Pre-Seed & Seed Stage
Accounting & CFO Support Built for Seed-Stage Startups
Investor-grade books, a runway model that actually reflects your plan, and R&D tax credits that land real dollars. Plans from $199/mo; as-needed CFO support on Foundation (about 1 hour a month) and a full fractional CFO on Growth (about 3 hours a month).
At seed stage, founders don't need a CFO full-time. They need one when it matters: before a board meeting, during a fundraise, at year-end, or when a pricing decision could make or break runway. StartupCFO gives you a bookkeeper, a CPA, and a fractional CFO as one integrated team, running the playbook other seed-stage founders wish they'd had.
What You Get
By plan. Everything a seed-stage founder needs to run finance without hiring, with each item tagged to the plan that includes it.
- Monthly close with GAAP-compliant books
- Runway and burn signals (Foundation); 13-week and 18-month cash forecast (Growth)
- Board-ready monthly investor update (Growth)
- R&D credit study support on Growth, or as a Custom Project (up to $500K/yr payroll tax offset)
- Delaware franchise tax tracking and 50% off prep of 1 federal + 1 state return
- As-needed CFO support (about 1 hour a month) on Foundation; a full fractional CFO for fundraising, pricing, and hiring on Growth
First 30 days
Books migrated and cleaned. Your KPIs set up in ClariFi, reported to you by your team. First monthly close delivered. Tax posture reviewed.
Pre-board-meeting
Growth: board pack delivered 72 hours before the meeting. CFO walk-through to prep you on likely questions and metrics.
Fundraise prep
Growth: data room assembled. Financial model built to your narrative. Pitch deck financial slides drafted and stress-tested.
Year-end
1 federal + 1 state return prepared at 50% off; R&D credit study support on Growth, or as a Custom Project. Delaware franchise tax deadline tracked. 1099s issued. Clean year-end financials for diligence.
Seed-Stage Finance, Priced Right
No $200K+/year CFO hire. No $5K/month CPA firm retainer. Just the right level of support for where you are.
In-house finance hire
Controller + benefits
$150K-$250K/yr
Traditional CPA firm + bookkeeper
Two vendors, disconnected tools
$2K-$5K/mo
StartupCFO Foundation (seed-stage)
Accountant + CPA + CFO support as needed + direct ClariFi access as a paid add-on
From $349/mo
Starting price. Final pricing depends on volume and complexity.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a seed-stage startup really need a CFO?
Not a full-time one. That typically comes at Series B+. But every seed-stage startup needs CFO-level thinking for board updates, runway modeling, fundraising, and R&D credits. A fractional CFO gives you that at a fraction of the cost of a hire.
How much should a seed-stage startup spend on finance?
A typical seed-stage startup spends roughly $500 to $3,000 a month on software, outsourced bookkeeping, and tax, and about $5,000 to $13,000 once a part-time CFO is added. StartupCFO plans start at $199/mo for pre-seed and scale to $799/mo when you need a full fractional CFO. A full-time in-house CFO at seed stage usually isn't the right spend.
What do investors expect at seed stage?
Monthly reporting with MRR/ARR (if SaaS), burn rate, runway, and a current cash balance. Most seed investors also want to see a simple 12-18 month financial model before re-upping. We produce the monthly reporting in ClariFi, and the financial model is part of our Growth plan.
Can you help us close our seed round?
Yes, on our Growth plan. We build fundraising models, help you frame metrics for pitch decks, set up a data room, and produce the financial statements and cap-table detail investors request in diligence. Your dedicated fractional CFO stays with you through close.
What about R&D tax credits for seed stage?
Seed-stage startups often have $100K-$400K/year of qualifying engineering spend. That translates to $10K-$40K of R&D tax credit against payroll tax, real money. On Growth or as a Custom Project, we run the study, file Form 6765, and coordinate with your payroll provider so the credit actually lands.
What seed founders say
Built for where you are right now
“StartupCFO gave us a finance team that feels in-house: ClariFi Decision Engine, a CFO who actually knows our numbers, and we were due-diligence ready in weeks, not months.”
“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.”
Seed-Stage Finance, Live in 2 Business Days
Book a free consultation and we'll walk through how we'd run your books, taxes, and CFO support at seed stage.
45-day free trial · No credit card needed · No long-term commitment
