⚡ How this Start-Up is Turning Founders into CFOs

Morning Innovators ⚡ In less than 5 minutes, we’ll cover…

🥳 The best funding opportunities, events and jobs in the Start-Up world this week
📰 This week’s biggest news stories in the Start-Up world
📊 How is this Start-Up turning Founders into CFOs
🚦 How destroying a Range Rover can get you traffic
🖖 A tool that makes revenue splits smoother than ever

✨ Last week’s most clicked link, was this link taking you through to apply for Helm’s investment day with 15 seasoned investors, with a potential to raise up to £1m.

Happy hustling,

Rich

🎤 Opportunities + Events

🦌 Antler are backing Founders with £500k from day 1, you can apply for the next cohort here!

🧱 Noba Capital have launched their Elevate accelerator for Pre-Seed/Seed stage companies, with select Start-Ups receiving investment from them - apply here!

🌟 The TechStars accelerators are open for applications, with successful companies getting a $220,000 investment - apply here!

We now have a community of thousands of Start-Ups and Founders, here are the hottest Start-Up job opportunities from the Innovators Uncensored community on our very own Start-Ups Job Board!

💼 Start-Up Jobs

🧑‍💼 Business Development Executive, Verciti
😊 Customer Success Manager, Joli
🤝 Founding GTM Engineer, Simplisales

🪙 Crypto exchange Bitpanda shoots down potential London IPO. Sifted

🦄 More than 10 European Start-Ups became Unicorns this year. TechCrunch

💸 Nvidia announces record sales as the AI boom continues. TechCrunch
 
🏦 UK Banks to invest £1.8bn in generative AI by 2030, Zopa claims. UKTN

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There are few things that will catch the attention of people more than spray painting ‘Cheater’ across a multi hundred thousand pound Range Rover. That’s what Nde by Nature did, and it worked.

People were taking pictures of this ruined Range Rover and sharing them everywhere as they couldn’t quite believe their eyes.

The trick here, is there was a QR code conveniently placed on the back of the car which seemingly gave you more information about the cheating scandal. However, when you actually scanned it, it just took you through to the makeup brand’s latest product launch.

How can you use the old bait and switch trick in your marketing?

Each week we highlight our favourite tools - either something we’ve been using in our businesses, or tools that our Start-Up community have recommended.

Smooth payments for SaaS Creem is the Merchant of Record & Financial OS for SaaS, AI & modern companies with the most competitive pricing on the market. Split revenue per product with partners anywhere, no headaches. Sell with subscriptions & one-time payments, license keys, downloads, discounts codes, trials.

CloudFO: Your AI CFO on Demand

CloudFO is building the CFO every SME wishes they had - but faster, cheaper, and powered by AI.

Founded by Afiya, CloudFO plugs into accounting systems, commerce apps like Shopify and Amazon, and bank accounts to automate P&Ls, cashflow forecasts, and reporting. Instead of wrestling with spreadsheets, business owners get clear insights, risk alerts, and even simulations of key decisions, like pricing, hiring, or fundraising.

It’s a CFO that doesn’t sleep, and an advisor that scales.

Finding the Right Co-Founder

Some founders find each other at hackathons. Afiya and her Co-Founder, Adrian Stamp, found each other over 20 years ago when their families introduced them as engineering students.

Adrian went on to build financial models for banks, while Afiya led tech and data teams across manufacturing, commerce, and fintech. Both felt the same frustration: how hard it was to turn data into decisions.

When Adrian shared an idea that clicked with Afiya’s lived pain, they knew they could build something better together.

Getting the First Customers

Their strategy is partnership-driven, approaching and working directly with accountants, advisors, and financial institutions who already serve SMEs.

The pitch is simple: CloudFO helps these partners deliver more value to their clients, while strengthening their own services. It’s network-led growth by design.

Scaling Beyond the Early Days

Scaling means doubling down on the same partnerships. With access to shared SME clients, CloudFO widens the view by offering a full picture of financial health across tools and accounts. The partner gets smarter, the SME gets faster insights, and CloudFO grows with both.

Lessons From the Trenches

• Everything takes longer than you expect. AI may speed up dev cycles, but small teams still face bandwidth limits.

• Partners move at their own pace. Integrations can stall, even when the product is ready.

• Don’t sell the tech, sell the outcome. Early messaging leaned too hard on algorithms. What resonates? Saving time, reducing anxiety, and improving cashflow.

The product may be built on data, but the story is built on confidence and clarity.

Funding the Vision

CloudFO bootstrapped at first, then raised a pre-seed in 2024. The first backers? Angels who were founders of Afiya’s former employrt, Onfido - plus Onfido’s first institutional investor.

The Hardest Part

It’s not the tech. It’s resilience. Start-Ups are rejection-heavy, uncertainty-heavy, and draining - even on good days. Afiya’s biggest challenge has been managing her own energy and sacrifices while steering the company forward.

If Starting Again?

“Build an audience before you build the product.”

That’s Afiya’s biggest lesson. Being public-facing, building a community, and sharing the problem early matters as much as the code.

Because at the end of the day, a Start-Up isn’t just about building software, it’s about building belief.

Next week I’ll be highlighting another awesome Start-Up, as well as sharing all the usuals including funding opportunities, Start-Up news, plus plenty of awesome tips, tricks and tools.

P.S. Connect with me on LinkedIn…