Planet Startup
Planet Startup is a Brisbane-based fractional CFO services firm founded in 2019 that delivers outsourced finance leadership to Australian Seed-to-Series-B tech startups on A$2,000–A$10,000 monthly subscriptions, now operating as a subsidiary of ASX-listed Scalare Partners.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersBrisbane, Australia
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Planet Startup does
Planet Startup is a Brisbane-based fractional CFO services firm founded in 2019 that provides outsourced finance leadership to Australian Seed-to-Series-B technology startups. The company packages senior-finance expertise as a subscription rather than as a full-time hire, and reports having supported 500+ startups over a five-year operating history. Planet Startup operates as a subsidiary of ASX-listed Scalare Partners (ASX: SCL), sitting alongside co-working operator Tank Stream Labs within a broader startup-services platform.
The firm's core product is recurring fractional CFO engagements, supplemented by a structured "Start to Scale Program" curriculum and paid masterclasses. Service delivery is organized across four tiers — Sprints, Startups, Scaleups, and Investors — to capture demand across the early-stage lifecycle and extend into venture investors. A partnership-perks stack with AWS, Microsoft for Startups, and Stripe is extended to portfolio companies, providing third-party cloud and payments credits alongside the core finance offering. The operating team is small (1–10 employees), so engagement delivery relies on a curated network of senior finance operators rather than large headcount.
Planet Startup's commercial model rests on two revenue streams: monthly client subscriptions priced between A$2,000 and A$10,000 per month per client, and paid educational masterclasses. Distribution runs primarily through warm introductions from Australian incubators, accelerators, and co-working partners — most notably River City Labs and Tank Stream Labs. Following the Scalare Partners integration, Planet Startup cross-sells into Tank Stream Labs workspace tenants and Scalare advisory clients; the parent disclosed A$1.65M annualized cross-business revenue synergies in H1 FY26 (six months to December 2025) and reported a ~360% year-over-year revenue increase at the group level.
Planet Startup firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Planet Startup
- Legal name
- Planet Startup
- Website
- https://planetstartup.com.au
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Planet Startup is a Brisbane-based fractional CFO services firm founded in 2019 that delivers outsourced finance leadership to Australian Seed-to-Series-B tech startups on A$2,000–A$10,000 monthly subscriptions, now operating as a subsidiary of ASX-listed Scalare Partners.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Planet Startup industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Fractional CFO and Financial Advisory Services
- NAICS
- Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169)
- SIC
- Finance Services (6199)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Corporate Accelerators & Startup Programs (FSANAHAD)
Keywords
Where Planet Startup is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Brisbane
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Markets served
Planet Startup business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
Revenue model
- Fractional CFO Services: Monthly subscription-based CFO-as-a-Service providing startups and scaleups with on-demand financial support, strategic advisory, and operational finance functions. Revenue is recurring based on monthly retainer fees ranging from $2,000 to $10,000 per month depending on service scope.
- Education Programs: Paid masterclasses and educational programs including Finance 101 for Founders, Pricing for Scale, and Preparing for Fundraising & Exits. Revenue is one-time per participant for these workshop-based offerings.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Fractional CFO services at monthly retainer |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Planet Startup product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Planet Startup is a CFO studio that provides fractional CFO services and financial advisory to Australian tech startups and scaleups from Seed to Series B. Core offerings include operational finance support for early-stage companies, C-suite level advisory for growth-stage companies, expert-led workshop sprints, portfolio support for investors/VCs, and the Start to Scale financial education program. Services are delivered by experienced financial experts on a recurring monthly retainer basis.
Product overview
Planet Startup is a CFO studio offering a platform of fractional CFO services for Australian tech companies from Seed to Series B. The core offering is organized into four service tiers: Startups (Seed to Series A), Scaleups (Series A onwards), Sprints (expert-led workshops), and Investors (portfolio support for VC funds), all delivered by experienced financial experts. Complementing the service tiers is the Start to Scale Program, an educational sub-brand delivering masterclasses and briefings on financial fundamentals, pricing strategy, and capital raising preparation. The company positions itself as CFO-as-a-Service, combining hands-on finance support with community and education.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Sprints
Quantifiable outcome
- Supported 500+ startups and scaleups over 5 years
Companies that use Planet Startup
Customer profileNamed customers20 records
Segments3 records
Planet Startup technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Planet Startup partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
24 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- River City LabscoreEcosystem partner providing founder community and startup ecosystem connections. Planet Startup partners with River City Labs as part of their collaborative network of founders and investors.
- XerocoreAccounting software integration partner. Planet Startup uses Xero for client file and chart of accounts restructure services.
- Law SquaredminorLegal services partner providing warm connections for founders needing legal support alongside financial services.
- BDOminorAccounting and advisory partner in the ecosystem with prior connection through CEO Marc Orchard's role as Director of Startups at BDO.
- Scalare PartnerscoreASX-listed technology investment and advisory firm. Parent company that owns Planet Startup and Tank Stream Labs, providing unified commercial model across workspace, advisory, accelerator and community operations.
