EmergeOne | Fractional CFO services

EmergeOne is a leading consultancy providing fractional CFO support to venture backed tech startups from seed to Series B.

We help founders get the most out of their capital, streamline financials, and manage investor relations so they can focus on scaling. Examples of our support:

- Strategic Finance Execution and Oversight over finance operations
- Financial Planning and Analysis
- Board reporting, Investor relations and management
- Capital Raising, Fundraising Support, Due Diligence and Data room management
- Capital Management and Structuring
- Capital Allocation
- Financial modelling, forecasting, scenario planning, KPIs, metrics and reporting

Our clients are some of the fastest growing startups backed by funds like Hoxton Ventures, Stride, Playfair, Octopus, Outlier Ventures, Founders Factory and more.

Fractional CFO

Blue Ridge Partners

I've worked with DeepTech (mainly) founders for over 5 years, building the business and financial muscle behind their technology!

After exiting the angel group I cofounded, I found that I just couldn't stay away from startups, but I knew I didn't want to be a founder again...
So I started consulting for founders and quickly found that the business and finance stuff I knew so well was actually really hard for them. From deep in the weeds of building project management to creating and maintaining financial models to creating pitches for complex tech, I thoroughly enjoyed the nights-and-weekends work of supporting founders.

When my family moved from the US to the UK in 2022, I transitioned my "hobby" from nights-and-weekends into a real job, and now, I help founders make sense of their strategy, business, and finances full time!

DeepTech Fractional CFO and Venture Builder

Octiocor

Leading finance and product teams for AI image analysis start up spun out of Cambridge University.
Building product management function and larger company operations to translate academic research into commercial-grade technology
Projecting complex cash needs to inform hiring employees, onboarding contractors, fundraising, and completing grant applications.
Pitching with CEO to potential venture and angel investors for seed round fundraising.
Working with accountants to ensure all regulatory filings (e.g. VAT, R&D, etc) are accurate and timely to maximize cash in the bank.

Fractional CFO / COO

MCA funding company

Provided financial and operational leadership as fractional CFO of fast growing Merchant Cash Advance (MCA) funder.
Advised strategic changes to adapt to quickly changing economic conditions in high risk business lending environment.
Created detailed financial models to inform internal decision making and communicate business / economics to potential outside investors.
Created cash management systems to better understand cash inflows and outflows and better manage ongoing operations.
Led push for a data-first culture using analytics to make better decisions.
Informed strategy by identifying previously-unseen opportunities using existing data.
Guided and built full analytical stack, from data stores through visualizations.

Capital One

Intrapreneurially built and ran analytics function inside ~$80M Identity Services business unit from scratch.
Directly managed 4 analysts and influenced the work of 6 data scientists, 7 data engineers / analysts, and multiple tech teams; officially and unofficially mentored numerous team members.
Built and managed credit governance process for $10M's in marginal enterprise value from over 20 credit decisions. 
Product Manager for AI / ML team, influencing internal and external stakeholders on strategy by demonstrating value generated by and potential value from new products.
Represented Digital Identity analytics group in monthly VP+ Authentication Council Working Group; created and presented numerous data-centric VP+ presentations on strategy, value-added, enterprise partnership needs, etc.
Created and maintained data sets and visualizations sourcing data from across the enterprise, including customer, fraud, behavioral analytics, credit card transaction, click-stream / UI data, etc.
Worked extensively with product managers, fraud analysts, and tech teams to understand needs and deliver solutions.

Analytics Lead: CIO Tech Excellence award 2019 (top 3 of over 1,800 tech teams) 
Analytics Lead: Circle of Excellence award 2021 (top 2 of over 1,000 product teams)

Senior Analytics Lead - Digital Identity

University of Virginia

Taught entrepreneurial topics as adjunct faculty at UVA's School of Engineering and Applied Science.
Lecturer for New Product Development and Entrepreneurial Finance courses, creating numerous adaptations and improvement to course curricula.

