Your startup's money matters. Make them count.

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Building a tech startup without proper financial leadership is like flying blind through a storm. You need someone who speaks SaaS metrics, understands venture economics, and can model your path to profitability. Not an accountant who thinks ARR is just another three-letter acronym.

Too many startups hire "CFOs" who are glorified bookkeepers. They can tell you what happened last month but can't forecast next quarter's burn rate or model different pricing scenarios. When VCs start asking about unit economics and LTV:CAC ratios, these CFOs go silent.

Enter fractional CFOs who actually get tech: finance leaders who've scaled SaaS companies, navigated international expansion, and turned R&D tax credits into real cash flow.

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What a Tech-Savvy Fractional CFO Actually Does

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Our fractional CFOs aren't accountants with fancy titles. They're strategic finance leaders who understand tech businesses:

• Build SaaS financial models with proper cohort analysis, churn modelling, and ARR forecasting
• Optimise unit economics to show clear paths to profitability that VCs believe in
• Navigate venture fundraising from seed to Series C and beyond
• Implement revenue recognition for complex SaaS pricing models
• Manage international expansion, including transfer pricing and multi-currency operations
• Maximise R&D tax incentives and government grants (many startups leave millions on the table)
• Structure equity compensation that attracts talent without destroying cap tables
• Handle technical due diligence from a financial perspective during M&A
• Model different pricing strategies and their impact on LTV and payback periods
• Plan for IPO readiness with SOX compliance and enterprise-grade financial processes

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When You Actually Need a Fractional CFO

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You're ready if:

• You're raising Series A+ and need investor-grade financials
• Your current bookkeeper is drowning in complexity
• You're burning $50K+ monthly and need runway planning
• VCs are asking financial questions you can't answer
• You need someone to negotiate term sheets and deal structures
• Cash flow forecasting keeps you up at night

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You're not ready if:

• You're pre-revenue with basic expenses
• You haven't hit product-market fit yet
• Your monthly burn is under $20K
• You just need basic bookkeeping (hire a good accountant instead)

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What This Actually Costs

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• ‍Typical Engagement: 1-3 days per week, $1,500-$2,500/day depending on experience ‍
• Sweet Spot: $4K-12K monthly vs. $25K+ for a full-time CFO
• ‍ROI Timeline: Most startups see impact within 30-60 days
• vs FTE: Compare that to a full-time CFO salary ($250K-400K+ plus equity) and the math gets pretty obvious.

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Real Problems Fractional CFOs Solve

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• ‍"Our SaaS metrics don't make sense to investors" A tech-focused fractional CFO builds proper cohort analyses, calculates real LTV:CAC ratios, and presents metrics that show sustainable growth.‍
• "We're expanding internationally but the tax implications are killing us" They structure international operations properly, optimise transfer pricing, and ensure compliance without destroying margins.
• ‍"We qualified for R&D tax credits but don't know how to claim them" They identify eligible expenses, manage the application process, and can turn these credits into immediate cash flow improvements.‍
• "We need to raise Series X but our books are a mess" They clean up your financials, build the data room, and manage the entire fundraising process.

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Typical Engagement Timeline

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• ‍Month 1-2: Financial audit and cleanup, implement basic reporting. ‍
• Month 3-6: Build forecasting models, optimise cash management‍
• Month 6+: Strategic planning, fundraising support, scaling financial operations
• Most engagements run 6-18 months, scaling up during fundraising periods and down during steady-state operations.

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Why Shepherd CFOs Hit Different

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• ‍They've been in the trenches: Our fractional CFOs have guided companies through multiple funding rounds, not just managed accounting departments.
• ‍They speak startup: They understand burn rates, runway planning, and venture economics—not just GAAP accounting.
• ‍They're fundraising veterans: Many have raised $100M+ themselves or worked alongside founders through successful exits.
• ‍Results, not reports: They focus on the financial metrics that actually matter for growth, not just compliance.

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