Fractional CFO for mobile apps companies
Between an install and cash in the bank sit App Store and Play fees, refund and chargeback timing, IAP gross-to-nets, deferred subscription revenue across tiers and currencies, and post-ATT paid attribution that is partial at best. None of this is visible at the install level.
CFO work centres on the bridge from store-reported gross to net contribution: deferred revenue and refund reserves modelled by cohort, IAP gross-to-nets reconciled to processor reports, and paid-versus-organic install economics on realistic LTV curves rather than vendor ones.
Flow provides financial modelling, FP&A and fractional CFO advisory to mobile app companies across consumer subscription apps, utility apps, photo and video tools, health and lifestyle apps and freemium content publishers. Our startup CFO team runs the financial modelling and FP&A diligence buyers and investors expect.
KPIs to track for "mobile apps" startups
We're very 'KPI-driven' fractional CFOs, and we make sure to monitor the right metrics for your startup.
DAU
MAU
DAU / MAU
D1 / D7 / D30 retention
Paid conversion
Subscriber ARPU
App store fee leakage
Refund & chargeback rate
Cost per install
Paid LTV
Organic install share
Store rank stability
Financial modelling for "mobile apps" 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.
Store gross-to-net bridge
App Store and Play gross billings stepped down through platform fees, refunds, chargebacks and currency to net cash by cohort and tier. Closes the gap between dashboard revenue and the number that lands in the bank.
Subscription cohort LTV
D1, D7, D30 and longer-tail retention curves built by acquisition cohort and tier, projected to realistic 12 and 24-month LTV after store fees. Replaces vendor-supplied LTV with something a Series B underwriter can defend.
Deferred revenue and refunds
Annual and monthly subscription revenue deferred properly across renewal dates with refund and chargeback reserves sized by cohort and geography. Stops a strong sales month overstating in-period revenue.
Paid vs organic install economics
Paid installs allocated by channel and creative against post-ATT attribution caveats, with organic share modelled separately. Shows which channels actually earn payback and which are subsidising store rank.
Trial-to-paid conversion build
Funnel from install through trial start, payment, retention and expansion built by tier, geography and acquisition source. Surfaces where the funnel breaks before it shows up in blended ARPU.
UA payback by geography
Cost per install and payback measured against per-country LTV after platform fees and FX, not blended global numbers. Tells you which geographies you can scale spend into and which only look good on average.
Founders and investors we've worked with
We've supported winning builders across mobile apps and beyond.
Moburst
As a fractional CFO we performed a confidential valuation of Moburst, a Tel Aviv-based global mobile marketing services company, 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.
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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.
See moreRecent fractional CFO track record
See our fractional CFO and financial modelling experience across mobile apps and beyond.
Simple pricing
No hidden costs, no complicated long-term contracts. We understand how important flexibility is for mobile apps 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 consumer internet companies.
Our fractional CFO experience spans across all consumer internet verticals.
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We know tech inside & out.
We provide fractional CFO services to companies operating across the entire tech.
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We help you scale by providing fractional CFO advice, through fundraising and a successful M&A exit.
VC fundraising for mobile apps 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 mobile apps 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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Schedule a call to get a health check on your business and see how we could help.
Fractional CFO
- Fractional CFO for Software
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- Fractional CFO for Consumer internet
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- Fractional CFO for Consumer products
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