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A diagnostic, not a pitch

Most founders never get to strategic finance. They get stuck at the books.

Every finance function moves through three stages. Most companies never get past the first. The ones that reach the third — board-ready, decision-driving, in the strategy room — got there by completely solving the first two.

This page is the full framework, mapped to what it actually costs to fix at each stage. If you recognize yourself in any of these descriptions, you know which tier you need.

1

Basic

from $179/mo

The problem this tier solves — The noise

Monthly close that takes a week. Tax surprises in April.

This is where most founders live. The work feels essential — approvals, reconciliations, the monthly close that drags. But it's the part of the job AI can handle today. Founders who can't escape this stage never get to the next two.

The promise

→ Clean books, tax done, done thinking about it.

What you actually get

  • Monthly close completed within 5-7 business days, reliably
  • All reconciliations current
  • ASC 606 revenue recognition handled correctly
  • Tax & compliance autopilot — federal, state, franchise, sales tax across 51 jurisdictions
  • Financial statements you can read and trust
  • Documents organized for next year's diligence

Who this is for

Pre-seed and seed founders who are still doing books themselves, or whose current bookkeeper isn't keeping up

Upgrade trigger

When the operational signals you need don't fit on a P&L

2

Foundation

from $349/mo

The problem this tier solves — The dysfunction

FP&A disconnected from ops. Spreadsheets that don't agree.

Books are clean now. But your best analyst is doing 30 hours a week of manual work that should be automated. Your CFO is chasing data instead of making decisions. 67% of finance teams pilot AI; only 10% make it stick. The dysfunction nobody talks about until your best person quits.

The promise

→ One source of truth. Signals that catch things before they break.

What you actually get

  • Operational metrics tied to financials in one system — no more spreadsheet sprawl
  • Unit economics tracked continuously (CAC, LTV, payback, contribution margin)
  • Spend Guardrails — proactive alerts before budget breaches
  • Cohort analysis, customer concentration, runway signals
  • Industry benchmarks for every KPI you track
  • Pricing sensitivity modeling, working capital tracking

Who this is for

Seed and early Series A startups where finance has become a bottleneck on operational decisions

Upgrade trigger

When the board asks questions you can't answer in real time

3

Growth

from $799/mo

The problem this tier solves — The strategic invisibility

Board treats finance as a cost center. CEO calls without your numbers.

This is the layer nobody talks about until it's too late. The CFO who never gets invited to strategy meetings. The board that thinks of finance as overhead. The CEO who makes hiring and pricing calls without finance in the room. PwC told its own partners: anyone who resists AI 'will not be here that long.' Boards are saying the same about CFOs who haven't moved.

The promise

→ You stop building the Monday deck. You start leading the Monday conversation.

What you actually get

  • Board Pack Generator — actuals vs plan + top risks + commentary, ready in minutes
  • Scenario Simulation — model any what-if live in the room
  • 13-week cash forecast updated weekly, decisioned daily
  • Cap table + 409A + equity comp integration
  • Fundraising support: investor updates, data room, diligence prep
  • ROI + decision modeling for hiring, pricing, expansion calls

Who this is for

Series A+ companies where finance needs to drive growth decisions, not just track them

Upgrade trigger

End state — most companies stay here through Series C+

The hard truth

You don't get invited to the strategy room because you asked.

You get there by solving the first two stages so completely that you actually have time to think.

Every CFO who has a real seat at the table got there because they stopped building the Monday deck — and started leading the Monday conversation.

Most finance teams are drowning in the first stage while the third stage decides their future. Most fractional CFOs become outsourced finance departments because they never escape Stage 1 on behalf of their clients.

We refuse to do that. Our pricing structure makes it impossible. Basic and Foundation eliminate the work that traps your CFO in operational mode — so the Growth tier is actually about growth, not just expensive bookkeeping.

Which stage are you in right now?

Book a free 30-minute consultation. We'll tell you which stage you're actually in (founders are often wrong about this), and which tier solves it cleanly.

See pricingSee ClariFi in action