Lecturer

CAV Angels

Operationalized, managed, and grew UVA-oriented angel investment network.
Performed in depth due diligence on companies and write comprehensive memos on investibility of startups. 
Negotiated deal terms, execute investments, and lead ongoing efforts to provide support to portfolio companies in business development, hiring, additional fundraising, etc.
Formed and executed strategy for creating educational material for first-time angel investors.
Created and ran program to train and manage over twenty student fellows and interns responsible for augmenting due diligence efforts.
Built data-centric platform to manage deal pipeline, due diligence data, and member input; created roadmap to expand platform to scale to other universities and angel groups with the goal of using ML to automate portions of deal process.

Co-Founder, President

S&P Global

Leader on implementation team of newly launched product: semi-custom business intelligence software for regional and community banks. 
Co-created operational model and scrum set up allowing product to scale from 5 to 42 customers in under two years.
Advised C-suite customers / stakeholders on product adoption and usage as a technical project manager.
Advised management on reorganization of ~20 person implementation team.
Mentored and instructed tech colleagues in the nuances of the banking and finance industries.
Created custom and semi-custom ETL's and presentations to integrate disparate data silos into a single source of truth.

Manager / BI Implementation Consultant and Engineer

FI Consulting

Built multiple custom software systems in Freddie Mac's Multifamily division as technology and data engineer.
Owned deal management system organizing and analyzing data for over $20b in deals each year.
Interfaced with executive-level clients on application requirements, functionality, and enhancements.
Designed, developed, implemented, and maintained custom IT and reporting solutions.
Actively involved in SDLC, including system specification and design, programming, testing, documenting, user-training, deploying, and post-implementation activities.
Managed junior colleagues through multiple enhancement projects.

Technology and Data Consultant

Foxhall Capital Management

Member of Investment Committee managing over $750 million in quantitative investment strategies
Proactively identified and researched quantitative investment ideas using back testing and data mining techniques on large historical price datasets; presented findings to Investment Committee
Implemented quantitative investment strategies requiring monthly rebalancing of over 5,000 separately managed accounts and daily monitoring of global stock, bond, and commodity index prices

Portfolio Manager

I partner with world class researchers, visionaries, and entrepreneurs to turn their DeepTech technology into highly scalable startups.
From pre-formation to scaling, I come along side founders to augment their efforts, teach new skills, and establish rigor and structure.
Through fractional and project-based work, I have enabled my pre-Series A clients to raise over $30m combined through equity, debt, and grant funding.

David Sade, CFA

Gaming CFO | 20+ years in finance at Ubisoft, Kixeye, Smule

Are you a gaming or mobile app founder struggling with financial planning?

These finance tasks are not founder worthy 👇

You shouldn't have to:

❌ Get rejected by VC and publishers without clear next steps
❌ Spend 15-20 hours per month wrestling with cash flow projections
❌ Feel embarrassed when investors ask detailed financial questions
❌ Worry about running out of money with no clear path to profit
❌ Navigate complex unit economics for freemium and subscription models alone
❌ Prepare for fundraising without industry-specific financial expertise
❌ Make critical financial decisions based on gut feeling rather than data
❌ Sacrifice product development time to figure out spreadsheets and burn rates

What does a fractional CFO do?

Within the first 30 days, you'll receive a complete financial audit and a clear strategic roadmap that identifies your biggest opportunities and blockers.

End-to-end financial strategy for gaming companies.

I was previously CFO at Smule (world leader in mobile karaoke) and spent 20+ years in gaming finance at companies like Ubisoft, Kixeye, and other major gaming studios. I understand exactly how gaming business models work and what investors expect.

So, how can I help you?

✅ Attract investors with confident financial modeling
✅ Make decisions that drive ROI in uncertainty
✅ Financial Planning & Analysis for rapid-growth companies
✅ Active fundraising to secure the capital you need to grow

This is all I do.

If you read this far you are likely ready to take action.
“Time is money” hits differently in the startup world. 

