Hartwright Group

Strategic finance advisory & fractional CFO

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

I help founders get there: 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 forecasts into a structured financial model within one day, so the VC could build confidence in the numbers. The model was designed to scale and run scenarios, built on transparent assumptions and fully reconciled drivers. 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. Interrogated the financial model to identify the key GTM decisions. This enabled the founder to articulate a clearer strategy per segment, dig into segmental costs, churn and margins, and to develop a more comprehensive unit-economics view.

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. This enabled the CFO to instantly update assumptions, rapidly incorporate monthly actuals across five businesses, and add capex scenarios layered by timing - all with 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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