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Get Series A-ready financials and expert fundraising support without the £150k+ full-time CFO cost. Perfect for pre-seed through Series B startups.
Most startups face a dilemma: You need CFO-level financial expertise to raise capital and scale, but you can't afford or justify a £150k+ full-time CFO. Fractional CFOs solve this perfectly.
What VCs Expect:
What Founders Can Deliver:
Fractional CFOs bridge this gap—giving you institutional-quality finance without full-time cost.
You're planning a seed or Series A in the next year. You need to build credible financials NOW so investors take you seriously. Most successful raises start with 6+ months of financial preparation.
You've raised £500k-£2M seed. You're at £1-3M ARR. Investors want better reporting. You're hiring fast. Founder-led finance is breaking. This is the PERFECT time for fractional CFO.
Revenue growing 3x+ year-over-year. You've gone from 5 to 30 people in 12 months. Cash burn is £100k+/month. You need financial controls, forecasting, and systems ASAP.
Your board wants monthly reporting on unit economics, cohort analysis, burn multiple, and scenario planning. You can't deliver this with your current setup.
You're burning faster than expected. Runway is under 12 months. You need credible cash flow forecasts, expense management, and potentially bridge financing. Emergency CFO help required.
Startup fractional CFOs focus on high-impact strategic work that drives fundraising, growth, and sustainability:
Why This Matters: 80% of startup fractional CFO engagements involve fundraising support. This is where they deliver 10x+ ROI.
Typical Deliverables:
| Stage | Typical ARR | CFO Time Needed | Monthly Cost | Annual Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-Seed | £0-£500k | 0.5-1 day/week | £1,500-£4,500 | £18k-£54k |
| Seed | £500k-£2M | 1-1.5 days/week | £3,000-£6,000 | £36k-£72k |
| Series A | £2M-£10M | 2-2.5 days/week | £6,000-£12,000 | £72k-£144k |
| Series B | £10M-£30M | 2.5-3 days/week | £9,000-£15,000 | £108k-£180k |
| Series B+ | £30M+ | Consider full-time CFO | £150k-£250k/year | Full-time |
The PERFECT time for fractional CFO is post-seed, pre-Series A. You have revenue (£500k-£3M ARR), you're preparing to raise Series A in 6-18 months, and you need institutional-quality finance but can't afford £150k+ full-time.
Typical Engagement:
Many startup fractional CFOs offer fixed-fee project pricing for fundraising:
£2.5M ARR, 20 employees, London
Challenge: Needed to raise £8M Series A but had weak financials. Board unhappy with founder-led reporting. No credible unit economics.
Fractional CFO Engagement: £40,000 (9 months, 2 days/week pre-raise + 1 day/week post-close)
Deliverables: Built institutional-quality model, implemented FP&A, presented to 15 VCs, managed due diligence for 3 term sheets.
Outcome: Raised £8M at £35M valuation (vs projected £6M at £25M without CFO). Additional £2M capital + £10M higher valuation.
ROI: 300x (£12M additional value for £40k investment)
£800k ARR, 12 employees, Edinburgh
Challenge: Burning £90k/month with only 6 months runway. No clear path to next fundraise. Investors nervous.
Fractional CFO Engagement: £28,000 (6 months, 1.5 days/week emergency engagement)
Actions: Implemented weekly cash forecasting, cut burn to £45k/month, extended payment terms, secured £300k bridge from existing investors, built Series A model.
Outcome: Extended runway from 6 to 16 months. Bought time to hit milestones for Series A. Currently raising £5M at 2x better terms than emergency round would have been.
ROI: Company saved from insolvency. Avoided 40%+ dilution from emergency funding.
£4M revenue, 25 employees, Bristol
Challenge: Growing 4x YoY but zero financial visibility. Inventory chaos. No idea if profitable. Investors threatening to pull future funding unless finance improves.
Fractional CFO Engagement: £65,000 (12 months, 1.5 days/week)
Built: Implemented Xero + Fathom, hired Financial Controller, created unit economics dashboard, monthly board reporting, inventory forecasting model.
Discovered: 40% of SKUs unprofitable. £200k inventory write-down needed. But identified 3 hero products driving all profit—doubled down on those.
Outcome: Went from -5% EBITDA to +12% EBITDA in 8 months by cutting unprofitable lines. Grew from £4M to £7M revenue profitably.
ROI: 10x+ (£650k additional profit vs £65k cost)
Based on 2.5 days/week x 2 clients x 48 working weeks. CMO UK average day rate: £950.
BetaThis calculator provides rough estimates for illustration only. Actual rates and salaries vary based on location, experience, industry, and market conditions. Consult with a qualified accountant for accurate financial planning.
Not all fractional CFOs are right for startups. Here's what to look for:
Startup/Scale-up Background
Must have worked at startups (not just corporates). Ask: "Tell me about the fastest-growing company you've worked at. What stage did you join, what stage did you leave?"
Fundraising Track Record
Must have raised capital (seed, Series A, or later). Ask: "How many funding rounds have you led or supported? What was your role? What was the outcome?"
Your Industry Knowledge
SaaS CFOs understand SaaS metrics. FinTech CFOs understand compliance. Hire someone who's done YOUR industry. Ask: "How many [SaaS/FinTech/etc] companies have you worked with?"
VC/Investor Fluency
Must speak VC language. Ask: "Can you walk me through how you'd build a financial model for Series A?" If they can't articulate this clearly, move on.
✗Only corporate finance background - Big 4 audit or F500 CFOs often don't understand startup speed and resource constraints
✗Never raised capital - Can't lead fundraising if they've never done it
✗Too many current clients - If they have 5+ active clients, they're spread too thin for startup needs
✗Can't start quickly - Startups need help NOW. If they can't start within 2-3 weeks, pass
✗No references from founders - Always check 2-3 founder references who've raised with this CFO
Recommended Approach
Interview 3-4 fractional CFO candidates. Ask each to review your financials (30-min free consultation) and propose what they'd do in first 90 days. Choose based on: (1) startup experience, (2) fundraising track record, (3) cultural fit, (4) clarity of proposed approach. Check references carefully.
Find experienced startup CFOs who've raised £100M+ and scaled companies from seed to Series C.