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Series B CFO Expert Operator – Ace Tarakchian
Ace Tarakchian is a 5-star finance expert operator at Forward Share Ventures. Fractional CFO for Series B companies preparing for fundraises, board reporting, a
Get Matched in 48 Hours →A fractional CFO at Series B provides CFO-level financial leadership – board reporting, financial modeling, fundraise preparation, and operational finance – without the $300K+ annual cost of a full-time hire. Ace Tarakchian has served as fractional CFO across seven Series B rounds and two M&A processes at Forward Share Ventures.
Why Series B companies need a fractional CFO now
Series B diligence is where founders realize their financial infrastructure is six months behind where it needs to be. Investors expect a board-ready financial model, monthly reporting packages, and a three-year scenario plan. Most Series B founding teams have a bookkeeper and a spreadsheet. The gap between those two realities is exactly where a fractional CFO expert operator steps in.
What Ace covers in a fractional CFO engagement
Ace focuses on three areas: financial model architecture (unit economics, scenario planning, and the board deck numbers), board reporting infrastructure (monthly packages, KPI dashboards, variance analysis), and fundraise preparation (data room, investor narrative, diligence Q&A). He has done this seven times at Series B, which means he knows which questions come at week 6 of diligence – and builds the answers into the model at week 2.
What the engagement actually looks like
A standard 90-day fractional CFO engagement begins with a two-week financial infrastructure audit, then moves to building or rebuilding the model, establishing the reporting cadence, and preparing the fundraise package. Ace typically works 15-20 hours per week during active fundraise periods and 8-10 hours per week in steady-state operational finance mode.
A STAR case from the Forward Share Ventures network
Situation: A B2B SaaS company at $8M ARR was preparing for a Series B raise with a financial model built in year one that no longer reflected the business. The board wanted a revised three-year model and monthly reporting infrastructure before investor outreach began.
Result: New financial model built in three weeks. Monthly reporting package launched. Series B closed at $18M – the lead investor cited "unusual financial rigor for a company this size" in the close announcement. Total engagement: 14 weeks.
"The financial model is the thesis made numerical. If it doesn't hold up under five minutes of diligence, the raise stalls – not because the business is bad, but because the story isn't defensible. That's fixable, and it's fixable fast."
– Ace Tarakchian, Finance Expert Operator, Forward Share Ventures
Frequently asked questions
What does a fractional CFO actually do at a Series B company?
A fractional CFO at Series B owns financial modeling, board reporting, fundraise preparation, and operational finance oversight. Unlike an advisor who reviews and comments, a fractional CFO expert operator produces the model, writes the board narrative, and manages the data room. At Series B, the deliverables are typically a three-year scenario model, monthly board packages, and a fundraise-ready data room – built and owned by the fractional CFO, not assembled by the founding team under time pressure.
How is a fractional CFO different from a CFO advisor or a part-time controller?
A controller handles historical bookkeeping and compliance. An advisor reviews and gives opinions. A fractional CFO is an operator – they produce the model, own the reporting infrastructure, and participate in investor conversations as a domain expert. At Forward Share Ventures, every fractional CFO expert operator has a STAR-verified portfolio: they have done the specific work before, not just advised on it.
How long does a fractional CFO engagement typically last at Series B?
Most Series B fractional CFO engagements run 12-20 weeks – long enough to build the infrastructure, run through a fundraise cycle, and hand off a sustainable reporting cadence to the internal team or a full-time hire. Ace's engagements average 14 weeks. Some companies continue on a reduced-hours retainer after the fundraise closes to maintain board reporting and financial infrastructure through the growth phase.
What is the cost of a fractional CFO compared to a full-time hire?
A full-time CFO at a Series B company typically costs $250K–$350K in total compensation plus equity. A fractional CFO expert operator through Forward Share Ventures engages at an hourly or monthly rate with no equity dilution and no six-month ramp period. For companies that need CFO-level capability for a defined period – a fundraise, a specific model build, a board reporting infrastructure launch – the fractional model delivers the outcome at a fraction of the cost and time.
What should I look for when evaluating a fractional CFO for Series B?
Look for an operator who has done the specific work – not an advisor who has reviewed it or a consultant who has helped with pieces. Ask: How many Series B rounds have you supported as the operating CFO? What was the typical deal size? What does your financial model architecture look like? At Forward Share Ventures, every finance expert operator has a STAR portfolio: verified situations, tasks, actions, and quantified results from past engagements.
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