualification & Next Steps:

Services are exclusively available to institutional capital allocators, corporate risk functions, and formal family offices. Following a brief qualification review, a secure calendar link will be provided to book your briefing.

All inquiries are treated with strict confidentiality. CLARUS adheres to advanced data protection protocols.

Official Policy Document

Compliance Document