Financial Modeling
Board-Grade Financial Models, Built by a Real CFO
Fundraising models, runway forecasts, 13-week cash, and scenario planning — built by the CFO who'll walk you through them in your next board meeting or investor call.
Most startup models fall apart under 30 seconds of investor scrutiny. Numbers that don't tie across statements. Revenue assumptions not driven by a pricing and funnel model. Runway that doesn't account for AR timing. StartupCFO builds models the way CFOs at growth-stage companies build them — three-statement, driver-based, and defensible under diligence. Then we'll sit with you in the meeting where you present it.
Models We Build
From pre-seed fundraise models to post-Series-A board-grade 3-statement models.
3-Statement Operating Model
P&L, balance sheet, and cash flow that tie. Driven by hiring plan, pricing, conversion, and churn. The default model every investor expects.
Fundraising Model
Built around your pitch narrative. Multiple scenarios (base, upside, stretch) with a sources-and-uses of capital and dilution walk.
13-Week Cash Forecast
Direct-method short-term cash forecast for the CEO and board. Catches near-term cash issues before they become fires.
Unit Economics Model
CAC, LTV, payback, contribution margin. Built bottom-up from your actual cohorts, not assumed.
Scenario / Sensitivity
Flip key drivers (pricing, retention, hiring pace, COGS) and see runway, burn, and EBITDA swing in real time.
Budget vs. Actual
Monthly BvA against the model, updated from ClariFi. Variance walks you can defend in a board meeting.
Our Model Build Process
Kickoff & drivers
30-minute call to understand your business model, revenue drivers, cost structure, and fundraising narrative.
V1 build
Three-statement model with your actuals loaded, a baseline forecast, and working scenarios. Delivered in ~5 business days.
Iterate with CEO
One to two revision rounds to dial in assumptions. We push back where numbers don't stand up to investor pressure.
Pressure test
Your CFO role-plays the toughest investor questions. Model adjusted until you can defend every number.
Board pack integration
Model's KPIs flow into your monthly board pack through ClariFi. You never present stale numbers.
Why Founders Pick Us Over Freelance Modelers
A contract model built in isolation breaks the first time you close a month. Our model is built by the same team that owns your books, runs your tax, and sits in your board meetings.
- Model built by a CFO, not a junior analyst
- Tied to your actual GAAP-clean books
- Updated monthly with variance walk
- Defensible under investor diligence
- Integrated with ClariFi KPIs and board pack
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a good startup financial model include?
A defensible startup model is three-statement (P&L, balance sheet, cash flow), driven by inputs investors can verify (headcount, pricing, conversion, churn), and produces runway, burn rate, and unit economics as outputs. It should let you flip to 3–5 scenarios without breaking.
Do you build SaaS, usage-based, or transactional models?
All three. We build ARR/MRR waterfall SaaS models, usage-based AI models tied to compute spend, and transactional fintech/e-commerce models driven by volume, take rate, and contribution margin.
How long does it take to build a model?
A fundraising-ready model typically takes 2–3 weeks end to end: kickoff and driver discussion, v1 with a working scenario, iteration with the CEO on assumptions, and a pressure-tested final version ready for investor diligence.
Can you update the model going forward?
Yes. Growth-plan clients get monthly model updates — actuals refreshed, forecast re-baselined, and variance vs. plan walked through in your monthly CFO call. Your model stays live, not static.
Do you just build in Excel?
We build in spreadsheets (Excel or Google Sheets) because investors want to see the logic. ClariFi then mirrors the model's KPIs and actuals into a live dashboard so you don't need to open the spreadsheet to see runway or burn.
Need a Fundraise-Ready Model?
Book a call and we'll scope the right model for your stage and fundraise timeline.
