Knowledge hub
Guides for founders and financial leaders.
57 practitioner-written guides covering the top questions Indian founders ask about startup advisory, valuation, and Virtual CFO services.
Startup Advisory
Pvt Ltd vs LLP for Startups in India: Which Structure Should You Choose?
Choosing between Private Limited and LLP for your Indian startup? This guide explains equity, taxation, compli…
Startup Advisory
DPIIT Startup India Recognition: Complete Guide, Benefits and Application Process
How to get DPIIT recognition for your startup in India. Complete guide covering eligibility, the 3-year tax ho…
Startup Advisory
How to Split Equity Between Co-Founders: A Practical Guide for Indian Startups
How should Indian startup co-founders split equity? This guide covers contribution-weighted splits, vesting sc…
Startup Advisory
ESOPs for Indian Startups: Design, Taxation, and Step-by-Step Implementation
Complete guide to ESOPs for Indian startups. Covers ESOP pool size, vesting schedules, exercise price, taxatio…
Startup Advisory
Angel Tax (Section 56(2)(viib)) Explained: What Every Indian Startup Founder Must Know
Angel Tax under Section 56(2)(viib) can tax your startup's funding as income. Understand how it works, who is …
Startup Advisory
Annual Compliance Requirements for Private Limited Companies in India: The Complete Checklist
Complete annual compliance checklist for Indian Private Limited companies. Covers ROC filings, board meetings,…
Startup Advisory
Founders Agreement in India: What to Include and What Most Startups Get Wrong
A founders agreement is the most important document a startup team signs before taking on investors. Here's wh…
Startup Advisory
Fundraising Documents Checklist: What Indian Investors Ask for Before Writing a Cheque
What documents do Indian investors request before investing in a startup? Complete pre-seed, seed, and Series …
Startup Advisory
Cap Table Management for Indian Startups: How to Set Up and Maintain It
How to build and maintain a startup cap table in India. Covers fully diluted shares, ESOPs, convertible notes,…
Startup Advisory
How to Raise Seed Funding in India: A Founder's Practical Guide
Complete guide to raising seed funding in India. Covers seed round size, investor types, how to approach angel…
Startup Advisory
Vesting Schedules and Cliff Periods: How Startup Equity Should Be Structured in India
How should startup equity vest in India? Understand 4-year vesting, the 1-year cliff, acceleration clauses, an…
Startup Advisory
Startup India Scheme: Complete List of Benefits and How to Access Them
Complete guide to Startup India scheme benefits including Section 80-IAC tax holiday, self-certification compl…
Startup Advisory
Term Sheets in Indian Startup Funding: Key Terms Every Founder Must Understand
Understanding startup term sheets in India. Covers valuation, liquidation preference, anti-dilution, pro-rata …
Startup Advisory
Setting Up Accounting for an Indian Startup: Systems, Chart of Accounts and the Right First Steps
How to set up accounting for a new Indian startup. Covers Tally vs Zoho Books vs QuickBooks, chart of accounts…
Startup Advisory
How to Register a Company in India Online: Step-by-Step Guide for Startups
How to register a Private Limited company in India step by step. Covers MCA SPICe+ form, documents required, n…
Startup Advisory
How ESOPs Are Taxed in India: A Complete Guide for Employees and Founders
How are ESOPs taxed in India? Complete guide covering tax at grant, exercise, and sale, TDS obligations, capit…
Startup Advisory
Bootstrapping vs Fundraising: How to Decide What's Right for Your Indian Startup
Should your Indian startup bootstrap or raise venture capital? Honest framework covering business models, foun…
Startup Advisory
IP Assignment in Indian Startups: Why It Matters and How to Get It Right
IP assignment in Indian startups — what it is, why it matters for fundraising, what to include, and common mis…
Startup Advisory
How VC Funding Works in India: Structure, Process and What to Expect at Each Stage
How does venture capital funding work in India? Complete guide covering VC fund structure, AIF regulations, se…
Startup Advisory
Section 80-IAC Tax Holiday: How Indian Startups Can Claim a 3-Year Income Tax Exemption
How Indian startups can claim the 3-year income tax holiday under Section 80-IAC. Covers IMB approval process,…
Startup Advisory
How to Value a Pre-Revenue Startup: Methods That Work When You Have No Numbers
How do you value a startup with no revenue? This guide explains pre-revenue valuation methods used in India in…
Valuation Services
How to Value a Startup in India: Methods, Approaches and Common Mistakes
How is a startup valued in India? Comprehensive guide to DCF, comparable transaction, Berkus, and scorecard va…
Valuation Services
DCF Valuation Explained: How Discounted Cash Flow Works for Indian Companies
DCF valuation explained for Indian companies and startups. Covers free cash flow, discount rate, terminal valu…
Valuation Services
Pre-Money vs Post-Money Valuation: What Every Startup Founder Must Know
Pre-money vs post-money valuation explained simply. Learn how these numbers affect your ownership percentage, …
Valuation Services
Section 56(2)(viib) and Angel Tax: Why Your Funding Round Needs a Merchant Banker Valuation
Why Indian startups need a Rule 11UA merchant banker valuation for funding rounds. How Section 56(2)(viib) (An…
Valuation Services
How ESOP Exercise Price is Determined in India: The Statutory Valuation Requirement
How is ESOP exercise price determined in India? Explains the statutory merchant banker valuation requirement, …
Valuation Services
Registered Valuers in India: What They Do, Who Needs One and How to Find One
What is an IBBI Registered Valuer in India? When is a Registered Valuer legally required? Covers Companies Act…
Valuation Services
Rule 11UA of Income Tax Rules: The Valuation Framework Behind Every Indian Equity Round
Rule 11UA of the Income Tax Rules prescribes how fair market value is determined for Indian equity shares. Com…
