Overview
A London-based SaaS company providing workflow-automation software to mid-market operations teams had raised a Series A round and was preparing for Series B fundraising. To keep costs down during its early growth phase, the company had engaged a low-cost fractional CFO provider selected primarily on price. As the business scaled and investor scrutiny increased, gaps in reporting quality and financial discipline became a liability the founders could no longer absorb.
Unison Direct was engaged to take over the Virtual CFO function end to end, rebuild financial reporting from the ground up, and prepare the company for a fundraising process that would not tolerate inconsistent numbers.
Key Challenges
A fractional CFO service staffed by junior, frequently rotating accountants with limited SaaS metrics experience and no consistent point of accountability.
Inconsistent MRR, ARR and cohort reporting that had already raised questions from existing investors at two consecutive board meetings.
Month-end close routinely slipping past 20 working days, delaying management decisions on hiring and spend.
No integrated forecasting model. Cash runway assumptions were rebuilt manually in spreadsheets each month, with figures that did not tie back to the general ledger.
A Series B raise on the horizon requiring audit-ready, investor-grade reporting at short notice, with no time to onboard a full-time CFO.
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Unison Direct's Solution
Diagnostic and Transition
- Ran a financial and reporting health check across the P&L, cash flow, balance sheet and core SaaS KPIs to identify root causes of the reporting gaps.
- Assigned a dedicated, senior Virtual CFO with SaaS and venture-backed business experience, backed by a consistent three-person delivery team rather than rotating juniors.
- Rebuilt the three-statement forecasting model with scenario planning and a rolling 18-month cash runway view, tied directly to actuals.
- Documented clear SOPs for month-end close, KPI reporting and board pack production, closing the gaps left by the previous provider.
- Integrated the finance stack (accounting, billing and BI tools) so MRR, ARR, churn and burn could be tracked in real time instead of reconciled by hand.
Business-as-Usual Delivery
- Monthly board packs covering revenue, retention and cash burn, with commentary on how actuals compare to plan.
- Ongoing strategic CFO involvement, including direct support for the fundraising narrative, data room preparation and investor Q&A.
- Proactive cash flow monitoring with early alerts on runway risk, replacing reactive, after-the-fact reporting.
- A single, senior point of accountability and transparent, scheduled communication in place of the ad hoc updates from the previous provider.
Results
Monthly close reduced from over 20 working days to 6, giving leadership timely visibility into performance.
100% accurate, investor-ready board packs delivered on schedule every month since transition.
An 18-month rolling cash runway view established for the first time, replacing manual, error-prone spreadsheets.
Full transition from the previous provider completed in 6 weeks, on budget, with no disruption to reporting cadence.
Finance function positioned as fundraise-ready ahead of the company's Series B process.
"We were paying less, but we were spending more time fixing numbers than using them. Unison Direct provided us with a CFO who understood SaaS metrics from day one, and board meetings stopped being about explaining discrepancies and started being about strategy."
Why the Client Chose Unison Direct
- Experienced CFO professionals: senior finance leadership, not junior staff learning on the client’s time.
- UK-focused financial expertise with sector experience across SaaS, technology and venture-backed businesses.
- Scalable service models that flex with the business as it moves from Series A to Series B and beyond.
- Transparent communication and accurate financial reporting, with a single accountable CFO rather than a rotating cast.
- Dedicated client support, backed by a delivery team, so continuity does not depend on one individual’s availability.