Fractional FD & CFO support
Fractional CFO services for UK startups & scale-ups.
CFO expertise, without the full-time hire.
Cash flow forecasting, board reporting and preparation for your next raise, from CFOs who've spent years working with startups.
Your fractional CFO
CFO support for UK founders who are raising, hiring and scaling.
A term sheet lands, the board wants a monthly pack and every new hire shortens your runway. You need a CFO, just not a full-time one yet.
Our fractional CFOs (sometimes called part-time CFOs or fractional FDs) work alongside you on the decisions that shape the business - how fast to grow, where to spend and what the numbers say about your next move. You get the experience of a senior CFO, for the hours you need.
Where your CFO comes in
- Seeing cash pressure coming early
- Monthly numbers you can make decisions from
- Keeping your forecasts current as plans change
- Getting ready for your first or next raise
- Reporting your board can rely on
- A CFO on hand between your monthly meetings
Who we work with
From startup to scale-up.
Founders rarely come to us because they've reached a particular stage. They come because something has landed on their desk that needs senior finance experience. Here's what that tends to look like, from the first raise onwards.
Before the raise
You're getting ready to raise
Investors will dig into your forecast, and they'll want numbers that tie back to it. If your model lives in a spreadsheet only you can follow, now is the time to get it into shape.
After the raise
You've just closed a round
The money's in the bank, and with it comes a board to report to and a runway to look after. Reporting moves from occasional to monthly, and your investors will want to see where the money is going.
Growing
You're growing faster than your reporting
Revenue and headcount are both climbing, and you need to see which parts of the business make money and where the cash goes each month. Bigger decisions are waiting on those answers.
What's next
You're planning the next big move
A new market, a larger round or the first conversations about an exit. The scrutiny on your numbers goes up, and so does the number of people asking for them.
You don't need to call yourself a startup for this to apply. If one of these sounds like your week, tell us what's on your desk and we'll say whether CFO support is the right fit.
The fractional difference
What changes with a CFO on your side.
Most founders reach a point where the finances are too important to wing, but the business isn't big enough for a full-time hire. That gap tends to open just as the stakes go up.
Going it alone
- The board asks questions you can't answer with confidence
- You find out about cash problems when they're already problems
- Hiring, spend and timing decisions come down to gut feel
- Fundraising stalls because your numbers don't tell a convincing story
- Finance eats your evenings instead of a specialist's day
With Standard Ledger
- Board-ready reporting, and a senior finance voice in the room when it counts
- Real cash and runway visibility - you see what's coming months out, not weeks
- Decisions backed by real numbers - hiring, spend and timing you can defend
- An investor-ready story, with support through the raise and due diligence
- CFO-level expertise on tap - without the full-time salary
The financial leadership behind the raise
"Closing our £2.5m round with Octopus Ventures was a huge milestone for HealsGood AI. Standard Ledger were instrumental throughout the process - helping us stay investor-ready, manage due diligence and present a clear financial story. They brought real structure and focus, which made a complex raise feel controlled and achievable. Having that level of financial leadership on our side gave us the confidence to move fast and negotiate from a position of strength."
Jack Henderson
Founder & CEO, HealsGood AI
What's included
Hands-on CFO support, not just advice.
A fractional CFO from Standard Ledger isn't a consultant who sends you a slide deck once a quarter. Every package covers your monthly P&L, cash flow forecasting, a monthly reporting pack and regular time with your CFO, and Partner adds budget analysis and KPI reporting for your board.
Cash flow forecasting
Your forward cash flows updated every month, so you know your runway and when to start raising well before you need to. On Partner, that becomes a rolling 12-month forecast.
Monthly reporting pack
Your P&L and forward cash flows in one pack each month, so you always know where the business stands. On Partner, it adds actuals against budget and KPI reporting for your board.
Raise support
When a raise is coming up, your monthly CFO hours can go on getting your numbers ready for investors. We've been on the VC side, so we know what they look for. Bigger pieces, like a full model, a valuation or due diligence prep, are scoped as one-off projects.
