Having raised over $70M across equity rounds, innovation grants, and structured financing — and reported to KKR, Apollo, Warburg Pincus, and others — we know what serious investors scrutinise, and how to present your business compellingly when it matters most.
Most founders underestimate how much of a fundraising process is financial. The model, the data room, the diligence responses, the cap table — all of it requires senior financial judgement, not just a spreadsheet.
Before approaching investors, we assess where the business stands against what they'll expect to see — financial model quality, data room completeness, cap table clarity, and historical accounts. We identify the gaps and agree a remediation plan before anyone sees anything.
A fully integrated, assumption-driven financial model — P&L, cash flow, and balance sheet — with clearly labelled drivers, scenario toggles, and investor-grade presentation. The model needs to tell a coherent story and stand up to detailed scrutiny. We build it to do both.
Structuring, populating, and managing the financial section of the data room — historical accounts, management accounts, cap table, material contracts, and statutory filings — to a standard that reduces friction in diligence and gives investors confidence in the process.
Fully modelled cap table showing current and post-money ownership, dilution from new issuance, option pool impacts, and liquidation preference waterfalls — so you understand what you're agreeing to before you sign a term sheet.
Managing the financial due diligence process — responding to investor questions, reconciling data room requests, preparing bridging schedules, and ensuring the business can answer detailed financial questions quickly and credibly. Delays in DD kill deals; preparation prevents delays.
Experience with innovation grants across UK (Innovate UK), EU (Horizon Europe), US (SBIR/STTR), and Australia (R&D Tax Incentive) — from financial narrative and budget structuring through to post-award reporting and compliance.
An integrated P&L, cash flow, and balance sheet model built to investor-grade standards — assumption-led, scenario-ready, and structured so you can defend every line under scrutiny.
A fully structured data room — financial section built to institutional investor standards — indexed, organised, and maintained throughout the process.
Current and pro-forma cap table, dilution from new issuance, option pool modelling, and liquidation preference waterfall analysis — before you agree any term sheet.
Ongoing monthly or quarterly reporting to investors — structured to the format institutional investors expect, with actuals vs budget, commentary, and operational KPIs.
Structured responses to financial due diligence questions — reconciliations, bridging schedules, account packs, and explanations prepared quickly and accurately.
Financial narrative, budget structuring, and post-award compliance for innovation grants across UK, EU, US, and Australia — from initial application through to grant reporting.
There is a material difference between a CFO who has worked with institutional investors and one who has simply managed accounting processes. Fundraising requires knowing what investors actually look for — not what a fundraising template says they look for.
Our team has managed investor relations with some of the world's largest PE and VC funds — reporting to them, presenting board packs, defending financial models in diligence, and negotiating financial aspects of term sheets. That direct experience is what Cognos Advisory brings to every fundraise.
It also means knowing which financial issues will become deal issues — and addressing them before investors find them, rather than after.
Institutions partnered with, reported to, or raised capital from:
Start the conversation now — preparation done three months early is worth three times the effort done three weeks before launch.
Schedule a Call