Fractional CFO for African growth companies

Turn traction into
institutional credibility.

When growth outpaces your finance function, we bring the insight and discipline your next stage requires.

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Professional CFO
Serving founders across
AfricaUnited KingdomEuropeUnited States
Our Practice

The SME CFO.
From Ambition
to Institution.

Behind every thriving business is a financial strategy built for where it's going, not just where it's been. Our clients trust us because we understand their industries, their markets, and the unique pressures of building in Africa.

We work with founders and leadership teams to turn financial complexity into strategic advantage, with the rigour of institutional finance and the agility their businesses demand.

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The Challenge

Africa's most promising businesses are making critical financial decisions without strategic oversight.

Every day, founders who have built exceptional products are held back by financial blind spots. Cash flow crises that could have been predicted. Investor meetings lost to poor financial storytelling. Growth decisions made on intuition instead of data.

We exist to change that. We bring institutional-grade financial leadership to the businesses that are building Africa's future: the strategic clarity, the rigour, and the foresight that transforms growing companies into investable enterprises.

80%

Cash Flow Blind Spots

of SME failures are linked to poor cash flow management, not poor products

CB Insights
$4.5B

African VC Funding

invested in African startups, yet most founders aren't financially ready for due diligence

Africa: The Big Deal, 2024
90%

No Financial Strategy

of African SMEs operate without any form of strategic financial planning or CFO-level oversight

SMEDAN, 2021
What Sets Us Apart

Institutional rigour. African-market insight. Your CFO.

As a business grows, its financial decisions become more consequential and harder to make well.

We bring senior financial leadership into your business, strengthen the capabilities your next stage demands and work alongside management to address financial gaps before they become expensive problems.

We have sat on the other side of the table

The SME CFO is led by Olubunmi Nmerenu, ACA, a Chartered Accountant and corporate finance strategist with nearly a decade of experience across treasury, structuring and corporate finance at one of the world's leading financial institutions. Her work there included a GBP 2.3 billion acquisition and a GBP 750 million share buyback programme.

That experience shapes how we prepare businesses for institutional scrutiny: how assumptions will be tested, where risks will be challenged and what must stand behind the numbers presented to investors, lenders and boards.

We can start where your business is

Where the financial foundations are missing, we establish them: the chart of accounts, reporting framework, internal controls and month-end close. Where the foundations are already in place, we provide the senior financial oversight needed to turn information into decisions.

Our work has taken businesses from incomplete financial records to statutory reporting, decision-ready management information and financial models that stand up in investor conversations.

We bring a framework and the judgement to apply it

Where your business needs the full picture before priorities are set, we begin with a structured assessment across eight dimensions of financial health. This identifies and prioritises the issues most relevant to your next stage. The findings become a focused 90-day plan, shaped by your commercial model, growth plans, financial maturity and the decisions ahead.

For ongoing CFO engagements the work may include monthly management reporting, variance analysis, regular strategic review and a rolling 13-week cash flow forecast.

We build capability that stays with your business

Our aim is to leave your business stronger than we found it. We improve the quality of financial information, strengthen processes, document controls and clarify accountability.

The capability stays with your leadership and finance teams when the engagement ends, and keeps supporting better decisions as it grows.

How It Works

Three steps to your financial clarity.

01

Free Discovery Call

A 30-minute consultation to understand your business, identify your most pressing financial challenges, and outline the scope of a potential engagement.

30 minutes · Virtual · Complimentary
02

Financial Health Audit

We assess your financial position across eight dimensions and deliver a comprehensive report with traffic-light scoring and a prioritised 90-day action plan.

1-2 weeks
03

Ongoing CFO Support

Monthly strategic oversight: dashboards, cash flow forecasts, variance analysis, and a CFO in your corner for every financial decision that matters.

Monthly
Our Services

Strategic financial leadership, tailored to your stage of growth.

Every engagement is led by a dedicated, ACA-qualified fractional CFO. Bespoke financial strategy, rigorous analytical frameworks, and the institutional discipline your business deserves.

