Hartwright Group

Strategic finance advisory & fractional CFO

Good decisions and smooth fundraising start with a clear picture of the numbers.

I help founders build that: investor-grade models, clear runway, and the confidence to make the decision.

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Finance pain points

Finance that supports better decisions

Cash visibility

  • What's my cash runway?
  • How do I balance cash and growth?
  • How much inventory do I need?
  • How can I stretch cash further?

Fundraising readiness

  • Is my model ready for VCs?
  • How do I justify my assumptions?
  • What happens if…?
  • How do I update it next month?

Unit economics

  • What's the optimal pricing strategy?
  • How do margins change with scale?
  • What's the impact of customer mix?
  • How do I manage token costs?

Board & investor reporting

  • Do my numbers back up my story?
  • How do I frame decisions clearly?
  • What scenarios should I show?
  • What's my killer KPI?

Systems & controls

  • Are my systems scalable?
  • How can AI help me forecast?
  • How do I enforce approval rules?
  • What do regulators need?

Finance foundations

  • How do I design my accounts?
  • When can I see performance?
  • How do I manage payments?
  • When will I be paid?
Objective: give management a clear view of cash, economics and options before the next funding or scaling decision.

The model

A robust model gives you visibility and credibility with investors

Without a model

  • Cash: you find out you have four months left when it's already too late to raise.
  • Scenarios: an investor asks "what happens if churn doubles?" - the answer is slow and inconsistent.
  • Operating decisions: the impact of pricing or cost changes on volume, margin and cash is unknown.
  • Due diligence: the data-room model doesn't match the deck, and the investor loses confidence.

With the right model

  • Runway visible 12 months out - you decide when and how to raise, not the bank balance.
  • Any scenario answered live in the investor meeting.
  • A clear view of how pricing, volume and mix trade off against each other.
  • Model, deck and narrative all tell the same story.

Deliverable: an investor-grade Excel model with clear assumptions, cash flow, runway, KPIs and scenarios.

Track record

Selected work where a reliable model changed the conversation

01

Japan AI startup

Seed fundraising model

Challenge. A VC requested a financial model in Excel.

Solution. Converted AI-generated output into a structured Excel model within a day - transparent assumptions, fully reconciled drivers, built to scale and run scenarios. It became a key part of the data room and drove discussion on pricing, churn, GTM and salaries.

02

Japan platform startup

GTM & business model review

Challenge. Investor questions on segmentation.

Solution. Reviewed the model's key operating assumptions to sharpen GTM decisions - a clearer strategy per segment, costs and margins by segment, sharper pricing, a unit-economics view and more granular churn.

03

Hong Kong holdco

Scenario & cash model

Challenge. Managing 40+ capex projects through Covid uncertainty.

Solution. Built a full group model from scratch for capital allocation and liquidity - instantly updatable assumptions, monthly actuals across five businesses, capex scenarios layered by timing, and a full view of P&L and credit metrics.

Common thread: use financial forecasts to make strategic trade-offs visible, and communicate them to investors.

How it works

A fractional CFO adds senior finance capability without a full-time hire

01

Diagnose

  • Cash position & burn
  • Current model
  • Reporting
  • Processes & systems
02

Build

  • Financial model (P&L, cash, B/S, scenarios)
  • Cash-flow reporting
  • Unit economics & KPIs
  • Chart of accounts
  • Board reporting & cap table
03

Challenge

  • Funding plan
  • Customer segments
  • Pricing strategy
  • Cost structure & hiring
  • GTM & capital allocation
04

Prepare

  • VC-ready model
  • Data room
  • Fundraising narrative
  • Investor materials
  • Meeting documents
05

Operate

  • Weekly rhythm
  • Controls: spending, hiring, cash
  • Finance systems roadmap
  • Payments & receipts

About

Experience on both sides of the table - operator and investor

Ben Hartwright, CFA
Founder, Hartwright Group
  • Corporate finance
  • Forecasting
  • Investor advisory
  • Transformation
Having sat on both sides, I now work with founders to help bring financial clarity to the decisions and conversations that matter.
  • DFS Group / LVMH - Luxury retail

    VP Corporate Finance: global planning, cash management, capex, corporate costs, finance transformation and investor relations.

  • Goldman Sachs, Nomura - Investment banking & equity research

    M&A advisory and APAC equity research; advised and assessed businesses from an investor and capital-markets perspective.

  • Asia experience

    Worked across Tokyo, Hong Kong, Singapore and London; managed cross-border businesses and teams, and advised global investors.

Contact

How can I help?

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