Stuck in Quality of Earnings for months, then through it.
A Greater Boston healthcare-technology company sat stalled in QofE while an acquisition waited. We rebuilt what the acquirer's accountants needed and got the deal moving.
Strategic Fractional CFO Services in Greater Boston
For founders, operators, investors, funds, family offices, and middle-market businesses that need senior financial judgment and a team that can execute. Headquartered just off Route 128, with national operating, financing, and transaction experience.
Trusted by Boston Companies
250+ companies have relied on Ignition's Strategic CFO team.
Trusted in Boston. Proven across 250+ client engagements.
The proof, in their words
Ignition gives Boston companies a complete CFO team: senior judgment out front, specialists behind it, and technology accelerating the mechanics from the first board deck to the final exit.
- Clients served across Ignition
- 250+
- Equity and debt raises supported
- $3B+
- Strategic CFOs across the team
- 15+
- Greater Boston headquarters and in-person availability
- Local
Including Boston Seed Capital, Rithmm, Reggora, Hosta.ai, FamilyID, and Alyce.
Craig and his team of finance/accounting pros are top notch. We have worked with them in at least 8-10 of our portfolio companies and they raise the game of the entire company. From Craig's help on developing a financial model and strategic planning to his team's work on accounting and month/quarter close, they are an asset to our companies. We will continue to encourage our portfolio CEOs to work with Ignition when they need outsourced CFO and finance/accounting work.
"Thorough and responsive with attention to detail and a commitment to get it right. Highly recommend to any business in need of accounting expertise and practical, results-driven support!"
"Ignition was the fractional CFO I needed in every aspect at FamilyID, from setting up my books at the start to preparing Board decks and keeping track of the cap table and negotiating the earn out at the exit in our sale."
What Boston companies call us for
Which moment is yours?
Choose the seat closest to yours, then open the situation that sounds like this quarter.
View as
Exit readiness is one of our deepest lanes.
A Greater Boston healthcare-technology company sat stalled in Quality of Earnings for months. We rebuilt what the acquirer's accountants needed and the deal moved. Sellers who prepare 6 to 12 months out keep more leverage.
See Greater Boston outcomes The strike zone is 6 to 12 months before the raise.
GAAP-ready financials, a defensible model, cap table cleanup, runway visibility, a board pack, and the diligence narrative: the finance engine behind 100+ venture-backed raises.
See the capital timing zones Lender-ready is a build, not a scramble.
We build year-to-date reporting plus the model, with one-time items explained the way a credit committee understands. Start 3 to 6 months before you need the facility.
See the debt timing zone A board pack should answer the next question before it is asked.
We connect the close, operating model, cash forecast, and variance commentary into a reporting cadence leadership teams can use and boards can challenge.
See the capital timing zones Build the function, not another spreadsheet.
We establish the close, chart of accounts, reporting, forecasts, controls, and ownership structure that let the finance function keep pace with the business.
See how an engagement starts Stabilize first. Then leave the system stronger.
A senior CFO takes control of the immediate risk while the wider team brings reconciliations, reporting, and operating cadence back into working order.
See how an engagement starts The handoff test starts before the handoff.
A succession works when the reporting, controls, and finance rhythm no longer depend on the founder. We build that independence while context is still available.
See Greater Boston outcomes Bring each entity current, then make the whole visible.
We reconcile entity by entity, preserve historical integrity, build a consolidated view, and coordinate the operating cadence with trust attorneys and outside tax professionals.
See the Ignition team model Clean separation and reporting that holds up.
We support management-company books, fund-administration oversight, portfolio reporting, and the operating model emerging managers need as LP expectations rise.
See the Ignition team model Start with the situation, not the service label.
A senior CFO will assess what is changing, what the numbers can support, and what needs to happen next. If we are not the right fit, we will say so.
Start with the diagnostic callThe timing zones · every capital event has one
- Seed
- Pre-A · 6–12 months out
- Series A
- Pre-B
Founders who engage 6 to 12 months out spend less and close faster because the books, model, cap table, board pack, and diligence narrative are ready before the first investor call.
- Operating
- Lender-ready · 3–6 months out
- Term sheet
- Close
Banks lend against reporting they can underwrite. Build the lender package, covenant model, and trusted monthly close 3 to 6 months before you need the facility.
- Running the business
- Exit-ready · 12 months out
- QofE
- Close
Sellers lose leverage when the finance function cannot produce what the acquirer's accountants request. Prepared 12 months out, Quality of Earnings confirms the price instead of reopening it.
- Owner-led
- Succession-ready · 24 months out
- Handoff
- Next generation
A succession works when the finance function can run without its founder. Build acquisition-ready metrics, clean records, and operating independence beginning 24 months before the handoff.
Results · Greater Boston
Outcomes you can ask about on a reference call
Every engagement below is real, local, and recent. Names and full case studies are shared in conversation with our clients' blessing. That is how we would treat your story too.
