FounderFirst
FounderFirst is a New York-based FP&A consulting practice founded in 2024 by Mariya Valeva, providing a three-week Investor-Ready Finance Sprint, three-statement financial modeling, KPI benchmarking, and fractional CFO services to growth-stage B2B SaaS startups with $1M to $15M+ ARR.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2024
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What FounderFirst does
FounderFirst (DBA FounderFirst Partners) is a New York-based FP&A consulting practice serving B2B SaaS startups, founded in 2024 and operating with 1-10 employees. The firm is led by founder Mariya Valeva, who is positioned as a hands-on operator that has scaled two B2B SaaS companies from $500K to $11M+ ARR and currently manages financial oversight across more than $70M in combined client ARR.
The core product is the Investor-Ready Finance Sprint, a fixed-scope three-week engagement that bundles a full financial stack audit, a rebuilt three-statement model (P&L, balance sheet, cash flow), a LiveFlow-powered KPI dashboard with ARR/CAC/LTV benchmarking, and a CFO-level State of the Business report. Pricing is tiered by client ARR: $5,000 for sub-$1M ARR, $7,500 for $1M-$5M ARR, $10,000 for $5M-$15M ARR, and $15,000 for $15M+ ARR. Add-on modules, including monthly financial reporting maintenance and ongoing fractional CFO support, convert project-based fees into recurring revenue.
Distribution is founder-led and direct, executed through Calendly discovery calls, supported by content and partnerships including the TinyMargins newsletter, founder-community relationships with TechStars, Harvard Innovation Labs, 500 Global, and Y Combinator, and a curated trusted-partner network of providers (Justworks, DianaHR, Haven, Brex, Anrok). Technology integration relies on LiveFlow for automated dashboards and on existing client systems (QuickBooks, Xero), positioning the firm as a methodology-driven services business rather than a SaaS product company. No external funding, revenue disclosures, or headcount growth signals are available in the source material.
FounderFirst firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- FounderFirst
- Legal name
- FounderFirst
- Website
- https://founderfirstpartners.co
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2024
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- FounderFirst is a New York-based FP&A consulting practice founded in 2024 by Mariya Valeva, providing a three-week Investor-Ready Finance Sprint, three-statement financial modeling, KPI benchmarking, and fractional CFO services to growth-stage B2B SaaS startups with $1M to $15M+ ARR.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
FounderFirst industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Financial Planning & Analysis Consulting
- NAICS
- Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Comprehensive Financial Planning (FSAEAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Corporate Accelerators & Startup Programs (FSANAHAD)
Keywords
Where FounderFirst is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
FounderFirst business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Investor-Ready Finance Sprint: A hands-on three-week engagement delivering financial stack audit, rebuilt model, KPI benchmarking, and CFO-level State of the Business report. Revenue is earned through tiered project-based pricing based on client ARR size. The engagement includes three live working sessions plus async reviews.
- Ongoing FP&A and Fractional CFO Services: Post-setup ongoing services to maintain financial reporting systems, keep financials updated and aligned with growth, support data-driven decisions, and manage cash flow and forecasting needs on a recurring basis.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Early Stage: Less than $1M ARR |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Growth Stage: $1M–$5M ARR |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Scale Up: $5M–$15M ARR |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Mature: $15M+ ARR |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
FounderFirst product offering
Product offeringCore offering
FounderFirst provides financial planning and analysis (FP&A) consulting services tailored for B2B SaaS startups. Its core offering is a three-week Investor-Ready Finance Sprint that includes a full financial stack review, a rebuilt 3-statement financial model, KPI benchmarking, and a CFO-level State of the Business report. Optional ongoing services include monthly financial reporting and fractional CFO support.
Product overview
FounderFirst is a financial planning and analysis (FP&A) consultancy for B2B SaaS startups, offering a single integrated service built around an Investor-Ready Finance Sprint as the core offering. The core three-week engagement combines a Financial Stack Review, a rebuilt 3-Statement Financial Model (P&L, Balance Sheet, Cash Flow), a LiveFlow-powered KPI Dashboard, and a State of the Business Report. Optional add-on modules include Monthly Financial Reporting and Fractional CFO Services for ongoing support. Pricing scales across four tiers (Early Stage, Growth Stage, Scale Up, Mature) based on client ARR size.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Investor-Ready Finance Sprint A hands-on three-week consulting engagement that fixes a SaaS startup's finance stack, rebuilds its financial models, and delivers a CFO-level State of the Business report with benchmarks and tactical next steps. Includes a full financial stack review, three 1:1 working sessions, a rebuilt 3-statement model (P&L, Balance Sheet, Cash Flow), KPI benchmarking, and investor-ready reporting. Designed for B2B SaaS startup founders preparing for fundraising or scaling.
- Fractional CFO Services Ongoing fractional CFO and FP&A services delivered after the initial Investor-Ready Finance Sprint. Keeps financials updated and aligned with growth, supports data-driven decisions, manages cash flow and forecasting, and maintains investor-readiness. Offered on a recurring basis for B2B SaaS startups needing continuous CFO-level financial oversight.
- Monthly Financial Reporting Ongoing monthly financial dashboard maintenance and reporting to keep metrics accurate and up-to-date, or training for clients to own the process internally. Sold as an add-on module to the Investor-Ready Finance Sprint.
