Startup finance support, from day one.
Good startup finance support changes as you grow. We meet you where you are, get the basics right early, then add support as you hire, raise and scale, so your numbers never hold you back.
The right finance support for where you are
In the early days you do not need a full finance function, you need the right things done well: clean books, payroll that works, VAT handled, and someone who understands startups in your corner.
Then it grows with you. As you take on people, claim R&D, raise your first round and start reporting to investors, we add exactly the support that stage calls for, never more than you need.
What founders come to us for
- Clean bookkeeping and accurate numbers from the start
- Payroll, VAT and compliance handled properly
- SEIS/EIS and R&D tax claims done right
- Runway, forecasts and investor-ready reporting
- A finance partner who scales with the business
From day one to your first raise, and beyond
Here is how finance support typically grows alongside a startup. Each stage is colour-matched to the level of support that fits it.
Get set up right
You have incorporated and the first transactions are landing. Getting clean books and the right structure in place now saves painful clean-ups later.
- Bookkeeping
- Company structure
- Bank feeds
- Accurate records
First revenue, first hires
Invoices are going out and the first people are joining. Payroll, VAT and monthly numbers need to be reliable so you can make decisions with confidence.
- Payroll
- VAT returns
- Management accounts
- Expenses
SEIS/EIS, R&D and investor-ready numbers
You are raising pre-seed or seed. Investors want SEIS/EIS in place, R&D claims can put real cash back in the business, and your numbers need to stand up to scrutiny.
- SEIS/EIS support
- R&D tax claims
- Cleaner reporting
- Finance systems
Runway, forecasts and your first board updates
Growth brings new questions: how long is the runway, what does the forecast say, what do investors need to see? This is where lighter CFO-level input starts to earn its keep.
- Forecasting
- Runway
- Board updates
- KPI reporting
Scaling fast? The next stage of the journey, funding rounds, board reporting and strategic finance, is where our scaleup support comes in.
See scaleup supportWhere founders usually find us
“In our very first year with AI Accounts, they have saved us over £120,000. That is cash back into our business! We now have restored faith in our management information and love the way it’s presented to us.”
20i, fast-growing tech startup
Handy calculators for founders
Startup finance questions
Yes. We work with founders from day one, just-incorporated companies right through to startups raising their first round, and we scope support to where you actually are.
Sooner than most founders think. Getting bookkeeping, payroll and VAT right from early on saves painful clean-ups later and means your numbers are ready when investors, HMRC or a board come knocking.
Yes. We support your SEIS/EIS position and paperwork for investors, and prepare R&D tax claims, two of the most valuable schemes for early-stage UK startups.
Yes. As you approach a raise we help with clean numbers, forecasts, runway and the financial questions investors ask, so you walk into the room prepared.
It scales with you. You start with Finance Foundations, add Finance Operations as processes and funding grow more complex, and bring in Fractional CFO support when you need senior strategic input.
Finance Foundations starts from £450 plus VAT a month, with Finance Operations and Fractional CFO support priced to your stage. You only pay for the level of support you actually need.
Let’s get your finances startup-ready
Wherever you are on the journey, we will meet you there and grow with you. Book a quick intro call and we will map out the right support for your stage.