Cambridge A landmark institution and one of its best-known construction firms
Newton A medical-technology company through SAFEs and growth financing
Boston Venture-backed companies from the Seaport to Back Bay
Everett A family construction firm rebuilt, not patched
A $7–10M raise, investor-ready in one quarter.
A Cambridge AI company preparing a $7–10M raise needed a data room and model that could survive institutional diligence.
PE-grade reporting for a PE-owned company.
A Boston cybersecurity company in a national private-equity portfolio needed board-grade finance its team could not produce alone.
An $86M succession, handed off clean.
A Boston company preparing generational succession needed acquisition-ready metrics and a finance function the successor could actually run.
From flying blind to a real finance function.
An Everett construction company's growth outran its bookkeeping. We built the budgets, reporting, and controls a scaling operator needs.
Industry context
Open the language closest to your business.
Operating companies Growth-stage and middle-market, the core of the practice
Operators, including family businesses in generational transition. We take owner-operated books to audit-grade and sale-ready, succession included, and build the monthly discipline a lender or successor can rely on.
Venture-backed companies Equity and debt for venture-backed startups, first round to exit
SaaS, AI-native, hardware, and enterprise software: we build the model, keep the books raise-ready, and stand beside you through the round. Grant accounting and milestone models support the Cambridge biotech corridor.
Funds & GPs Fund-side work for Boston investors; emerging managers welcome
Management-company books kept clean and separate from fund books, fund-administration oversight, and LP reporting that survives scrutiny.
Family offices & trusts Multi-entity, multi-trust accounting brought current
Consolidated views, monthly closes that keep backlogs from returning, and modernized systems with history intact, coordinated directly with trust and estate attorneys and outside tax professionals.
Real estate, construction & manufacturing Among our deepest operator clusters
Project-based revenue recognition, multi-entity structures, bonding and surety relationships, cost accounting, gross margin analysis, working capital, and lender reporting.
Professional services Our largest active industry
Law firms, agencies, consultancies, and multi-site clinical groups: partner economics, realization and partner draws, multi-site consolidation, and preparation for succession or sale.
The team model
A whole finance team. Not one stretched consultant.
| Capability | Solo fractional CFO | Ignition team model |
|---|---|---|
| Who shows up | One person, many clients | Named senior CFO plus finance professionals |
| Skill levels | One rate for every task | CFO judgment where it matters; right-cost hands for the rest |
| Continuity | Your finance function pauses | The team continues |
| Systems & technology | Whatever they know | Shared systems, operating context, and reviewed analysis behind every engagement |
Your Boston lead
Craig Gainsboro
“A CPA who signs no opinions. We sit on your side of the table.”
- The path
- Deloitte and EY, then 15 years at PwC as U.S. CFO of the Tax and Advisory lines of service. BA in Accounting, Isenberg School of Management, UMass Amherst. Founded Ignition in 2012.
- The record
- 250+ client engagements as a fractional CFO, beside founders and owners at every stage.
- The habit
- Still personally runs every new client's free assessment, before a dollar is billed.
- The network
- Long-standing referral relationships across Boston banks, lenders, audit firms, and transaction counsel.
How the team works
A senior CFO leads. Specialists support. Technology accelerates the mechanics.
Senior CFOs remain accountable for every recommendation. AI helps the team organize source materials, test models, reconcile information, prepare analysis, and preserve operating context. A responsible finance professional reviews the work before it reaches the client or informs a consequential decision.
Judgment remains accountable.
A senior CFO owns the recommendation while technology supports source organization, model testing, reconciliation, and analysis preparation.
Collective intelligence, inherited on day one.
Every engagement sharpens the playbooks: what diligence asks, what lenders underwrite, and what boards believe. Your engagement never starts from scratch.
Speed you can feel.
Variance analysis in 30 minutes instead of two days. Monthly forecasts in about an hour. Fast enough to run the business by.
Honest judgment on the new stack.
Hands-on experience with emerging AI-native ERPs, and a straight answer about what is ready for your business and what is not.
How an engagement starts
A focused first 60–90 days
For many engagements, the first 60–90 days establish reliable reporting, a usable forecast, cash visibility, and the operating roadmap. The exact result depends on the quality of the existing books, systems, source material, and management availability.
Embedded fractional CFO function
A continuous monthly engagement: your senior CFO in board and advisory meetings, the monthly close, KPI reporting, and strategic capacity on call.
Books cleanup & controllership
Historical cleanup, chart-of-accounts rebuild, and a monthly close discipline that holds for companies whose bookkeeper or controller setup has plateaued.
Modeling & cash forecasting
A three-statement model and a 13-week rolling cash forecast, built once and maintained monthly. The model stays with the company when the engagement ends.
Bank, lender & audit relationships
Lender meetings, covenant reporting, line-of-credit renewals, refinancings, and audit support, presented the way a banker underwrites.
Owner-operated to audit-grade
We translate owner-operated bookkeeping into audit-grade, sale-ready reporting without disrupting your relationship with the CPA who got you here.
M&A & sale preparation
Sell-side preparation, buy-side diligence, deal structure, and post-close integration from a team with many successful and difficult transactions behind it.
