A fractional CFO gives founders senior finance leadership without the cost or commitment of a full-time hire. Ridgeway Financial Services delivers fractional CFO support to tech, fintech, and crypto-native companies through retainer engagements that adapt to your stage and priorities. Our team brings CPA credentials and Big Four backgrounds, operating as part of your finance function rather than as an outside consultant.
What’s Included
Stage-appropriate fractional CFO scope, with engagement depth that adjusts as your company grows.
- Strategic financial planning, budgeting, and scenario modeling
- Cash flow management and runway forecasting
- Fundraising support and investor materials
- Board reporting and stakeholder communication
- KPI tracking and dashboard development
- Audit and due diligence preparation
- Internal controls oversight
- Capital strategy and fundraise planning
Industry-Specific CFO Expertise
Fintech CFO support
For payments, lending, neobanks, embedded finance, and the broader fintech industry.
- MTL and regulatory finance support
- Transaction volume and settlement modeling
- Partner bank relationship oversight
- Capital requirement planning and compliance-aligned controls
Crypto CFO and digital assets CFO support
For exchanges, custodians, miners, token projects, RIAs, hedge funds, and the broader digital asset industry.
- Token treasury planning and stablecoin reserve analysis
- Multi-wallet financial workflows and on-chain reconciliation
- Reporting for exchanges, custodians, miners, and blockchain projects
- Crypto-native accounting tooling (Bitwave, Cryptio, Lukka, Tres, Cryptoworth)
SaaS CFO and tech startup CFO support
- ARR and MRR modeling, churn and retention metrics
- CAC payback, LTV, and unit economics
- Pipeline, revenue, and headcount forecasting
- SaaS-specific accounting and reporting
When to Engage a Fractional CFO
Common signals that companies are ready for fractional CFO support: approaching or actively running a fundraise, burn or runway concerns that need tighter modeling, scaling past 20 to 50 employees with growing finance complexity, preparing for first audit or major due diligence event, board reporting expectations from new investors, and strategic decisions (M&A, market expansion, product investment) that need financial analysis. Earlier engagement (before a triggering event) is generally more valuable than reactive engagement after problems surface.
How We Work
Engagements are monthly retainers with scope adjusted to your needs. Most engagements involve weekly or biweekly working sessions, with the fractional CFO embedded in your finance team rather than operating as an outside vendor. We coordinate directly with bookkeepers, controllers, audit teams, legal counsel, and tax preparers as part of the engagement. Scope can expand or contract as your needs change without restructuring the engagement. For companies that also need day-to-day accounting work, fractional CFO scope combines naturally with our accounting and bookkeeping and consulting services.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is a fractional CFO different from hiring a full-time CFO?
A fractional CFO delivers senior finance leadership on a retainer basis at a fraction of the cost of a full-time hire. The work scope, depth, and judgment match what a full-time CFO would provide; the engagement model differs. For most companies under fifty million in revenue, fractional CFO support is more cost-effective than a full-time hire while still providing institutional-quality finance leadership.
When should a startup engage a fractional CFO?
Common triggers include approaching a fundraise, scaling past twenty to fifty employees, preparing for first audit, taking on institutional investors with board reporting expectations, or facing a strategic decision that requires financial analysis. Earlier engagement (before a triggering event) is generally more valuable than reactive engagement after problems surface.
How much do your fractional CFO services cost?
Fractional CFO pricing varies based on the company’s stage, complexity, finance needs, reporting cadence, industry, and the level of support required. Most engagements are structured as monthly retainers, with the scope tailored to the specific needs of the business. The right fee can only be determined after a conversation about what support is actually applicable, whether that includes financial planning, board reporting, fundraising support, audit readiness, controls, or coordination with the existing accounting team.
Do you also handle accounting and bookkeeping alongside your fractional CFO services?
Yes. We offer accounting and bookkeeping services that can be combined with fractional CFO support into one integrated engagement. Many clients use us for both, which keeps the day-to-day accounting and strategic finance work coordinated rather than splitting responsibility across multiple firms.
Reviewed by YR, CPA
Senior Financial Advisor