Quantifiable outcome
- 70% improved forecast accuracy for Nova client
- +10 more outcomes
Companies that use FounderFirst
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
FounderFirst technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
AI capability1 record
Feature3 records
FounderFirst partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.
- JustworkscorePayroll & HR partner providing payroll, benefits, and compliance with full PEO support for growing startups. Recommended to founders as part of the FounderFirst trusted partner network.
- DianaHRcoreHR & People Operations partner providing fractional HR support to build compliant, people-first systems without the stress. Recommended to founders as part of the trusted partner network.
- HavencoreBookkeeping & Tax partner offering startup-native bookkeeping and tax services built for Slack with 24/7 CPA access. Recommended to founders needing accounting support.
- BrexcoreCorporate Cards partner providing corporate cards, banking, bill pay, and reimbursements in one scalable platform. Integrated into client financial stacks recommended by FounderFirst.
- AnrokcoreSales Tax Compliance partner offering automated sales tax compliance for SaaS across states and countries. Recommended for clients needing sales tax automation.
- TechStarsflagshipFounderFirst collaborates with TechStars founder community to provide financial expertise and services to portfolio companies. Mariya works with TechStars founders on financial clarity and scaling.
- Harvard Innovation LabsflagshipFounderFirst collaborates with Harvard Innovation Labs founder community to support alumni and student entrepreneurs with financial reporting and FP&A services.
- 500 GlobalflagshipFounderFirst collaborates with 500 Global founder community to provide financial expertise and services to portfolio companies.
- Y CombinatorflagshipFounderFirst collaborates with Y Combinator founder community to support startups with financial reporting and scaling readiness.
- TinyMarginscoreNewsletter partnership where TinyMargins promotes FounderFirst services to their B2B SaaS audience through the newsletter channel, driving leads to discovery calls.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
FounderFirst competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- LiveFlow: LiveFlow-powered financial dashboards are central to FounderFirst's product offering. LiveFlow itself provides real-time financial reporting and KPI dashboards, making it an enabling technology platform adjacent to FounderFirst's service.
Broad incumbents
- Bench: Tech-enabled bookkeeping and financial reporting service for small businesses and startups. Comparable to FounderFirst on bookkeeping-adjacent FP&A support, though broader in customer base and less SaaS-specialized.
- B2B CFO Partners: National fractional CFO firm with a partner network serving small and mid-market businesses. Overlaps with FounderFirst's fractional CFO offering but operates more broadly across industries.
- The CFO Centre: Large fractional CFO provider serving growth-stage and mid-market companies. Comparable service model to FounderFirst's ongoing fractional CFO layer, though it serves a broader industry mix.
Direct peers
- Finvisor: Cloud-based fractional CFO and bookkeeping services for startups and SMBs, including financial modeling and KPI dashboards. Directly overlaps with FounderFirst's Investor-Ready Finance Sprint deliverables.
- The Founder's CPA: Startup-focused CPA and fractional CFO firm serving venture-backed SaaS founders. Comparable to FounderFirst in niche SaaS focus, founder-led GTM, and tiered service packages tied to ARR.
- Pilot: Tech-enabled bookkeeping, CFO, and tax services for startups and small businesses. Directly competes with FounderFirst on FP&A support for early- and growth-stage SaaS companies, with broader tooling and scale.
- Kruze Consulting: Fractional CFO, accounting, and tax firm exclusively serving venture-backed startups. Most directly comparable to FounderFirst in target customer (B2B SaaS startups) and core service (startup FP&A and investor-ready financials).
- Decimal: Fractional CFO and accounting services purpose-built for SaaS companies. Comparable to FounderFirst in B2B SaaS vertical focus, ARR-tiered pricing, and KPI benchmarking offerings.
Emerging players
- Acquired Finance: Fractional finance and accounting firm targeting early- and growth-stage SaaS companies. Competes in the same B2B SaaS finance niche as FounderFirst with comparable tiered service offerings.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
FounderFirst social profiles
Digital presenceFounderFirst financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
FounderFirst leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
FounderFirst funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
FounderFirst M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about FounderFirst
What does FounderFirst do?
FounderFirst provides financial planning and analysis (FP&A) consulting services tailored for B2B SaaS startups. Its core offering is a three-week Investor-Ready Finance Sprint that includes a full financial stack review, a rebuilt 3-statement financial model, KPI benchmarking, and a CFO-level State of the Business report. Optional ongoing services include monthly financial reporting and fractional CFO support.
Is FounderFirst a public or private company?
FounderFirst is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was FounderFirst founded?
FounderFirst was founded in 2024. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is FounderFirst based?
FounderFirst is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does FounderFirst make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Investor-Ready Finance Sprint is the primary driver. The others are ongoing FP&A and Fractional CFO Services.
Who are FounderFirst's main competitors?
LiveFlow is listed as an others. Broad incumbents are Bench, B2B CFO Partners and The CFO Centre. Direct peers are Finvisor, The Founder's CPA, Pilot, Kruze Consulting and Decimal. Acquired Finance is listed as an emerging player.
Does FounderFirst have an API?
No public API is recorded for FounderFirst.
What industry is FounderFirst in?
FounderFirst's product category is Financial Planning & Analysis Consulting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAEAAAA, Comprehensive Financial Planning, with a secondary code of FSANAHAD, Corporate Accelerators & Startup Programs. Its NAICS code is 523940 and its SIC code is 6282.