✓  Now taking Q1 2026 engagements

Fractional CFO · Web3 · Fintech · Payments

The CFO Your
Investors Expect
You to Have.

Fractional CFO services for Web3, fintech, payments and high-growth tech founders. No £300k full-time hire. No lengthy onboarding. Senior finance expertise, operational within weeks.

Sector expertise

Payments & EMI Crypto & Web3 DeFi & Tokenisation High-Growth SaaS FCA / MiCA Regulated International Scaling

The Problem

Your business is growing.
Your finance function isn't.

Most scale-up founders hit a wall where spreadsheets stop working, investors start asking hard questions, and no one in the room can give a confident answer.

Investor meetings expose your gaps

You're fielding questions on unit economics, runway, and projections. The answers aren't sharp enough. Due diligence is coming and you know you're not ready.

Cashflow is a guess, not a model

You know roughly what's in the bank, but runway is a rough estimate, not a live model. Hiring and spend decisions are made without the financial clarity a growing business demands.

Regulatory complexity is slowing you down

EMI licences, FCA authorisation, MiCA, crypto accounting. The landscape is complex, evolving and increasingly scrutinised. One misstep costs months.

Board reporting is late and operational

Your board pack tells investors what happened last month, not what it means or what's coming next. That's a governance gap and a confidence problem.

Finance is your job by default

Between managing the bookkeeper, signing bank transfers, and chasing month-end close, you're spending CEO time on CFO problems. Every hour here costs you growth.

If three or more of these describe your business, you need a CFO. Not another accountant.

Let's Talk →
Raymond Shuai — Fractional CFO
ACA QualifiedICAEW Chartered Accountant
25+ YearsSenior CFO Experience
3 ContinentsInternational Operations

About

A CFO who has built what you are building and scaled it further.

I'm not a consultant who reads reports and writes recommendations. I'm a hands-on CFO who has sat in the seat at blockchain companies, EMI-regulated payment businesses, and high-growth SaaS platforms — and built the finance function from the ground up.

As a UK Chartered Accountant with over 25 years of senior finance leadership, I've raised capital from venture and institutional investors, structured complex digital asset treasury operations, navigated FCA authorisation, and scaled finance teams across multiple jurisdictions.

I've been in the room when term sheets are negotiated. I've been the person who rewrote the financial model at midnight before an investor presentation. I know what good looks like, and I know exactly where scale-up finance functions break.

CFO of regulated blockchain and payments businesses
Built finance functions from zero to investor-ready
Led fundraising rounds and due diligence processes
Deep expertise in crypto treasury and digital asset accounting
Managed regulatory complexity across FCA, EMI, and MiCA frameworks
Work With Me →

Services

Strategic finance leadership, built around
your growth stage.

Not retainers-by-the-hour. Outcomes-focused engagements designed to make a measurable difference to how your business operates, raises capital, and scales.

Fundraise Readiness & Investor Preparation

Walk into your next round fully prepared.

From seed to Series B, I prepare your business to survive due diligence and present financial conviction to investors.

  • Institutional-grade financial models
  • Investor-ready board deck narrative
  • Due diligence data room build
  • Cap table modelling & dilution scenarios
  • Investor Q&A preparation and coaching

6–12 weeks project

Regulatory Finance & Compliance Structure

Scale without the regulatory landmines.

For fintech and Web3 businesses navigating FCA, EMI licensing, MiCA, or crypto treasury management.

  • EMI/PSP safeguarding structures
  • Crypto & digital asset treasury frameworks
  • FCA financial reporting & capital adequacy
  • MiCA readiness assessment
  • Regulatory audit preparation

Scope varies by complexity

Finance Function Build & Transformation

From chaos to control. Fast.

Installs the infrastructure, team structure, and operating rhythm of a finance function built for scale.

  • Finance systems & tech stack design
  • Month-end close process build
  • Finance team hiring & structure
  • Management accounts framework
  • Internal controls & governance

8–16 weeks project

International Expansion Finance

Global ambition. Local financial rigour.

Multi-entity structures, transfer pricing, multi-currency treasury, and cross-border compliance.

  • International entity & holding structure
  • Transfer pricing policy & documentation
  • Multi-currency cashflow & FX management
  • International consolidated reporting

Project or ongoing engagement

CFO Advisory: Strategic Sounding Board

Senior financial judgment, on demand.

For founders who want access to senior financial thinking on key decisions without a full engagement.

  • Monthly 2-hour advisory session
  • Async Q&A and decision support
  • Key financial document review
  • Introductions to relevant investors

Monthly advisory retainer

Exit & M&A Finance Readiness

Prepare to sell, merge, or acquire with confidence.

Whether you're preparing for acquisition, a secondary transaction, or evaluating an M&A opportunity, I build the financial foundation that maximises your valuation and survives buyer due diligence.

  • Vendor due diligence preparation
  • Financial model normalisation & quality of earnings
  • Data room build & management
  • Deal structuring & tax efficiency review
  • Post-merger integration finance planning

Project engagement

How It Works

Simple to start. Impactful from day one.

01

Discovery Call

A no-obligation 30-minute conversation about your business, finance challenges, and where you're headed. No pitch. Just a frank conversation between founders.

02

Finance Diagnostic

A rapid assessment of your current finance function, statements, and strategic needs. Gaps, risks, and highest-leverage opportunities, presented clearly.

03

Kick-Off

Once scoped and agreed, I become part of your team within days. No lengthy onboarding. Senior-level impact begins immediately with a clear 90-day plan.

04

Continuous Value

Ongoing strategic finance leadership delivered with the rigour of a CFO who has done it before. An expert in your corner for every financial decision that matters.

