Pre-seed and seed-stage tech founders end up with a books problem the second they take institutional money. Cash accounting stops working. Investors expect accrual. The IRS expects accrual if you want R&D credits. We get you there before your first board meeting.
It's GAAP-grade accounting, tax work, and reporting built around the cadence of an institutionally backed AI company. Monthly close in QBO or Xero. Revenue tied to ASC 606. Stock comp under ASC 718, pulled from Carta or Pulley. §41 R&D credit study filed with project-level Section G documentation. Cloud compute segmented between cost of revenue and qualified research.
Reconciled. Accrual. ASC 606 revenue. Tied to Stripe, Mercury, Brex, Ramp, Carta.
ARR waterfall, GAAP P&L, cash position, KPI dashboard, variance vs. plan. Numbers tie back to source data.
GAAP financials, deferred revenue schedule, cohort analysis, cap table tie-out. Ready before the term sheet.
Form 1120 with §41 Form 6765 Section G, §174A coordination, §280C(c) elections, ASC 718 stock comp.
The work isn't more complex than non-venture-backed accounting. The cadence and the reporting bar are higher.
Investors expect accrual books from day one. Board members expect monthly updates with actuals against plan. Lawyers expect cap tables that survive Series A diligence.
The work compounds. A clean monthly close at seed makes Series A diligence four to six weeks shorter. A §41 study filed correctly in year one means the credits stack instead of sitting unclaimed. A cap table tied to GAAP stock comp means your auditor doesn't restate financials right before your next priced round.
Investors expect accrual books from day one. Board members expect monthly updates with actuals against plan. Lawyers expect cap tables that survive Series A diligence.
The work compounds. A clean monthly close at seed makes Series A diligence four to six weeks shorter. A §41 study filed correctly in year one means the credits stack instead of sitting unclaimed. A cap table tied to GAAP stock comp means your auditor doesn't restate financials right before your next priced round.
We reconcile Stripe, Mercury, Brex, Ramp, and your payroll provider every month. Revenue ties to ASC 606. Deferred revenue, prepaid expenses, and accrued liabilities reviewed before the close.
ARR waterfall, GAAP P&L, cash position, KPI dashboard, variance against plan. The numbers in the deck tie back to source data in your accounting system.
We file Form 6765 with the project-level Section G documentation the IRS now requires. We model §174A method elections, retroactive treatment for 2022–2024, and §280C(c) coordination together.
We pull grants from Carta or Pulley, calculate ASC 718 expense off your most recent 409A, and flag when a refresh is needed. Your auditor doesn't restate the books mid-round.
We reconcile Stripe, Mercury, Brex, Ramp, and your payroll provider every month. Revenue ties to ASC 606. Deferred revenue, prepaid expenses, and accrued liabilities reviewed before the close.
ARR waterfall, GAAP P&L, cash position, KPI dashboard, variance against plan. The numbers in the deck tie back to source data in your accounting system.
We file Form 6765 with the project-level Section G documentation the IRS now requires. We model §174A method elections, retroactive treatment for 2022–2024, and §280C(c) coordination together.
We pull grants from Carta or Pulley, calculate ASC 718 expense off your most recent 409A, and flag when a refresh is needed. Your auditor doesn't restate the books mid-round.
Most venture-backed AI startups we onboard close their books inside ten business days within their first quarter with us.
Companies heading into a Series A or B typically save four to six weeks of diligence cycle time because the data room is already built off the monthly close.
We work with venture-backed AI companies from pre-seed through Series B. The reporting bar gets higher at every round. We've built the close, board pack, and diligence package for AI companies at each stage.
We build the data room before the term sheet lands. Series A and B diligence runs faster.
Form 6765 with the project-level Section G documentation the IRS now requires.
QBO, Xero, Carta, Pulley, Stripe, Mercury, Brex, Ramp, Rippling, Gusto, and Causal.
Direct Slack with your engagement lead. Response under four hours during business days.
Six common starting points for venture-backed AI companies. Each one's a fit.
AI startups standing up books for the first time after a pre-seed or seed round.
GPU and compute infrastructure companies heading into a Series A diligence cycle.
Research-heavy AI companies with venture funding and high R&D credit potential.
AI agent and tool-use startups raising on usage-based metrics and per-call revenue.
Vertical AI SaaS in legal, healthcare, finance, and other regulated markets.
Venture-backed AI startups cleaning up §174 capitalized balances from 2022–2024.
If your last close took longer than ten business days and your next round is less than nine months away, you're in the right place.
Kruze, Pilot, and Graphite are good firms. We're a different fit for venture-backed AI startups specifically.
Comparison reflects our read of public information about each firm's published service descriptions as of April 2026. Happy to walk through specifics on a call.
Here are some of the frequently asked questions and their best answers for your clarification.
Still have questions? Contact us.
The umbrella service. Includes monthly close, financial reporting, and ongoing tax planning specifically built around AI startups.
View serviceSenior-level financial leadership for venture-backed startups between bookkeeper and full-time CFO.
View serviceForm 6765 with project-level Section G documentation, §174A coordination, and §280C(c) elections.
View serviceSpecialist work on subscription, usage-based, and hybrid AI SaaS revenue under ASC 606.
View serviceLet’s figure out what’s working, what’s broken, and what it costs to fix.
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