The fractional CFO for B2B founders building what's next.
We take the seat, build the operating model, and own the capital plan, all built to where you're going. One senior CFO function, configured to your stage.
You're making million-dollar calls on numbers you only half-trust.
And you're making them alone. Usually late at night.
You're a step behind your own business.
- Your runway is a guess that changes with whoever you ask.
- Your pricing hasn't moved since year one, and it's capping every deal.
- Your numbers and story wouldn't pass diligence, and you know it.
A CFO by your side, making the calls with you.
- Your runway, known to the week, so no spend is a gamble.
- Your pricing, set to what every deal is worth, margin recovered as soon as next quarter.
- Your numbers and story hold up the first time someone runs diligence.
The FounderFirst team rebuilt our model from the ground up and had us ready for diligence. But what I actually lean on is having them in the room when the big calls come up. I catch problems early now, and I know what to do about them, instead of finding out a month too late.
Most CFOs start with the spreadsheet.
We start with where you're going.
A company built to sell looks nothing like one built to scale, or one built to own. So before we touch a model, we ask one question: what are you building toward?
Building toward a venture-scale outcome.
The model is tuned for growth: capital that compounds, pricing that scales, and a runway you can push on without losing the floor.
Building a company designed to be acquired.
Building a profitable business that pays you, on your terms.
One CFO function. One proven system.
Discovery first, to make sure the seat fits both ways. Then we run it, and every milestone resets the model and feeds the cycle again.
We make sure the seat fits, both ways
We audit where you stand.
1 weekBuilt to your destination.
3 to 4 weeks- Your big why
- Your stage and model
- Our mutual fit
- Financials, model, tools
- Unit economics
- Growth levers
- Cash model first
- The operating model
- Benchmarks and strategy
Each ★ on the wheel marks a milestone. A raise, a price change, a cost cut, a new product, or an exit branches off the cycle and returns to 02 Build, then back into the cadence.
* The cadence depends on the tier chosen during Discovery.
A senior CFO in the seat, not on the sidelines.
Founder & Managing CFO
The playbook is Mariya Valeva's: twelve years as an operating CFO, scaling B2B companies from $0 to $20M+ ARR, twice. The decisions you're facing, she's made before, with her own name on the line.
Every engagement runs on that playbook, under Mariya's oversight and led by a senior CFO trained to her standard. No junior handoff, no marketplace stranger.
Read the full story →What a CFO in the seat actually changes.
Nova was scaling fast. On numbers no one trusted.
The forecast missed every quarter, blended margins hid which products made money, and the runway number changed depending on who you asked. We tore the model down to the actuals, split the P&L by product, and tied spend to payback, so every hire and every dollar had a reason. When the next raise came, the numbers held on the first pass.
"The FounderFirst team gave us more than a model. They run our board prep and own the numbers behind it, so we walk in ready and make confident calls every quarter."
A.J. Tan, CEO, NovaAsk the founders.
Mariya played a pivotal role in helping IVY navigate our toughest growth challenges.
One pricing insight from the FounderFirst team changed how we approached our entire pipeline, and it paid off within the quarter.
With the FounderFirst team owning our numbers, we make every pricing and strategy call on a clear read of the business. Financial leadership we could never have built internally.
We meet you where you are, and build forward.
Move up as the company grows. Same firm the whole way. Scale it, sell it, or own it. The destination shapes the work. Your stage sets the depth.
- One CFO session a month, and you leave knowing what to do.
- Runway and burn owned, not guessed
- Fundraise guidance before you're in the room
- Diligence-ready before anyone asks
- Your operating model, built and maintained by us
- Capital allocation strategy off your desk
- Monthly reporting and KPIs your team runs on
- Bi-weekly CFO cadence, with investor support
- Board materials and management, owned
- Multi-product P&Ls and scenario modeling
- Structure fixed before diligence finds it
- Raise and exit readiness: the model and data room a buyer or investor will want
- Investor and board meetings supported, so the prep stops eating your time
Scale it. Sell it. Own it. Your call.
One call. We'll tell you where your numbers stand, what they let you do, and what to fix first. No deck. No pitch.
A short application first. We take on a limited number of founders at a time, so every seat gets a real CFO.
Work with us →Not ready to talk? Read Tiny Margins, our Thursday letter for founders. →