Results

What it looks like when the finance
function actually works.

Representative outcomes from fintech, Web3, and high-growth tech engagements. Client details anonymised.

Web3 / Blockchain Platform

Series A closed at £14m, three months ahead of schedule.

A blockchain infrastructure business had stalled on their Series A. Investors were flagging inconsistencies in the financial model and concerns about digital asset treasury. Within eight weeks: the model was rebuilt to institutional standard, a crypto treasury framework documented, and the data room overhauled.

£14mSeries A Raised
8 wksEngagement to Term Sheet
Investor Confidence
EMI-Licensed Payments

FCA regulatory risk eliminated. Finance function scaled internationally.

A fast-growing payment platform had an EMI licence but processes that didn't meet regulatory standard. Safeguarding was monthly and FCA reporting was late. A complete transformation delivered automated safeguarding reconciliation, daily capital adequacy monitoring, and international reporting for EU expansion.

100%FCA Reporting On-Time
4New Markets Structured
ZeroRegulatory Findings
SaaS Platform, £8m ARR

Cashflow visibility restored. 18 months of clear runway modelled.

A B2B SaaS business at £8m ARR was operating without a proper cashflow model. Burn was accelerating with a new product launch and the board was uncomfortable. A full three-statement model with scenarios was built, board reporting redesigned around investor metrics, and rolling cashflow implemented.

18moClear Runway Visibility
40%Less Finance Time for CEO
Board Confidence

What Founders Say

The CFO your business actually needed.

★★★★★

"I was spending two days a week on finance. Now I spend two hours a month reviewing a board pack I'm actually proud to send. That alone was worth the engagement."

FM
Founder & CEO, Payments PlatformEMI-Licensed · £12m ARR
★★★★★

"The combination of deep crypto knowledge and institutional finance rigour is genuinely rare. Our treasury framework went from 'working but risky' to something we can confidently show to regulators and institutional investors."

AL
Co-Founder, DeFi PlatformSeries B · Regulated Structure
★★★★★

"We were scaling fast but flying blind on international expansion. Within two months we had a proper multi-entity structure, transfer pricing in place, and consolidated reporting that actually made sense. That clarity changed how we made every decision from that point on."

JR
CTO & Co-Founder, SaaS PlatformSeries B · Multi-jurisdiction

Why Fractional

Senior CFO leadership.
Without the £250k–£350k price tag.

Full-Time CFO Hire

  • £250k–£350k base salary + equity
  • 6–9 months to hire and onboard
  • NI, pension, benefits add ~30%
  • Full-time cost for part-time need
  • Risk of wrong hire in specialist sector
  • Notice periods if it doesn't work
vs

CrunchSpark Fractional CFO

  • A fraction of full-time cost
  • Operational within days
  • No NI, pension or benefits overhead
  • Strategic leadership precisely when needed
  • 25+ years sector-specific experience from day one
  • Flexible: scale up or down as you grow

The right fractional CFO doesn't just save you money on salary. They make you money through better capital allocation, investor-ready positioning, and decisions made with real expertise.

Free Resource

The Scale-Up CFO
Readiness Checklist

24 questions every Web3, fintech, or tech founder should be able to answer before their next investor conversation, board meeting, or regulatory review.

Financial Reporting
Are your management accounts produced within 5 days of month-end?
Do you have a three-statement financial model?
Can you explain unit economics to an investor in 60 seconds?
Cashflow & Runway
Do you have a rolling 12-month cashflow model?
Can you model three runway scenarios in under 10 minutes?
+ 19 more questions →
  • Instant download. No spam.
  • Includes scoring guide & action plan
  • Used by 200+ scale-up founders

Get the Free Checklist

Your data is secure and never shared.

FAQ

Questions founders typically ask.

We already have an accountant. Do we still need this?

Almost certainly yes. An accountant handles historical record-keeping and compliance. A CFO provides forward-looking financial strategy, investor relationships, and the financial architecture that enables growth. Most businesses at scale need both, but they're not the same thing.

How much time does this take from our team?

Minimal. I work independently and proactively. You'll typically spend 2–3 hours per month in structured CFO-CEO sessions, plus ad hoc availability for specific decisions. The entire point is to give you time back, not take more of it.

We're pre-revenue / early-stage. Is this relevant?

The sweet spot is businesses that have raised a seed round or are approaching Series A and face real financial complexity. If you're pre-revenue and considering raising, a fundraise readiness engagement can still make a material difference to your outcome.

Do you work with businesses outside the UK?

Yes. Many of the businesses I've worked with operate across multiple jurisdictions. I work remotely with founders across Europe and beyond, with direct experience of EU regulatory frameworks including MiCA. International scope is rarely a barrier.

What if we need a full-time CFO later?

That's often the natural progression, and a good outcome. Part of the value of a fractional engagement is building the finance function to a level where a full-time hire makes sense. I can help with that transition, including advising on the profile and handover process.

How quickly can you start?

Following a discovery call and brief diagnostic, most engagements begin within two to three weeks. For urgent situations such as a live fundraise, regulatory deadline, or board crisis, I can typically accommodate a faster start. The first conversation is the right place to discuss timing.

Get Started

Your finance function is either an asset or a liability.
Let's find out which.

A 30-minute discovery call is the first step. No obligation, no pitch. Just an honest conversation about where your business is and whether we're a good fit.

Book a Free Discovery Call Choose a time that works for you →
Free 30-minute discovery call
No commitment required
Genuine senior CFO expertise, not a junior consultant
Honest advice, even if we decide not to work together
Or send a message first

Send a Message

I respond to every enquiry personally within 24 hours.