Fractional CFO for sensors & monitoring companies
Sensor businesses sell bundles - a connected device with embedded firmware, a connectivity contract, a software dashboard and often an ongoing monitoring service - and price has to be allocated across those elements before anything else works. ARR on the connectivity and software components is the metric that matters; ARR built on hardware misleads.
Our work centres on multi-element revenue allocation that holds up in audit and diligence, ARR reporting that excludes the one-time hardware line, and cohort retention measured on the recurring stream. We model data egress, device management and firmware OTA at the unit-economics level rather than lumping into cloud opex, and surface working-capital drag from sensor inventory and supplier prepayments.
Flow provides financial modelling, FP&A and fractional CFO advisory to sensors and monitoring companies across industrial IoT and condition monitoring, process and analytical instrumentation, gas, leak and emissions sensors, structural and asset-health monitoring, and environmental and air-quality sensing. Startup CFO support handles multi-element accounting from first deployments onward.
KPIs to track for "sensors & monitoring" startups
We're very 'KPI-driven' fractional CFOs, and we make sure to monitor the right metrics for your startup.
Sensors deployed
Connected fleet size
Software & monitoring ARR
Hardware vs recurring mix
Software attach per sensor
Gross margin (hardware vs SaaS)
Net retention
OEM qualifications won
Connectivity cost per device
Bookings & backlog
Financial modelling for "sensors & monitoring" 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.
Multi-element revenue allocation
Bundle price split across device, connectivity, software and monitoring service with standalone selling prices documented to ASC 606 / IFRS 15. Produces an ARR figure that survives audit and a hardware line that isn't quietly inflating recurring metrics.
Software ARR and net retention
Recurring software and monitoring revenue tracked by cohort with expansion, contraction and churn, isolated from one-time sensor sales. Shows whether the recurring base is actually compounding or being carried by new hardware deployments.
Connected fleet and software attach
Active connected devices projected by vintage and customer, with software-attach and renewal rates feeding the recurring revenue forecast. Surfaces dark devices that ship but never activate the recurring stream.
Unit economics by device class
Per-device BoM, connectivity cost, cloud and OTA cost and recurring revenue modelled together so software gross margin isn't hidden inside hardware COGS. Makes pricing and channel decisions defendable per product line.
Inventory and supplier exposure
Sensor and module inventory, supplier prepayments and lead times against the OEM and direct shipment plan, with single-source MCU or sensor-die risk flagged. Translates a chip allocation into a missed-deployment and missed-ARR number.
OEM and design-win pipeline
Active qualifications, design wins and lifetime volume commitments tracked from sample stage through ramp, with realistic ramp curves and attrition. Tells the board which design wins are revenue and which are still optionality.
Founders and investors we've worked with
We've supported winning builders across sensors & monitoring 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 sensors & monitoring and beyond.
Simple pricing
No hidden costs, no complicated long-term contracts. We understand how important flexibility is for sensors & monitoring 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.
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We help you scale by providing fractional CFO advice, through fundraising and a successful M&A exit.
VC fundraising for sensors & monitoring 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 sensors & monitoring 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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