Capital strategy & debt
Which facility, which lender, and what structure: settled before you sit across from the bank. Includes debt structuring, asset-based lending review, and refinancing strategy.
Interim CFO coverage
Senior coverage through CFO transitions, integrations, and restructurings. We are usually in seat within two weeks of signed scope.
- 01
Diagnostic Call
30 minutes with a senior CFO. Where it hurts, what it costs, and whether we are the right fit.
- 02
Scope Document
Within 48 hours: named team, cadence, deliverables, and price, in writing.
- 03
Embedded Engagement
Usually in seat within two weeks. By week 6, your finance function runs on our infrastructure.
- 04
A Focused First 60–90 Days
Establish reliable reporting, a usable forecast, cash visibility, and an operating roadmap based on the condition of the existing finance function.
The week-by-week path, in full
- Weeks 1–2 · Senior CFO onboarding
- Historical financials reviewed, accounting infrastructure mapped, and any board, lender, or audit deadline already on the calendar prepared first.
- Weeks 2–6 · Books stabilization
- Reconciliations, chart-of-accounts rebuild, revenue recognition cleaned up by industry, and a monthly close cadence established.
- Weeks 4–8 · Strategic finance function
- Three-statement model built and tested, the 13-week cash forecast running weekly, KPI dashboard live, and hiring plans modeled against cash.
- Weeks 6–12+ · Capital event or operating cycle
- Sale, succession, refinancing, audit, or covenant renewal in active preparation, with the monthly board package delivered throughout.
- Ongoing · Relationships managed
- Bank, lender, audit, and provider relationships handled directly, with introductions to transaction counsel, recruiters, and specialists as needed.
- Ongoing · Custom strategic capacity
- Pricing model development, cohort and unit economics, and pre-M&A diligence preparation, on call.
Engagement pricing is tailored to the scope, stage, and complexity of each company: monthly retainers for an ongoing CFO function, fixed-scope projects for capital events, and hybrid models for both.
Step 1 is thirty minutes away. With a senior CFO, not a salesperson.
We assess where you are and tell you exactly what needs to happen next. Direct answers, real numbers.
Questions Boston companies ask
Fractional CFO questions, answered by situation
Filter questions
Boston & local Where are you located?
Our office is at 200 Boston Providence Highway, Suite 203, in Dedham, just off I-95 and Route 128.
Boston & local Do you work in person?
Yes. Most recurring work can be handled virtually, while senior team members join in person for planning, management, board, lender, investor, and transaction sessions where being in the room improves the result.
Boston & local Do you work with companies outside Boston?
Yes. Ignition serves companies across the United States while maintaining its headquarters and local practice in Greater Boston.
Working with us Who actually does the work?
A senior CFO leads each engagement and remains accountable. Finance professionals and specialists support the recurring work at the appropriate level, backed by the systems and experience of the broader Ignition team.
Working with us What happens in the first 90 days?
For many engagements, the first 60–90 days establish reliable reporting, a usable forecast, cash visibility, and an operating roadmap. The exact result depends on the quality of the existing books, systems, source material, and management availability.
Working with us What does it cost?
Pricing depends on company stage, complexity, and the work required. Ignition offers monthly retainers, fixed-scope projects, and hybrid engagements, with the proposed team, deliverables, cadence, and price documented before work begins.
Working with us What are the terms?
There is no annual lock-in. We provide a 90-day plan, and clients can cancel with 30 days notice.
Working with us Do you prepare taxes or sign audit opinions?
No. We do not prepare tax returns or provide audit, review, or compilation opinions. We work on the client side and coordinate with outside tax professionals and auditors.
Working with us Can you work with our current controller or bookkeeper?
Yes. We can oversee, support, and develop an existing controller or bookkeeper while the senior CFO leads forecasting, reporting, capital planning, and consequential decisions.
Financings When should we begin before a raise, refinancing, or exit?
Begin roughly 6–12 months before an equity raise, 3–6 months before a refinancing, and about 12 months before an exit when possible. Starting earlier preserves more time to repair reporting, models, records, and diligence materials.
Boston & local What local coordination can you provide?
We coordinate directly with Greater Boston management teams, boards, lenders, investors, audit firms, transaction counsel, and other local financial relationships when the engagement requires it.
Working with us How fast can an urgent engagement begin?
We are usually in seat within two weeks of a signed scope. The first call identifies the immediate risk, required team, and fastest responsible starting plan.
No questions match that search.
The office · Greater Boston
Based just off 128, in the room when it matters.
Ignition Consultants
200 Boston Providence Highway, Suite 203Dedham, MA 02026
From our Dedham office just off I-95 and Route 128, we work throughout Greater Boston, including Boston, Cambridge, Somerville, Newton, Waltham, the MetroWest corridor, and the North and South Shores. Most recurring work can be handled virtually; senior team members join in person for planning, management, board, lender, investor, and transaction sessions where being in the room materially improves the result.
- Boston
- Cambridge
- Somerville
- Newton
- Waltham
- MetroWest
- North Shore
- South Shore