Let's start optimizing your finances before it’s too late.

a) Book a free Investor-Ready Assessment with me using my featured section.
b) DM me here on LinkedIn for more details

Laurent Saurel

I had a little skin cancer removed from my face recently. 

Nothing too serious, thankfully, we caught it early. 🙏 

The doctor said it would be "a tiny incision." 

Remove the cells. Quick and easy. 

Well… turns out "tiny" is relative. The hole was way bigger than expected, and the scar will be too. 

So next time you see me and wonder what happened, that's the story. 

It’s not something I’d usually post about. But skin cancer is sneaky. 

PSA: Go get your skin checked.

Even if you think it's "probably nothing." 

It might save you a whole lot of trouble. 

(And a bigger scar.)

Laurent Saurel 🔜 DICE

No alternative text description for this image

Working with and helping founders in the video game industry is really what drives me. What I'm committing to in 2026:

Launch one new offering. I failed at this in 2025. Time to fix it. Gaming founders at different stages need different ways to work with me.

Free up more time to focus on strategy, not operations.

Systematic outreach. I've been relying on inbounds. That's lazy. Committing to proper outreach 200 days this year to start new conversations.

Show up in person. DICE, GDC, Gamesforum, Gamesbeat Next, and thinking Gamescom, and Slush.

What success looks like for me:

Business: 

- Do proper outreach 200/365 days this year.
- 7 hours back per week to focus on strategy.
- 1x new offering founders can access at different stages.

Personal:

- Take my kids to one new country. Japan, Morocco, or Costa Rica are on the list. 
- Keep the routine: gym in the morning, family at night.

2025 was a great year for that, with successful fundraising and many new connections in the gaming space. In 2026, I want to find new ways to help more founders without compromising quality.

What is your goal for 2026?

Christmas break expectation: Relaxing with family.

Reality: Closed an M&A deal by December 31st.

I spent the entire break reviewing documents, and coordinating with lawyers. The seller needed to close before their fiscal year ended, so the timeline was fixed.

I'm grateful my clients trust me with transactions like this. It's the reason I started my CFO services.  

But it required adjusting plans at home.

I've been here before. Summer 2022, I was closing a fundraising round while traveling through London. Phone calls with lawyers between museum visits. These moments come with the territory when you're building something.

People talk about work-life balance like it's a state you achieve and maintain.

I don't believe in that.

You do what needs to be done when it needs to be done. You don't control when deals close or when problems surface. You adjust.

What makes it manageable isn't balance. It's communication.

Internally: being clear with my family about when I need to work and when I'm fully present.

Externally: setting realistic expectations with clients about availability and timeline.

The deal closed on time. 

As a founder, sometimes you can't plan your personal life around your professional life or vice versa. Things happen. The best you can do is communicate clearly and stay prepared for what you can't predict.

I spent my last day of 2025 going through Newzoo's 2025 Year in Review report. One line shocked me:

Games growth was sustained by engagement depth, not just release volume.

Last year was strong with a packed release calendar, Switch 2 launch, mobile holding steady, PC outperforming expectations.

Here's what stood out to me:

1) $197B wasn’t driven by “more players”

The market grew +7.5% YoY because players spent more inside games and ecosystems they already care about. That’s a strong sign, showing the importance of increased retention over user acquisition.

2) PC rewarded quality and originality

All top 10 PC releases by revenue were premium titles. New IP and AA games broke through. Across 6 different genres. PC still gives room for ambition if the if the quality is there.

3) Console stayed franchise-led

Sports and annualized IP dominated. EA alone placed four titles in the top 10. Exclusives like Pokémon Legends: Z-A proved platform focus still matters when installed base and release timing align.

4) More and more indie successes

Clair Obscur Expedition 33, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, Hollow Knight: Silksong all found their audience and success and word-of-mouth can drive long tails, even if they don’t immediately dominate revenue charts. Discovery and relevance are more important than ever.

