Runway is cash divided by burn. Burn is never what you think.
Founders usually know their bank balance and their monthly salary bill. But burn includes annual renewals, GST paid before customers pay, hiring plans and the cost of compliance that wasn't done. And investors will test every number in the deck against the books.
One startup has worked with us since the day it was incorporated:
Lavancha Renewable Energy Pvt Ltd was incorporated in Jan 2013. Since incorporation we have been associated with SOATECH SOLUTIONS. It’s been extremely delightful customer service from Mr. Sharad and his staff at SOATECH. Especially for a Start-Up company they have been extremely co-operative and friendly during every interaction.
Quoted word for word from our clients. Some quotes use our former name, Soatech.
Follow ₹8 crore of annual revenue through a typical B2B startup
Here is the cash cycle of an illustrative B2B software startup selling to Indian enterprises:
At ₹8 crore of sales a year, 80 days means about ₹1.8 crore is permanently tied up in the cycle. That is what your bank limit and your own capital are really funding. Bill annually in advance or collect 20 days sooner and about ₹44 lakh comes back, with no new loan and no new customer.
Illustrative composite figures, not a client's. Your own cycle comes straight from your balance sheet: stock, receivables and payables, each divided by a day's sales or purchases.
Six money problems specific to startups
Runway that's shorter than it looks
Lumpy costs and slow enterprise customers shorten runway. We build a monthly model founders and investors believe.
Investor-ready models
Investors test unit economics, cohorts and assumptions. We build models that survive the questions.
Compliance for funding
Share allotments, valuations and FEMA filings for foreign investment must be done correctly and on time. We coordinate them with your advisers.
ESOPs
Option schemes need approvals, accounting and clear communication. We set them up properly.
Due diligence
GST, TDS, ROC and FEMA gaps slow rounds down. We keep them clean all year.
The first finance hire
When you're ready for a full-time finance person, we help define the role and hand over.
Want a CFO to look at your numbers?
A senior CFO reviews your figures with you and shows you where to improve. No cost, no obligation.
How we keep startups fundable
Clean set-up from incorporation
Bank, GST, TDS, payroll and accounts.
Monthly accounts and a runway model
Burn, runway and scenarios.
An investor-ready model and data room
Before you need them.
Compliance for every round
Allotments, valuations and filings, coordinated.
Board and investor reporting
Monthly or quarterly, as investors expect.
Check your own numbers
Build a weekly view of your runway:
Ask CFOAvatar about your startup
What clients say
Some of the businesses we work with.
Thanks to CFOSurge, we now know exactly what each product contributes to our bottom line. Our sales team operates with clear geography-wise data, our accounts are well-maintained, statutory payments are handled systematically, and our inventory is finally accurate. They didn't just fix our books—they helped us plan for growth.
Soatech has been an excellent partner to ideasurge for the last five years as our one-stop shop managing Accounts, Audit and Payroll. In addition, they have been instrumental in coordinating with a prior accounting firm and getting us up to date with all regulatory and statutory needs. Soatech now seamlessly operates as an extension of ideasurge for all Finance functions.
Quoted word for word from our clients. Some quotes use our former name, Soatech.
Questions owners ask us
What does a startup CFO do?
Sets up finance properly, tracks burn and runway, builds the investor model and data room, keeps compliance clean for due diligence, handles ESOP accounting and supports founders on investor calls.
Can a startup afford a CFO?
Yes, as a virtual or fractional arrangement scoped to the stage. It's usually far cheaper than cleaning up before a round.
Do you work with startups outside Bengaluru?
Yes. We work with startups across India, virtually every month and in person when the work needs it.
