1. If the company has a track record of acquihires, talk to one of these companies. If they have not got a track record of working with startups, it is very rare that they can get it right the first time.
2. Reduce the number of people on the other side interacting with you. In large companies too many people jump on these types of opportunities and will burn a lot of your time. Identify one senior person from the company that you have a good gut feeling about (preferably towards the end of their career) and make one of your team work on a plan closely together with them. Let the other two work ahead on your original plan.
3. You as a startup have one agenda - you want to make it big together - remember that in large corporations each individual comes with their own agenda, most often not aligned with each other. And also remember that large corporations, especially when struggling with innovative competitors, will try to belittle smaller companies and negotiate you down.
Sorry, I wasn't precise. I meant talking to the individuals formerly in the acquired companies and finding out how their product and how they themselves fared.
2. Reduce the number of people on the other side interacting with you. In large companies too many people jump on these types of opportunities and will burn a lot of your time. Identify one senior person from the company that you have a good gut feeling about (preferably towards the end of their career) and make one of your team work on a plan closely together with them. Let the other two work ahead on your original plan.
3. You as a startup have one agenda - you want to make it big together - remember that in large corporations each individual comes with their own agenda, most often not aligned with each other. And also remember that large corporations, especially when struggling with innovative competitors, will try to belittle smaller companies and negotiate you down.