Books kept up to date
Your monthly P&L, payables and receivables are looked after as part of the package, so the reporting is built on numbers you can trust.
Set CFO hours each month
Your package comes with set CFO time each month, on top of the meeting and check-ins, to spend where it's most useful - from board prep to hiring plans.
Monthly performance review
Each month you meet your CFO to go through the numbers - what moved, why, and what it means for the next few months. Weekly or fortnightly check-ins in between mean questions don't wait a month for an answer.
Bite-sized CFO support
From a few hours a month to two days a week.
Most growing businesses can't justify a full-time CFO. What they need is an experienced CFO's skills for long enough to do the job, with more time when the job gets bigger.
- 4 hours a month Getting ready for growth or a first raise
- 8 hours a month After a raise, with a board to report to
- Half a day a week or more VC-backed and scaling fast
- Up to two days a week About as far as fractional goes
- £137,250 - £217,750 a year In salary and employer's National Insurance, before pension, recruitment and on-costs
Skills you couldn't otherwise afford
Our CFOs have worked in venture capital, big accounting firms and inside startups. You get that experience from the first month, for a monthly fee.
Up and down with the business
Step up in the run-up to a raise and back down in a quieter quarter, with your package changing as you need it.
We'll tell you when it's time to hire
Past about two days a week, a full-time CFO makes more sense and we'll say so. We've helped clients recruit their own, and we'll help you find the right person.
Full-time figure: salary range for CFOs in medium-sized businesses (50-250 staff), Robert Walters Salary Survey 2026, which excludes employer's National Insurance. Employer's NI added at 15% on earnings above £5,000 a year.
Pricing
CFO packages for each stage of growth.
Each package is a fixed monthly fee for a set amount of CFO time, and every one includes a monthly meeting with your CFO.
Grow
- ✓Monthly P&L, accounts payable & receivable
- ✓Monthly performance review
- ✓Monthly reporting pack incl. forward cash flows
- ✓Monthly CFO meeting on forward cash flows
- ✓Updating of forecasts
- ✓Fortnightly check-in
- ✓4 hrs/month CFO support
Grow+
- ✓Monthly P&L, accounts payable & receivable
- ✓Monthly performance review
- ✓Monthly reporting pack incl. forward cash flows
- ✓Monthly CFO meeting on forward cash flows
- ✓Updating of forecasts
- ✓Weekly check-in
- ✓8 hrs/month CFO support
Partner
- ✓Everything in Grow+
- ✓Rolling 12-month cash flow forecast
- ✓Monthly analysis of actuals against budget for board reports
- ✓Key metric and KPI reporting
- ✓Min. half day/week with your team
No lock-ins - you can change or stop your package month to month. Wherever possible, we provide a fixed-fee proposal upfront, so you know exactly what you're paying and what you're getting.
What founders say
Trusted by venture-track founders.
Founders on what CFO support has done for them, from raising capital and reporting to a board through to selling the business.
“Standard Ledger’s fractional CFO services identified KPIs driving operational improvements, making us an attractive acquisition target. Strategic exit planning structured our finances to maximise returns, and negotiating the complexities of the sale process secured us a deal that recognised our full value.”
Peter Neal
“The CFO service gives us expertise we can lean on. It’s been a massive help, including during capital raising when you need a really good financial model and a CFO who can come to board meetings and talk numbers.”
Mandeep Sodhi
“For me, having CFO support has been vital for everything from insurance documents to financial modelling, and strategic advice and guidance. Working with Remco and Mike has transformed my knowledge personally, and also enabled us to grow safely. We wouldn’t have been able to do it without them.”
Charlie Hamer
One-off projects
CFO support for a single piece of work.
Not everyone needs a monthly package. Sometimes there's one job in front of you, usually a raise, and you need a CFO for that. We'll agree the scope and cost with you before we start.
Reporting systems
Reporting set up around the numbers you run the business on, so it keeps working long after the project ends.
Pitch deck financials
The financials in your deck, your forecast and the story you tell about them, lined up before investors see them.
