Runway forecasting, board packs, SEIS/EIS, R&D claims and investor-ready reporting — built on top of your accounting, not alongside it. Fixed monthly fees. ACA-qualified.
Most UK startups have an accountant who files returns and a bookkeeper who records transactions. What they don't have is someone who turns those numbers into forward-looking decisions.
Nobody is modelling how long the cash lasts under three different scenarios. Nobody is building the financial model investors will diligence. Nobody is structuring the SEIS/EIS round to maximise investor tax relief. Nobody is tracking the metrics that matter at your stage.
That's the gap a fractional CFO fills. And at AccTek, we fill it from inside your finance function — not alongside it.
But doesn't build forecasts, models, or board packs
Cash runway, burn rate, and hiring plans live in the founder's head
Your CFO asks your accountant for last month's data. Weeks pass.
R&D claims, SEIS/EIS structuring, and EMI schemes need CFO-level ownership
Most fractional CFO providers will tell you: "Your accountant does compliance, we do strategy." That creates a real problem. You end up with two invoices, two relationships, and a CFO who's always waiting for data from your accountant.
AccTek's model is different. We already run your bookkeeping, your Xero, your VAT, your Corporation Tax, your payroll. The fractional CFO layer plugs directly into clean, real-time data that our team produces. No handoffs. No reconciliation lag. No asking someone else for last month's numbers.
A fractional CFO sits above your bookkeeper and accountant. They use the data those functions produce to drive forward-looking decisions. For UK startups, the work typically spans five areas:
Building and maintaining your 12–18 month cash flow model. Runway forecasting under multiple scenarios (base, optimistic, conservative). Monthly management accounts that tell you what's actually happening, not just what HMRC needs to know.
Financial model preparation for your data room. Due diligence support. Term sheet review. CFO-level presence on investor calls. Structuring SEIS and EIS rounds for maximum investor tax relief. Cap table management.
Monthly board packs in the format investors expect. KPI tracking — MRR, churn, burn rate, CAC, LTV, gross margin — tailored to your revenue model. SaaS-specific metrics if applicable.
R&D tax relief claim identification and management. EMI option scheme setup for early hires. Optimal director salary and dividend strategy for 2026/27. VAT registration timing advice.
Pricing and unit economics review. Hiring plan financial modelling. Finance stack optimisation. Expansion cost modelling. The financial framing of the trade-offs founders face every month.
Every startup is at a different stage. Your finance support should match. All three tiers include full accounting and tax compliance as standard — the CFO layer builds on top.
| Capability | Accountant Only | AccTek Fractional CFO | Full-Time CFO |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bookkeeping & Xero | ✓ | ✓ Included | ✗ Separate hire |
| VAT, payroll, CT returns | ✓ | ✓ Included | ✗ Separate hire |
| Annual accounts | ✓ | ✓ Included | ✓ |
| Management accounts | ✗ Rarely | ✓ Monthly | ✓ |
| Cash flow forecasting | ✗ | ✓ 12–18 months | ✓ |
| Board packs | ✗ | ✓ Investor-ready | ✓ |
| KPI dashboards | ✗ | ✓ SaaS/startup metrics | ✓ |
| Fundraising support | ✗ | ✓ Model + data room | ✓ |
| SEIS/EIS structuring | ⚠️ Basic | ✓ End-to-end | ⚠️ Needs tax advisor |
| R&D tax relief | ⚠️ Basic | ✓ End-to-end | ⚠️ Needs tax advisor |
| EMI option schemes | ✗ | ✓ Setup + reporting | ✓ |
| Typical annual cost | £2,400–£6,000 | £18,000–£72,000 | £200,000–£260,000 |
There's no revenue threshold that triggers the need. It's about operational complexity. These are the signals founders typically recognise:
If two or more of these apply, a fractional CFO will pay for itself — typically within the first quarter.
30-minute call to understand your stage, challenges, and what you need. We'll tell you which tier fits and whether AccTek is the right partner.
We connect to your Xero (or set it up from scratch), review your historical data, and produce a diagnostic report: current cash position, burn rate, tax position, and immediate opportunities.
Chart of accounts optimised. Bank feeds connected. Historical transactions cleaned. Management account templates built. KPI framework agreed. This takes 2–4 weeks.
Monthly management accounts by day 10. Board pack by day 15. CFO strategy call at your preferred cadence. Ongoing tax compliance handled in the background. Async access for questions between calls.
AccTek isn't a CFO placement firm. We're a Chartered Accountancy practice that delivers fractional CFO services from inside your finance function — with the qualifications, experience, and startup focus to back it up.
Every engagement is led by Godwin Pinto ACA — not delegated to a junior. You get a qualified Chartered Accountant with direct startup experience across SaaS, marketplace, deep tech, and services businesses. The same person who builds your board pack also files your Corporation Tax return and manages your R&D claim.
"We went from having no idea what our burn rate was to having an investor-ready board pack in under two months. The R&D claim alone paid for a year of AccTek's fees."
"The runway analysis was a wake-up call — we would have run out of cash mid-fundraise. AccTek gave us the visibility to make the right call at the right time."
Client details anonymised. Representative of typical AccTek engagements.
UK startups operate in a distinct tax and regulatory environment. Getting these right at an early stage saves significant value later — and most general accountants don't specialise in them.
Tax-advantaged investment schemes that give your investors up to 50% income tax relief (SEIS) or 30% (EIS). We handle advance assurance applications, share class structuring, and compliance certificates. Getting this wrong costs your investors their tax relief.
Under the merged R&D scheme, qualifying expenditure generates a taxable credit. We identify eligible activities, ensure documentation is contemporaneous, and manage the claim from start to finish — including enquiry defence if HMRC asks questions.
Enterprise Management Incentives let you offer share options to key hires with significant tax advantages. We set up the scheme, agree valuations with HMRC, and handle annual reporting.
Small profits rate (19%) applies to the first £50,000 of profit. Marginal relief applies between £50,000 and £250,000. We structure your salary, dividends, and pension contributions to minimise your overall tax burden for 2026/27.
Mandatory at £90,000 turnover, but voluntary registration can reclaim VAT on setup costs. We advise on the right timing and scheme for your business model.