Source: Newzoo Year In Review: 2025 to date
Full report here: https://lnkd.in/g5kjQi23

In 2025, games and studios earned through repeating attention, pricing power and focusing on long term engagement. 

This is the takeaway I’d sit with in 2026:

Success is determined AFTER launch, not at it.

Happy to talk through what this means for planning, runway, or portfolio strategy if you’re navigating decisions.

Two months ago, I had to tell a founder:

"You'll hit a cash crunch by December."

His response: "Thank you. How do we proceed?"

He wasn't blindsided. So he didn't panic.

The worst thing you can do with bad news is deliver it too late to be useful. And we'd already built the scenarios together. Before the cash crunch became real, we'd mapped out:

- What would trigger it
- What each fix would cost
- How much runway would each option buy

When the bad news arrived, he already knew the playbook. We just picked which scenario to execute.

A lot of teams get blindsided by layoffs and budget cuts because leadership got blindsided first.

It's rarely malicious. Leadership just didn't see the problem coming, so the team couldn't prepare.

When I deliver bad news, I come with three things:

- Why it's happening
- What we can do about it
- How much time do we have to execute

But the real work happens before the conversation.

As I get deeper into my clients' businesses. I start catching obstacles 3-6 months before they become obstacles. Building scenarios. Creating buffers.

The conversation changes when you're preparing for problems instead of reacting to them.

I’ll say what needs to be said, then show what needs to be done.

I’ve had 2 jobs that taught me what I do not want to do. 

First: flipping burgers at the French Open.

I wanted to buy video games. I needed money. So I took a summer job in Paris. It was long hours, endless repetition, zero thinking required. After just a couple of days, I knew this type of work wasn't for me.

I saw young Rafa Nadal up close, so that was a highlight and made it a bit more meaningful. 😉

Second: accounting manager at a startup in France.

Right after school, I moved to Paris to work for Digiplug. At the time, startups were still a novelty in France. We were making mobile phone ringtones, which back then was serious business. My role there was as an accountant.

I stayed a year and a half.

However, I had very little impact on direction, strategy, or outcomes. I didn’t want a role without influence. I looked at my boss, the CFO, and thought, "That’s the job I want." 

So I went back to school. Got the degree to put me on the right trajectory to get that position I want. 

If you’re feeling stuck in the wrong role, here’s what helped me:

I stopped asking “What do I want?” and flipped it.

“What do I NOT want?” 

The wrong work, the wrong environment, and the unfulfilling roles can be draining.

Doing boring work is okay, as long as it leads somewhere specific.

In 2010, I interviewed at Skype for a financial analyst role. One question from the recruiter made my brain completely shut down.

This was before Microsoft acquired them, back when voice-over-IP was groundbreaking tech. The role seemed straightforward.

Then the recruiter asked me to run through a case study on the spot. Estimate the revenue for Skype's US region based on credit consumption.

I wasn't ready for that.

Back then, I only knew that Google, and maybe Facebook were doing live case studies in interviews. I could have solved this easily with time and no pressure. But caught off guard like that? My brain froze.

I asked some relevant questions. 

Tried to piece things together. Did an okay job.

But never got a call back.

It changed how I approached every important conversation after that. 

- Board meetings. 
- Fundraising calls. 
- High-stakes negotiations.

I started preparing differently. Researched the company's interview process. Understood their business model. Thought through how you'd analyze their problems before you walk in.

But more importantly, train your brain not to freeze when the unexpected happens.

Most hard questions aren't attacks testing your competence. They're genuine questions. People want to know.

When I reframed it that way, my mindset shifted. 

You can never be 100% ready. 

But you can be ready to not shut down.

P.S. Skype, I'm no longer interested. 😜 But thank you.

taplio

The Battle

David Sade, CFA

Laurent Saurel

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taplio

The Battle

David Sade, CFA

Laurent Saurel

Followers

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Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Laurent Saurel's LinkedIn Performance

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