Valuation Services
How to Value a Company with No Revenue: Methods That Actually Work
Valuing a company with no revenue in India. Practical methods for pre-revenue startups including risk-adjusted…
Valuation Services
Merchant Banker Valuation in India: When You Need One and What It Costs
When do you need a merchant banker valuation in India? Covers Rule 11UA, ESOP pricing, FEMA, what it costs, an…
Valuation Services
FEMA Valuation for Foreign Investment in India: Requirements, Process and Professionals
FEMA valuation requirements for foreign investment in Indian startups. Covers FDI pricing guidelines, fair mar…
Valuation Services
How Often Should a Startup Get a Business Valuation? A Practical Guide
How often should Indian startups get a business valuation? Covers mandatory triggers (ESOP, funding, FEMA) and…
Valuation Services
Purchase Price Allocation Under Ind AS 103: What Every Indian Acquirer Must Do
What is Purchase Price Allocation under Ind AS 103 in India? When it's required, how intangible assets are ide…
Valuation Services
How to Value a SaaS Startup in India: Revenue Multiples, ARR and What Investors Look For
How are SaaS startups valued in India? ARR multiples, the role of churn and NRR, investor benchmarks, and what…
Valuation Services
Enterprise Value vs Equity Value: How to Convert Between Them and Why It Matters
Enterprise value vs equity value explained. How to convert between EV and equity value using the equity bridge…
Valuation Services
How Venture Capitalists Value Startups in India: The Metrics That Actually Matter
How do Indian venture capitalists actually value startups? The VC method, return multiples required, key metri…
Valuation Services
Business Valuation for MSMEs in India: When It's Needed and How It Works
When does an Indian MSME need a business valuation? Covers bank loan collateral, partnership disputes, success…
Virtual CFO Services
What Does a Virtual CFO Do? Roles, Responsibilities and What to Expect
What does a Virtual CFO actually do for an Indian startup or growing business? Complete breakdown of roles, de…
Virtual CFO Services
When Does Your Startup Need a CFO? Five Signals That Tell You It's Time
When should an Indian startup hire a CFO? Five concrete signals that indicate your startup has outgrown bookke…
Virtual CFO Services
Virtual CFO vs Accountant vs Bookkeeper: Key Differences and When You Need Each
What is the difference between a Virtual CFO, an accountant, and a bookkeeper? Clear breakdown of roles, respo…
Virtual CFO Services
How Much Does a Virtual CFO Cost in India? Fees, Structures and What's Included
How much does a Virtual CFO cost in India? Detailed breakdown of monthly retainer fees, what's included, prici…
Virtual CFO Services
How to Build a 13-Week Cash Flow Forecast for Your Startup
How to build a 13-week cash flow forecast for an Indian startup. Step-by-step guide covering structure, assump…
Virtual CFO Services
Investor Reporting for Startups: What to Send, How Often and What Format
What should a startup send to investors in its monthly report? Format, content, frequency, and what investors …
Virtual CFO Services
How to Prepare a Monthly Board Pack: Structure, Content and Common Mistakes
How to prepare a startup board pack in India. Covers structure, financial section, strategic update, risk regi…
Virtual CFO Services
Burn Rate and Runway: How to Calculate, Manage and Communicate Them
How to calculate burn rate and runway for your Indian startup. Covers gross burn vs net burn, runway managemen…
Virtual CFO Services
The 15 Financial Metrics Every Funded Indian Startup Must Track
The 15 financial metrics every funded Indian startup must track. Covers MRR, CAC, LTV, NRR, burn multiple, gro…
Virtual CFO Services
Unit Economics for Startups: CAC, LTV, Payback Period and Why They Matter
Unit economics explained for Indian startups: how to calculate CAC, LTV, payback period, and the LTV:CAC ratio…
Virtual CFO Services
How to Build a Startup Financial Model: Structure, Assumptions and Best Practices
How to build a financial model for an Indian startup. Covers P&L model structure, revenue assumptions, hiring …
Virtual CFO Services
Gross Burn vs Net Burn: The Difference and Why It Matters for Startup Investors
What is the difference between gross burn and net burn for startups? Clear explanation with calculation exampl…
Virtual CFO Services
EBITDA for Startups: What It Is, When It Matters and Why Early-Stage Companies Should Care
What is EBITDA and why does it matter for Indian startups? Clear explanation of EBITDA, EBITDA margin, adjuste…
Virtual CFO Services
Financial Controls for Startups: What to Set Up Before You Grow Past 20 People
What financial controls should an Indian startup implement? Covers segregation of duties, approval limits, ven…
Virtual CFO Services
SaaS KPIs That Investors Actually Care About: MRR, Churn, NRR and More
The SaaS KPIs that Indian investors actually focus on in 2024. How to calculate MRR, NRR, logo churn, CAC payb…
Virtual CFO Services
How a Virtual CFO Helps Startups Prepare for Fundraising
What does a Virtual CFO do during a startup fundraise? Covers financial model preparation, data room financial…
Virtual CFO Services
Building the Financial Section of a Data Room: What Investors Check First
How to build the financial section of a startup data room. What investors check first, which documents are man…
Virtual CFO Services
Automating Financial Reporting for Startups: Tools, Workflows and What to Automate First
How to automate financial reporting for Indian startups. Best tools, workflows, what to automate first, and ho…
Virtual CFO Services
Working Capital Management for Growing Startups: The Cash Conversion Cycle and Optimisation
How to manage working capital in a growing Indian startup. Cash conversion cycle explained, receivables manage…
Virtual CFO Services
Budget vs Actual Analysis: How to Track Variance and Explain It to Your Board
How to do budget vs actual analysis for an Indian startup. Covers variance calculation, materiality thresholds…