Pre-Seed Stage
Accounting & CFO Support for Pre-Seed Startups
At pre-seed you don't need much: good financial discipline and tax compliance, done right from day one so nothing turns into a problem later. Our Launch plan covers exactly that from $199/mo, and the same team grows with you to Series B.
Honestly, a pre-seed startup doesn't need a CFO. It needs two things: financial discipline (a separate company account, every transaction categorized, books closed every month on an accrual-ready basis) and tax compliance (every filing and entity deadline met, Delaware franchise tax included, and your returns prepared on time). Get those right and there is nothing to clean up the week an investor asks for numbers. Get them wrong and mixed spending, cash-basis books or a missed deadline become a project. Launch covers both: monthly close, GAAP statements, compliance tracking in all 50 states and 50% off your federal and state returns. CFO support is there when your first raise actually needs it. Founders who missed an election can start with our guide to the missed 83(b) election deadline.
What You Get
Launch covers what pre-seed actually needs. Foundation is there when your first raise does.
- Monthly close with reconciled bank and card accounts (Launch)
- GAAP financial statements, set up accrual-ready for investors (Launch)
- Compliance tracking in all 50 states, including Delaware franchise tax (Launch)
- 50% off preparation of 1 federal + 1 state return (Launch)
- When your first raise needs it: CFO support, runway alerts and a 13-week cash forecast (Foundation)
First 30 days
Books set up or migrated, with a chart of accounts built for a startup. Bank, card and payroll connected. Entity and tax deadlines tracked from day one.
Every month
Monthly close and GAAP financial statements from your team, with your KPIs tracked in ClariFi, our AI CFO, as the business takes shape.
When you start raising
Move to Foundation for CFO support, runway alerts and a 13-week cash forecast, so the seed conversation starts from numbers that are already clean.
Year-end
1 federal + 1 state return prepared at 50% off, Delaware franchise tax tracked, 1099s issued, and year-end books ready for whoever looks at them next.
Pre-Seed Finance, Priced for Pre-Seed
No finance hire, no CPA retainer and no CFO you don't need yet. Discipline and compliance now; CFO support when you raise.
Traditional CPA firm + bookkeeper
Two vendors, disconnected tools
$2K-$5K/mo
StartupCFO Launch (pre-seed)
Bookkeeping, GAAP statements, compliance tracking, 50% off returns
From $199/mo
StartupCFO Foundation
When you start raising: adds CFO support, runway alerts and a 13-week cash forecast
From $349/mo
Starting prices. Final pricing depends on volume and complexity.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a pre-seed startup need a CFO?
No. At pre-seed you need good financial discipline and tax compliance, not much else: clean, accrual-ready books closed every month, company and personal spending kept apart, returns filed and entity deadlines like Delaware franchise tax met. That is what prevents problems later, and StartupCFO's Launch plan covers it from $199/mo, with compliance tracking in all 50 states and 50% off preparation of 1 federal + 1 state return. CFO support, on Foundation, becomes worth it when you start planning your first raise.
What should pre-seed accounting cover?
A monthly close with reconciled bank and card accounts, GAAP financial statements, a chart of accounts built for a startup (so R&D, payroll and revenue are separable later), entity compliance such as Delaware franchise tax, and year-end returns. Getting this right at pre-seed is what makes seed diligence fast instead of a cleanup project.
Should a pre-seed startup use cash or accrual accounting?
Investors and auditors expect accrual-based GAAP financials, so it is easier to keep books accrual-ready from the start than to convert them during a raise. Our team sets your books up that way. See cash vs accrual accounting in our glossary for the difference.
How much does pre-seed accounting cost?
StartupCFO's Launch plan starts at $199/mo for bookkeeping, monthly GAAP financial statements, compliance tracking in all 50 states and 50% off preparation of 1 federal + 1 state return. Foundation, from $349/mo, adds as-needed CFO support, runway and burn alerts and a 13-week cash forecast.
What happens when we raise our seed round?
You keep the same team and the same numbers. Most founders move from Launch to Foundation as they raise, and to Growth when the board and the next round need a full fractional CFO. There is no migration and no new vendor, so your books, metrics and history carry straight into diligence.
New to the terms? See cash vs accrual accounting.
“Anyone can pull numbers into a spreadsheet once. The difference is having a system that keeps your metrics current so you can actually be data-driven when choosing the right path for growth.”
Pre-Seed Finance, Live in 2 Business Days
Book a free consultation and we'll walk through how we'd set up your books, tax and compliance from day one.
45-day free trial · No credit card needed · No long-term commitment