Financial modellingValuations
A valuation for a raise, an EMI scheme or growth shares, with the method written down so you can explain how you reached the number.
ValuationsCap tables
A clear record of who owns what today, and what the next round does to everyone's share.
Financial memorandums
The detailed financial document that goes to investors or buyers, prepared from scratch or reviewed so it reads clearly and holds up when they start asking questions.
Due diligence prep
Your numbers and supporting documents in order before investors or buyers ask for them, with us on hand to answer their questions as they come in.
When you're selling or merging, we act as your CFO through the process, so your corporate advisers and the other side get accurate figures when they ask for them.
We also work with businesses looking to make an acquisition, and venture capital firms carrying out due diligence on a company they're looking to invest in.
CFO models compared
Not every business needs the same kind of CFO.
Fractional, part-time, interim, outsourced, financial controller - the names get used loosely, and they don't all mean the same thing. Here's how they differ on time, cost and who they suit, so you can see which fits where you are now.
| Model | What it is | Time | How you pay | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fractional CFO What we do | An experienced CFO working with you for part of the week or month, on the big decisions and the hands-on work alike. | A few hours a month, up to about two days a week. Ongoing. | A monthly fee for the time you need. | Startups and scale-ups that need senior finance judgement but not a full-time hire. |
| Fractional FD, part-time or virtual CFO What we do | Other names for the same service. FD (finance director) is the traditional UK title, "part-time" puts the emphasis on the hours and "virtual" on the work being done remotely. | As fractional. | As fractional. | As fractional - the difference is in the name. |
| Interim CFO | A CFO who steps in full-time for a fixed period, to cover a gap or lead one specific piece of work. | Full-time, for a set number of months. | A day rate or monthly rate for the term. | Covering a departure or leave, or a restructure that needs someone in the seat every day. |
| Outsourced CFO | An external firm taking on the CFO role, often packaged with bookkeeping and accounts. The term overlaps heavily with fractional. | Varies by provider. | Usually a monthly fee. | Businesses that want finance leadership and the day-to-day accounting from one provider. |
| Financial controller | Runs the finance function day to day: month-end close, controls and accurate reporting. The focus is on getting the numbers right rather than planning what comes next. | Part-time or full-time. Ongoing. | A salary, or a monthly fee if outsourced. | Businesses where the volume of transactions and reporting needs dedicated management. |
| Full-time CFO or FD | A permanent member of your leadership team, running finance across the whole business. | Five days a week. Ongoing. | Salary, employer's National Insurance, pension and on-costs. | Businesses that need CFO time for more than two days a week. |
We also provide bookkeeping and accounting alongside CFO support, so if you want the outsourced model, with everything under one roof, we can cover that too.
Which one fits comes down to how much CFO time you need, and for how long. Not sure which side of the line you're on? That's a good first conversation to have with us.
Our team
Meet your fractional CFO team.
You get a senior fractional CFO leading the way, backed by specialists in modelling, forecasting and analysis. All the finance firepower of an in-house team, without the headcount.
Michael
Co-founder + CFO
Mike brings together the rigour of big-firm accounting with genuine startup instinct. A CFO founders lean on across the whole journey – from getting raise-ready to scaling internationally – with the kind of deep expertise that’s carried countless teams through their biggest financial moments.
Remco
Co-founder + CFO
Remco has spent 18+ years as a CFO and virtual CFO to startups and scale-ups, following 14 years in VC and consulting. It’s a breadth few finance leaders bring – operator, adviser and investor – and it means he knows what a raise needs and what a board wants to hear.
Polly
Senior Financial Analyst
A Chartered Accountant with an FP&A background across global financial services, Polly makes your numbers make sense. She’s strong on the forecasting and budgeting behind every confident decision – and explains it in a way you’ll actually follow.
Anne
Senior Financial Analyst
Anne is who you want building your forecasts. She turns messy data into clear visibility on runway, burn and the numbers you’ll be asked about – and if there’s a question buried in your finances, she’ll find the answer.
