Apply for a conversation now

Your CFO

You'll work with one of our two partners, Igor Mishnov FCCA ACA, PhD (Economics) or Nadeem Qureshi FCCA ACA MBA. Both are dual-qualified accountants, bringing economic and strategic thinking to your business model alongside the technical finance. One partner leads your journey, and the other is on hand for a second opinion and cover.

Why equity, not fees?

At seed stage, every pound should go into building the product. Taking a share of the company instead of a monthly fee means our reward depends on yours. We're not consultants who hand over a report and leave; we're on your side of the table.

What we'll do together

• ‍Shape the business case. Test the idea, the market and the business model against the numbers.
• ‍Build your financial model. Three to five years of projections that investors will take seriously.
• ‍Get SEIS/EIS ready. Check eligibility, structure the company correctly and prepare your HMRC advance assurance application. Many seed investors won't invest without it.
• ‍Prepare for investors. The financial story in your pitch deck, a clean cap table and a data room ready for due diligence.
• ‍Set up the finance function properly. Bookkeeping, cloud accounting and simple reporting from day one, so nothing has to be fixed later.
• ‍Stay with you after the raise. Compliance statements so your investors can claim their tax relief, investor updates and board reporting.

You lead the pitch and the investor conversations. We make sure the financial side is investor-ready. We don't introduce investors or arrange investment deals.

Who we're looking for

We need to see more than an idea. Before we talk equity, you'll need:

• A UK limited company, or a plan to incorporate one.
• At least one founder committed to the business full time, or about to be.
• Something tangible: a prototype or minimum viable product, early users, a pilot customer, letters of intent or solid market research.
• A draft pitch deck or business plan, however rough.
• A business likely to qualify for SEIS/EIS. Some trades are excluded, and we'll check this with you early.

How it works

1. ‍Tell us about your idea. Send a short summary and your pitch deck or plan through our contact form or to this mailbox.‍
2. Intro video call (30 minutes). We talk through the idea, the team and your funding goals.‍
3. Deep dive. We review your plan, numbers and SEIS/EIS position, and tell you honestly whether we think it's investable.
4. ‍Partnership agreement. If we're both in, we agree the equity, which partner leads, and what we'll deliver, in writing.‍
5. The journey to your raise. Model, SEIS/EIS advance assurance, investor materials and due diligence, side by side.

FAQs

How much equity do you take? It depends on the stage of the business and how much support you need. We agree it openly before anywork starts.

Which partner will I work with? Whichever of Igor or Nadeem best fits your sector and stage. That partner leads throughout, and the other is on hand when needed.

Can I pay fees instead? Yes. If you'd rather keep your equity, our Virtual Finance Director packages are open to startups too.

Will you invest money as well? Our contribution is our time and expertise. We don't introduce investors or arrange investment.

What if my idea isn't ready yet? We'll tell you what's missing and what to do next. Many founders come back a few months later.

‍

Ready to turn the idea into an investable business?

‍Send your summary through our contact form, call 01892 515 733 or email info@peterhodgson.co.uk.

‍