Revenue is real, the board wants a forecast it can trust, and a raise or refinancing is a year out. That is when an experienced CFO pays for itself, and usually before a full-time one makes sense.
Companies at the point where finance becomes strategy.
East Tennessee's economy runs on research, manufacturing, and founder-led companies, and in many of them growth is set to outpace the finance function behind it. Ridgelift helps all three build the financial foundation their next stage will demand.
Research & deep-tech spinouts
Founders coming out of UT and Oak Ridge who need to move from grant budgets to an investor-grade model, and keep both running at once.
Founder-led growth companies
The board or bank wants better numbers, and a raise or refinancing is on the horizon.
Established operators
Mid-market firms facing a transition: a new system, an acquisition, a succession, or a CFO departure.
Four areas where an experienced CFO changes the outcome.
Fundraising & capital
Operating model, raise sizing, investor narrative, and data room. Blending non-dilutive funding with venture and debt so you give up less of the company.
Finance function build-out
A monthly close that finishes on time, a reporting package the board reads, and the right first finance hire.
Capital allocation
Unit economics, pricing, and a clear view of which investments earn their cost of capital.
Systems & operations
Accounting and FP&A tooling sized to your stage, and the metrics that connect operations to cash.
Five inflection points where finance shapes the trajectory.
Growing companies tend to reach these milestones in sequence, and the decisions made at each one compound. Building the financial architecture correctly when it is first needed costs far less than unwinding it later. Based in Knoxville, Ridgelift works in person with clients across East Tennessee and western North Carolina, and remotely with companies anywhere.
- 01
First outside capital
The move from grant budgets and founder funding to an investor-grade operating model. Ridgelift builds the model, sizes the raise against milestones the business can credibly hit, and structures the mix of non-dilutive and equity capital so founders retain more of what they have built.
- 02
First board
A formal board changes what the numbers have to do. Ridgelift designs a monthly reporting package and a forecasting discipline that give directors a clear view of performance, risk, and cash runway, and that hold up under scrutiny.
- 03
Raise or refinance
Whether the next step is a priced round, venture debt, or a bank facility, Ridgelift leads the preparation. That includes valuation framing, investor and lender materials, the data room, diligence response, and negotiation of terms that preserve operating flexibility.
- 04
Finance at scale
Growth exposes a finance function built for an earlier stage. Ridgelift establishes a timely monthly close, implements systems sized to the business, defines the metrics that connect operations to cash, and recruits the first dedicated finance leader.
- 05
Transition
An acquisition, a leadership succession, or an unplanned CFO departure. Ridgelift steps in as interim CFO or transaction lead to maintain continuity with the board, lenders, and auditors while the long-term plan takes shape.
Three ways to work together.
Fractional CFO
Ridgelift serves as the company's senior finance leader on a part-time basis, with ongoing ownership of forecasting, cash management, reporting, and board and investor relationships. Involvement scales with the business, from a steady monthly cadence to heavier support around a raise or an audit. The result is CFO-level judgment at a fraction of the cost of a full-time executive, along with a finance function ready for that eventual hire.
Defined project
A focused engagement with a clear scope and a defined deliverable, such as a capital raise, a system implementation, a pricing and unit economics review, or a finance function built from the ground up. Each project begins with an agreed plan and measures of success. It closes with documentation and a structured handoff so the internal team can own the result going forward.
Board & advisory
An experienced finance voice for the CEO and board between meetings. Ridgelift reviews plans and reporting ahead of board sessions, pressure-tests forecasts and capital decisions, and advises on financing strategy and governance. The model suits companies with a capable finance team that want senior perspective, and boards seeking an independent financial view, including through a formal advisory or board seat.
Hunter Saunders
Hunter Saunders spent twelve years in senior finance at Apple, in Worldwide FP&A (NPI, BOD, Wall Street Guidance/Investor Ops, Treasury), Product Finance Greater China & SE Asia (Beijing), and Global Infrastructure Services. He then led finance at growth-stage companies including Route, Mosyle, and Leesa Sleep, and most recently ran strategy and growth FP&A at The Washington Post.
Based in Knoxville, he now puts that experience to work for the companies that will shape East Tennessee and western North Carolina over the next decade.