Fractional CFO for 3D printing companies
Additive operators run three revenue streams that behave differently: hardware tied to installation milestones, recurring materials revenue that compounds with the installed base, and parts, service and software. Hardware gross margins are routinely half of materials and software, and blending them misleads boards and investors.
The CFO work is a measurement problem. We separate revenue and gross margin by stream, set warranty and consumable-shelf-life reserves against real field data, and build FP&A around installed units, materials pull-through and parts pipeline rather than top-line bookings. Capex into in-house production and powder or resin cycles is modelled as a working-capital constraint.
Flow provides financial modelling, FP&A and fractional CFO advisory to 3D printing companies across industrial hardware, polymer and metal materials, software and slicing platforms, aerospace service bureaus and medical and dental additive manufacturers. Startup CFO support spans seed through growth stage.
KPIs to track for "3D printing" startups
We're very 'KPI-driven' fractional CFOs, and we make sure to monitor the right metrics for your startup.
Units shipped
Installed base
Materials revenue
Materials attach per machine
Machine utilisation
Hardware gross margin
Materials gross margin
Service & parts revenue
Software ARR
Warranty reserve %
Backlog
Financial modelling for "3D printing" startups
As fractional CFOs, we build KPI-driven financial models that are insightful and easy to maintain.
Financial modelling is both art and science - models must be robust, but also understandable, and useful for both internal planning and VC fundraising purposes. Hire a fractional CFO who knows how to handle both sides of the equation.
Revenue by stream
Hardware shipments, materials pull-through, parts and service, and software ARR modelled as four lines with their own gross margins and growth drivers. Stops a blended top-line from hiding the fact that materials and software carry the recurring economics.
Installed base and materials attach
Active machine fleet projected forward by vintage, with materials kilograms or litres per machine per month driving the recurring revenue forecast. Surfaces whether new shipments or pull-through on existing units is doing the work.
BoM and supplier concentration
Unit BoM broken down to powder, resin, motion components and electronics, with lead times and single-source exposures tracked per part. Quantifies how a supplier slip translates into pushed shipments and delayed materials revenue.
Working capital and inventory
Powder, resin and finished-machine inventory modelled against shipment cadence, with supplier prepayments and customer milestone billing layered into the cash cycle. Shows how much cash the next quarter of growth actually consumes.
Warranty and consumable reserves
Warranty accrual per machine vintage and shelf-life reserve on powder and resin built from field failure and scrap data, not flat percentages. Holds up under diligence and protects reported gross margin from one-off field events.
Backlog and milestone billing
Signed hardware orders mapped to installation milestones and revenue-recognition triggers, with service-bureau capacity capex layered alongside. Translates a bookings number into a defendable revenue and cash schedule by quarter.
Founders and investors we've worked with
We've supported winning builders across 3D printing and beyond.
Hector
We acted as fractional CFO to Hector Aurumi, a Dubai-based specialist software house with AI/ML, IoT and data science expertise, providing confidential valuation guidance to the management team.
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Percepto
As a fractional CFO we performed a confidential valuation of Percepto, a Tel Aviv-based autonomous drone monitoring platform for critical infrastructure and industrial sites, supporting Elevator Fund's portfolio management.
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TBô
We acted as fractional CFO to TBô, a Zurich-based tech-enabled DTC male underwear brand, building a bottom-up financial / operating model with cohort-level KPIs and positioning the company for its next venture round.
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Onlogist
We acted as fractional CFO to Onlogist, a Hamburg-based online marketplace for last-mile vehicle transfer, providing confidential valuation guidance and operating model support.
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Marcura
We acted as fractional CFO to Dubai-based Marcura, owner of maritime payroll and B2B payments platform MarTrust, advising on the strategic e-Wallet vendor selection and supporting product/finance integration.
See moreRecent fractional CFO track record
See our fractional CFO and financial modelling experience across 3D printing and beyond.
Simple pricing
No hidden costs, no complicated long-term contracts. We understand how important flexibility is for 3D printing startups.
Per month
- Accounting / FP&A tech stack implementation
- Monthly financial statements and reporting pack
- Quarterly board pack with detailed financial analysis (with variance analysis vs. budget, relevant KPI observations etc.)
- Investor-friendly output
Per month
- Everything in Core, plus
- Operating model (via an online platform like Runway or Excel-based)
- Ongoing model maintenance, refining projections, burn/runway management
- Customer cohorts modelling, churn and retention analysis
- LTV / CAC, unit economics analysis
- Cap table management
Per month
- Everything in Grow, plus
- M&A / fundraising support; review of business plan
- Pitch deck preparation
- Investor approach strategy / list building
- Due diligence support and deal negotiation
- Valuation as required and free access to Multiples Pro
Packages shown are illustrative, final pricing is tailored to client requirements.
Explore our fractional CFO offering for similar verticals
We're a specialized fractional CFO to industrial technology companies.
Our fractional CFO experience spans across all industrial technology verticals.
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We know tech inside & out.
We provide fractional CFO services to companies operating across the entire tech.
More services
We help you scale by providing fractional CFO advice, through fundraising and a successful M&A exit.
VC fundraising for 3D printing companies
We help you prepare materials, reach out to investors in our extensive network, negotiate fair term sheets and structure the VC round.
Learn moreM&A for 3D printing companies
We advise winning tech companies on M&A exits, and over the years successfully executed numerous transactions with both financial and strategic buyers.
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