Diligence, handled

Early investor interest had become formal diligence, and the finance workstream was now the pressure point. The product and market case were strong enough to get the company to this stage.

The company had historical accounts, a forecast, and operating data, but the information had not been organised for investor review. Definitions were inconsistent across the board deck, model, and source records. Investor questions on revenue quality, margins, customer concentration, burn, cash, and the assumptions behind the forecast were beginning to expose gaps that could slow the process or undermine confidence.

The SME CFO took ownership of the finance workstream from the company’s side, bringing the historical numbers, operating metrics, and forward-looking model into one coherent diligence position.

• We assessed the readiness of the financial model, reconciled the core historical data to the management and statutory records, established clear definitions for the metrics investors were reviewing, and structured the finance data room around the questions a serious investor was likely to ask.
• We prepared schedules and explanations for material movements, reviewed the forecast assumptions against current trading, and worked with the founders to make sure responses were accurate, consistent, and commercially clear.

The aim throughout was to make the real financial position understandable and defensible, not to dress it up.

The company completed the finance workstream with a coherent set of historical information, a forecast that tied back to the operating plan, and a structured response to investor questions.

The founders stayed focused on the transaction and the business, rather than trying to assemble financial evidence reactively under pressure.