Who We Work With

If you built this business yourself, this page is for you.

KayOne doesn't specialise in an industry. We specialise in a type of founder - and a specific moment in the life of their business. The common thread across every engagement isn't what the business does. It's who's running it, and what they're facing.

We work across technology, manufacturing, and construction. The industry isn't the point. The moment is.

Founder Profile 01

The bootstrapped builder.

You built something real without institutional money. The business works - it has customers, revenue, and a team. But finance was always the last priority. The bookkeeper handles compliance. You handle everything else. You've reached the point where that's no longer enough, and you know it.

What you need isn't another accountant. You need someone who can build the infrastructure the business has earned - and think with you about where it goes next.

→ Fractional CFO
Sounds like you if -
  • You're profitable but genuinely don't know your margins by product or line
  • Month-end is when you find out what happened last month
  • You've been meaning to "sort the finance" for two years
  • You're ready to bring in a partner, raise capital, or just stop worrying about cash
  • You want a senior finance mind - but not a full-time salary
Founder Profile 02

The growth-stage operator.

You've got traction. Revenue is moving. You might have taken early investment or you're preparing to. The business is at the stage where what got you here - the hustle, the founder intuition, the informal reporting - won't get you to the next level.

Investors are asking questions your numbers can't answer. The board wants reporting you can't produce. You need the infrastructure to match the ambition you've already demonstrated.

→ Investor Readiness & Fractional CFO
Sounds like you if -
  • You're preparing for a raise and you know the numbers aren't investor-ready yet
  • You've been told to "clean up the books" before the next round
  • You have a board or investors who want reporting you can't produce consistently
  • You need someone who can sit across from a VC and defend the model
  • You're 12-18 months from a raise and want to get ahead of it
Founder Profile 03

The deal-ready founder.

There's a transaction in the picture. Maybe you've been approached. Maybe you're building toward an exit over the next 24 months. Maybe you're on the buy side and you need someone to check what you're actually buying.

A deal is the moment when every number gets scrutinised. The ones that don't hold up don't just reduce the price - they kill trust. You need the financials prepared, the valuation grounded, and someone in the room who's done this before.

→ Transaction Advisory
Sounds like you if -
  • You've received an approach and don't know if the price being offered is fair
  • You're building toward a sale but have never had a proper valuation done
  • You're acquiring a business and want someone to check what's under the hood
  • Due diligence found something and the deal is at risk
  • You want to get deal-ready before anyone comes to the table

A Closer Look

Does any of this sound familiar?

The founders who find KayOne most valuable tend to recognise themselves in at least a few of these.

You can read a good salesperson in five minutes. You've never been sure your bookkeeper is doing it right.

You'd hire a full-time CFO if you could justify the cost. You can't yet.

Your accountant is great at tax. They've never helped you think about the business.

You're going to raise in 18 months. The numbers aren't ready and you know it.

You got an approach on the business. You had no idea if the price was fair.

You've promised yourself you'd sort the finance function. That was two years ago.

The Work

Select engagements.

See all case studies →
Sound Like You?

One conversation to find out if we're the right fit.

Tell us where you are and what you're facing. We'll tell you honestly whether we can help - and what that would look like.

See If We're a Fit →

No commitment. No sales process. Just a conversation.

FAQ

Who we work with: common questions

Is a fractional CFO worth it for a company doing $2M to $5M in revenue?
Yes, if you are in tech, manufacturing, or construction and the financial complexity of the business is genuinely ahead of what a bookkeeper and a founder can handle. Signs you are ready: you cannot answer "what is our gross margin by product line" in under a minute, you are preparing to raise capital, you are negotiating with banks or NBFCs, or you are running the finance function yourself at the expense of the rest of the business. Signs you are not ready: your revenue is lumpy enough that financial questions have not become central, or a qualified controller would solve the problem cheaper.
Do tech and SaaS startups in India need a virtual CFO?
Post-revenue, scaling tech and SaaS businesses in India between $2M and $50M in ARR almost always benefit from a virtual or fractional CFO - the finance function has to support investor reporting, revenue recognition, international subsidiary structures, ESOP administration, and fundraising from institutional investors, and a founder running it solo becomes the bottleneck. Pre-revenue startups usually do not need one; the work is too simple to justify a senior operator.
Can a fractional CFO work with a manufacturing or construction business in India?
Yes, and the fit is often tighter than with tech because the stakes of getting working capital and project margins wrong are immediate and physical. KayOne has worked with manufacturing and construction founders on inventory and capex planning, working capital optimization, bank and NBFC negotiations, project-level margin analysis, and transaction work. The industry is not the constraint - the size is. $2M to $50M in revenue is the sweet spot.
What stage of company is KayOne fractional CFO service best suited for?
Founder-led companies between $2M and $50M in revenue, post product-market fit, in tech, manufacturing, construction, or adjacent industries, at a scaling / fundraising / transaction moment. Based in India. Specifically not: pre-revenue startups (too early for a CFO at all), publicly listed companies or those with $100M+ in revenue (need a full-time CFO), or situations where the founder has exited day-to-day operational control (we work with operators, not holdcos).