- Tank Stream LabscoreAccelerator and co-working space under Scalare Partners umbrella, integrated with Planet Startup services for comprehensive startup ecosystem support.
- Ten13minorInvestor network partner providing venture capital ecosystem connections.
- Tractor VenturesminorVenture capital partner providing startup funding ecosystem connections.
- Sprint VCminorVenture capital partner in the ecosystem.
- QICminorInvestment partner in the ecosystem network.
- MCRminorEcosystem partner providing founder network connections.
- AustrademinorAustralian Government trade and investment organization partner supporting global expansion.
- JosephmarkminorDigital studio and investment partner in the ecosystem.
- FarsiightminorEcosystem partner providing founder community connections.
- Tech Ready WomenminorMarketing and ecosystem partner supporting female founders in the Start to Scale Program.
- InHouse VenturesminorMarketing partner for the Start to Scale Program providing founder education.
- The Founders UnionminorMarketing partner supporting founder community in the education program.
- AWSminorCloud infrastructure partner providing credits and perks for startup clients.
- Microsoft for StartupsminorCloud and software partner providing startup perks and credits.
- AirwallexminorFintech partner providing international payment services and perks for clients.
- StripeminorPayment infrastructure partner providing startup perks and credits.
- CakeminorEquity management platform partner providing startup perks.
- TIQminorTechnology and innovation ecosystem partner.
- UQV (UQ Ventures)minorUniversity of Queensland startup accelerator program where CEO Marc Orchard serves as Entrepreneur in Residence.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Planet Startup competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Inkle: US-based accounting, tax, and CFO support firm purpose-built for tech startups and SaaS companies. Provides bookkeeping, R&D credits, and CFO advisory on a subscription basis, competing for the same Seed-to-Series B customer.
- Bench: North America-focused bookkeeping and financial reporting service for small businesses and startups, now part of the Pilot group. Operates a tech-enabled, subscription-based delivery model that overlaps with Planet Startup's Startups product line.
- AirCFO: US-based fractional CFO, accounting, and FP&A firm serving venture-backed startups and growth-stage companies. Closely aligned service catalog (CFO advisory, bookkeeping, financial modeling) and target customer as Planet Startup.
- Pilot: US-based bookkeeping, CFO, and tax service for startups and small businesses, with a software-plus-human delivery model. Sells monthly subscriptions to founders at the same life stage Planet Startup targets, with comparable pricing bands.
- Kruze Consulting: US-based fractional CFO, accounting, and tax firm exclusively focused on venture-backed startups from seed through Series C. Operates a very similar subscription model and is the most direct comparable business model to Planet Startup.
Emerging players
- Zeni: AI-native bookkeeping, accounting, and CFO service for startups and small businesses. Competes at the lower end of Planet Startup's value chain with automation-led pricing pressure on traditional fractional CFO offerings.
- MainStreet: Financial operations platform and embedded services provider for early-stage startups, including bookkeeping, tax, and CFO support. Competes with Planet Startup for the same Seed-to-Series A founder segment, primarily in the US.
Others
- Xero: New Zealand-founded cloud accounting platform widely used by Australian startups and a listed technology partner of Planet Startup. Adjacent ecosystem participant whose product roadmap and AI features directly affect Planet Startup's service delivery model.
Broad incumbents
- BDO Australia: Australia's mid-tier accounting and advisory firm, with a dedicated Startups practice led historically by Planet Startup's CEO. Offers overlapping CFO advisory, tax, and bookkeeping services as part of a much broader portfolio.
Regional players
- RSM Australia: Australian accounting and advisory firm with a growth-and-venture practice that provides CFO advisory, financial modeling, and outsourced finance to local startups and scaleups. Geographic and customer overlap with Planet Startup.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Planet Startup social profiles
Digital presencePlanet Startup financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Planet Startup leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Planet Startup funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Planet Startup 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 Planet Startup
What does Planet Startup do?
Planet Startup is a CFO studio that provides fractional CFO services and financial advisory to Australian tech startups and scaleups from Seed to Series B. Core offerings include operational finance support for early-stage companies, C-suite level advisory for growth-stage companies, expert-led workshop sprints, portfolio support for investors/VCs, and the Start to Scale financial education program. Services are delivered by experienced financial experts on a recurring monthly retainer basis.
Is Planet Startup a public or private company?
Planet Startup is a private company. It is currently operating.
When was Planet Startup founded?
Planet Startup was founded in 2019. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Planet Startup based?
Planet Startup is headquartered in Brisbane, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does Planet Startup make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Fractional CFO Services are the primary driver. The others are education Programs.
Who are Planet Startup's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Inkle, Bench, AirCFO, Pilot and Kruze Consulting. Emerging players are Zeni and MainStreet. Xero is listed as an others. BDO Australia is listed as a broad incumbent. RSM Australia is listed as a regional player.
Does Planet Startup have an API?
No public API is recorded for Planet Startup.
What industry is Planet Startup in?
Planet Startup's product category is Fractional CFO and Financial Advisory Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAHAD, Corporate Accelerators & Startup Programs. Its NAICS code is 54169 and its SIC code is 6199.