Strategic finance for climate tech and SaaS companies — grant-ready, investor-ready, exit-ready.
Most $1M–$20M companies don't need a $250K full-time CFO. They need one with that caliber of expertise — available when it matters most, deeply embedded in their specific industry.
From DOE to SBIR, grant compliance is a different discipline from standard accounting. Proper cost segregation, indirect rate schedules, and audit-ready documentation — built in from the start.
Institutional investors expect institutional-grade financials. Clean books, defensible metrics, and board-ready packages that build confidence — not questions — at every stage of fundraising.
When the time comes — whether it's a strategic acquisition, PE rollup, or IPO path — your financial house needs to be in order. We build the infrastructure buyers expect, years in advance.
Section 41 and 174 compliance done right. Many climate tech and SaaS companies are leaving six-figure tax credits unclaimed. We identify, document, and defend them — with the audit trail to back it up.
Climate tech and SaaS have distinct financial profiles — mixed revenue streams, recurring vs. project-based cash flows, hardware-software margin complexity. We speak your language from day one.
Not a report generator — a true member of your leadership team. We attend leadership meetings, engage with your board, and align every financial decision to your strategic objectives.
Specialists outperform generalists. Working exclusively with climate tech, SaaS, and fintech companies means faster ramp time, fewer blind spots, and insights your previous accountant didn't have.
Section 174 capitalization, Section 41 R&D credits, and grant cost allocation aren't just compliance obligations — they're financial levers most companies don't pull correctly.
The 18–36 months before a transaction are when financial infrastructure matters most. We specialize in getting companies diligence-ready before it becomes urgent.
Climate and SaaS accounting have their own vocabulary, rhythms, and failure modes. You deserve a CFO who already knows them.
Four core practice areas, each built around the specific financial challenges of climate tech, SaaS, and fintech companies — from early-stage to pre-exit.
For climate tech and R&D-intensive manufacturers receiving federal or state grant funding — DOE, SBIR, STTR, and others.
Design and document defensible cost allocation frameworks that satisfy federal grant requirements — separating direct, indirect, and unallowable costs with precision.
Build compliant fringe benefit, overhead, and G&A indirect rate structures that withstand audit scrutiny while optimizing cost recovery.
Financial records, time tracking systems, and supporting schedules organized and maintained to federal audit standards from day one — not just before renewal.
Ongoing preparation of all financial reports required by grant agencies, coordinated with your operations team and program officers.
Section 41 and 174 expertise for companies investing in qualified research activity — including those who don't realize they qualify.
Systematic identification of qualified research expenses across payroll, contract labor, and supply costs — including multi-year lookback for unclaimed credits.
Compliant R&D expense capitalization and amortization schedules under current law — with written methodology documentation that holds up to IRS scrutiny.
Design of time tracking frameworks that properly segregate R&D vs. non-R&D activities, creating the contemporaneous documentation the IRS requires.
Preparation of the underlying financial work product your tax CPA needs to properly claim and defend R&D credits — including Form 6765 support schedules.
For SaaS, fintech, and climate tech companies preparing to raise capital — or already managing institutional investors and board reporting obligations.
Dynamic, driver-based financial models that answer investor questions before they're asked — with scenario analysis, runway projections, and cohort-level detail.
Monthly and quarterly reporting packages that communicate what matters — KPIs, variance analysis, and forward-looking commentary aligned to your strategic plan.
Lead the financial workstream of a fundraising process — data room preparation, investor Q&A, and coordination with legal counsel and auditors.
Proper calculation and presentation of ARR, NRR, CAC, LTV, churn, and other sector-specific metrics that sophisticated investors and acquirers will stress-test.
For founder-led companies in the 18–36 month window before a strategic sale, PE recapitalization, or management buyout.
Identify and resolve accounting issues that would surface in buy-side diligence — before they become negotiating leverage for the acquirer.
Build the internal QoE analysis that supports your asking price — normalizing EBITDA, identifying add-backs, and anticipating the adjustments a buyer's firm will propose.
Organize and curate the complete financial data room — 3–5 years of clean financials, tax returns, key contract summaries, and supporting schedules — in the format acquirers expect.
Serve as the financial lead coordinating with your M&A attorney, investment banker, and tax advisor throughout the transaction process.
No long-form applications. No retainer required to explore fit. Just a focused 30-minute call to understand your situation and whether Suma Financial is the right partner.
Most founders building something meaningful — in climate, in software, in fintech — don't need a full-time CFO. They need someone who can think like one, on demand, without the overhead.
I founded Suma Financial to fill that gap for a specific kind of company: technically sophisticated, mission-oriented, and operating at the intersection of commercial revenue and grant or R&D funding — where the accounting is genuinely complex and the stakes of getting it wrong are high.
My background spans both the operational and compliance dimensions of finance. I've built cost allocation methodologies for federal grant recipients, designed Section 174 capitalization frameworks for R&D-intensive manufacturers, and identified substantial unclaimed R&D tax credit exposure that prior accountants had missed entirely. I've also prepared companies for the financial scrutiny of capital raises and M&A transactions — the kind of diligence that exposes every inconsistency if you haven't done the work in advance.
The clients I work best with are founder-led companies between $1M and $20M in revenue — large enough to have financial complexity, small enough that an embedded fractional CFO is genuinely transformative. If your books are being maintained but your finances aren't being led, that's the gap I fill.
I take a limited number of engagements to ensure every client receives the depth of attention the work demands. If the timing and fit are right, a 30-minute discovery call is the fastest way to find out.
The first conversation is always about understanding your situation — the complexity, the gaps, and whether Suma Financial is the right fit. No pressure, no pitch.