Kirsten
Financial Analyst
Kirsten is a financial all-rounder with experience in audit and capital markets and a passion for using numbers to drive growth and shake up the status quo. She’s the analyst who doesn’t just report what happened, but flags what it means for your next move.
Caicy
Team Lead
Behind every smoothly run client account is Caicy. She leads our back-office support team and works across bookkeeping, tax, accounting and CFO services – making sure nothing slips through the cracks and everything runs exactly as it should.
How it works
From first conversation to CFO in your corner.
The first few weeks are about getting to know your numbers. After that, your CFO is working with you on what to do with them.
Discovery
We get to know your business, your numbers and where you need senior finance support - fundraising, board reporting, cash or hiring plans.
Embed
We get under the bonnet of your finances - reviewing your reporting, systems and metrics so our advice is based on how the business really runs.
Steer
We work alongside you on forecasting, unit economics and runway, and on whatever the business needs an answer to that month.
Scale
As the business grows, the support grows with it - more time in the run-up to a raise, board packs once you have a board, and a hand in investor conversations.
Next step
Talk to a CFO about where you are now.
A raise coming up, a new board to report to or a runway you need to stretch - tell us where things stand and we'll suggest the package that fits, with the cost agreed before anything starts.
FAQ
Questions founders ask us.
These are the things founders most often want to know before working with us. If your question isn't here, bring it along when you speak with us.
What's the difference between a fractional CFO and an accountant?
An accountant makes sure your books are right and your filings go in on time, so the focus is on what has already happened. A fractional CFO uses those numbers to plan ahead: keeping your cash flow forecast current, turning each month’s figures into a reporting pack you can act on and getting your finances ready for investors and your board. Most growing businesses need both, and we can provide both under one roof.
Is a fractional CFO the same as a part-time CFO or fractional FD?
Yes. Fractional CFO, part-time CFO, fractional FD and virtual CFO all describe the same thing: an experienced finance leader working with you for part of the week or month, rather than as a full-time hire. FD (finance director) is the traditional UK title, while CFO is the term most startups use. Whichever one you searched for, it’s what our packages provide.
When should a startup bring in a fractional CFO?
Usually it’s when the numbers start holding things up – a raise is on the horizon, investors want monthly reporting or growth has outpaced your spreadsheets. Pre-seed isn’t too early, because putting the right reporting in place from the start saves a lot of untangling later. If you’re not sure, it’s worth a conversation, and we’ll say so if it’s too soon.
Can a fractional CFO help us get ready for investment?
Yes – raise preparation is a big part of what our CFOs do. That covers the financial model, the numbers in your pitch deck, your cap table and getting your documents in order for due diligence, along with SEIS/EIS advance assurance if your investors need it. We know what UK investors look for, so you go into the raise with figures you can explain and defend.
How much does fractional CFO support cost?
It depends on how much CFO time you need, and our three packages are set out in the pricing section above. Each is a fixed monthly fee, and you can move between packages as your needs change. For one-off work, like getting ready for a raise, we’ll agree the scope and cost with you before anything starts.
Is there a minimum contract length?
No. Our packages run month to month, so you can change or stop yours whenever you need to. We’d rather you stay because the support is useful than because a contract says you have to.
Can you help with our raise if we're not on a monthly package?
Yes. We take on one-off CFO projects such as financial models, pitch deck financials, valuations and due diligence prep. Tell us what the raise needs and we’ll come back with a proposal, with the cost agreed before any work begins.
Do you look after tax and compliance too?
Yes. Alongside CFO support, Standard Ledger looks after bookkeeping, accounts, tax and payroll, as well as R&D tax credits and SEIS/EIS advance assurance. Having it all with one team means your forecasts and your compliance are built from the same numbers, and nothing falls between two providers. We’ll set out what’s covered and what it costs before we start.
Do you work with startups outside London?
Yes. We work with startups and scale-ups right across the UK, and everything runs online, so where you’re based doesn’t matter. Meetings, check-ins and board support all work just as well remotely.