Financial Health Audit
A comprehensive assessment of your business's financial health across eight dimensions. You receive a detailed report showing what's working, what's broken, and what to fix first.
  • 2-3 hour deep-dive with founder or finance team
  • 12-month financial statements review
  • Cash flow analysis and forward forecast
  • Financial Health Score with traffic-light ratings
  • Prioritised 90-day action plan
Monthly CFO Retainer
Your fractional CFO becomes a virtual member of your leadership team. Strategic financial oversight that turns your numbers into decisions you can act on with confidence.
  • Monthly financial review meeting
  • Management accounts preparation or review
  • KPI dashboard with traffic-light indicators
  • Rolling 13-week cash flow forecast
  • Budget vs. actual variance analysis
  • Strategic financial advice on demand
Investor Readiness Package
End-to-end financial preparation for a fundraising round. We build the model, prepare the data room, analyse unit economics, and coach you to present with the confidence investors expect.
  • 3-5 year financial model (Excel-based, auditable)
  • Investor deck financial slides
  • Due diligence data room preparation
  • Unit economics analysis (CAC, LTV, payback)
  • Founder coaching on presenting financials
  • 2 rounds of revisions from investor feedback
International and Diaspora Advisory
For diaspora entrepreneurs running businesses in Nigeria from the UK, or operating UK-registered companies. Strategic financial oversight from a CFO who understands both environments and can bridge the gap between where you are and where your business operates.
  • Monthly financial review (virtual)
  • UK or Nigerian financial reporting and compliance readiness
  • Remote financial controls and oversight framework
  • Investor and stakeholder reporting
  • Banking and payment infrastructure guidance
  • Quarterly strategic review
Finance Infrastructure Setup
Many growing businesses lack the basic financial architecture required to make sound decisions, attract capital, or pass due diligence. We build it from the ground up: chart of accounts, accounting policies, reporting frameworks, and internal controls that give your business a credible financial foundation.
  • Chart of accounts design and implementation
  • Accounting policies and procedures manual
  • Financial reporting framework and templates
  • Internal controls and approval workflows
  • Accounting systems setup and staff training
  • Month-end close process design
Annual Financial Statements and Reporting
Preparation of complete annual financial statements: statement of financial position, statement of profit or loss, statement of cash flows, and full notes to the accounts. Delivered to the standard expected by investors, regulators, and institutional partners.
  • Statement of financial position (balance sheet)
  • Statement of profit or loss and other comprehensive income
  • Statement of cash flows
  • Statement of changes in equity
  • Notes to the financial statements
  • Director's report preparation
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Client Impact

What was at stake. What we did. What changed.

Selected engagements showing how we have helped founders and leadership teams strengthen the financial foundations of their businesses and make their next move with greater confidence.

Investor Readiness

Raise-ready

A business plan and financial model built until every figure held up under investor questioning.

Early-Stage Agritech FounderNigeria
Read the story →Finance Infrastructure

First accounts, filed

A finance function built from scratch, through to the first year-end accounts and HMRC filing.

Technology CompanyUnited Kingdom
Read the story →Cross-Border Advisory

Two markets

Two entities run on a single reporting cycle, each set of books kept to its own regulator’s standard.

Market Intelligence GroupNigeria & the United Kingdom
Read the story →
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About Us

The SME CFO.
From Ambition to Institution.

The SME CFO is a fractional CFO and strategic finance advisory firm for growth companies across Africa, the United Kingdom, Europe and the United States.

We work with founders and leadership teams when growth has raised the financial standard their business must meet, whether they are preparing to raise capital, expanding into new markets, managing greater operating complexity or facing increased scrutiny from investors, boards and institutional partners. The SME CFO is building the financial capability behind Africa's next generation of growth companies.

Olubunmi Nmerenu, ACA - Founder, The SME CFO
Olubunmi Nmerenu, ACA
Founder

Meet the Founder

Olubunmi is a Chartered Accountant and corporate finance strategist with nearly a decade of experience at one of the world's leading financial institutions, advising on treasury strategy, structuring and executing complex, high-value transactions, and managing strategic priorities across global markets.

Over the course of her career, she has executed multi-billion-pound transactions, including a GBP 2.3 billion acquisition and a GBP 750 million share buyback programme.

Through The SME CFO, she now partners with African and diaspora-owned businesses to build the financial systems, controls, and strategic discipline required to grow, scale sustainably, raise capital, and compete on a global stage.

African businesses deserve the same calibre of financial leadership and capital that powers Silicon Valley. We're building the bridge to make that happen.

Get in touch

Walk away with clarity on where your business stands financially, and a roadmap for what comes next.

Schedule a consultation with our team.

Book a Consultation →