Three or free · Finance at AI speed
Accounting and fractional CFO for startups.
Your financials and model by business day 3, or the close is free.¹
Your books are done. So how many months of runway do you have?
Most founders have a bookkeeper or a tax firm. Few have someone who makes the numbers useful.
What most founders get
- A P&L and balance sheet, mid-month
- Numbers in accounting language
- No view of what changed, or why
- A model you rebuild yourself before board week
What you need
- Closed financials by business day 3
- Explained in plain language
- What moved, and why
- A model updated with actuals every month
Late numbers aren't a bookkeeping problem. They're a decision problem.
What do you need your numbers to do?
Same close, same model, same team. Built for the moment you're in.
Make better decisions, sooner.
- See what's driving revenue, margin and burn
- Spot a runway problem months early
- Run hiring and spend scenarios in the model
Walk into diligence with books that hold up.
- Closed on time, every month
- Documented support behind every balance
- A model and metrics investors can test
Give your board the reporting it expects.
- The same clear package every month
- Runway against plan, with a cash-out date
- Board and investor updates, pre-built
What do you get, and when?
Each step builds on the last, so your board pack is already done when the quarter ends.
Your close package
More than three statements. An interactive report with the charts, the trends and a written read on what moved and why.
- Financial statements P&L, balance sheet and cash flow, accrual or cash basis.
- Charts and trends Revenue, spend, margin and burn over time.
- The written read What changed, why, and what to watch next month.
- Trace any number Click a figure and follow it to the transactions behind it.
Larkspur Labs
September 2026 close
Monthly package · accrual basis
Period 1–30 Sep 2026Published 5 Oct 2026, business day 3Prepared and second-reviewed by StartupEdge
Headline
USD
- Revenue
- $412,300
- +$23,400 +6.0% on Aug
- Gross margin
- 73.7%
- +0.6 pts on Aug
- Net income
- ($38,400)
- +$13,700 on Aug
- Cash
- $2,410,000
- −$120,000 on Aug
The best revenue month this year, up 56.9% on September 2025. The loss narrowed by $13,700. Cash fell $120,000, more than the loss, because of two timing items: an insurance premium paid up front and two invoices that slipped into October.
Profit and loss
USD · month ended 30 Sep 2026. Lines marked Why have a recorded reason.
| Line | Sep 2026 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | |||
| Subscription revenue Why | 368,900 | 349,200 | +19,700 |
| Services | 43,400 | 39,700 | +3,700 |
| Total revenue | 412,300 | 388,900 | +23,400 |
| Cost of revenue | |||
| Hosting | 61,800 | 59,900 | +1,900 |
| Customer support | 34,200 | 33,100 | +1,100 |
| Payment processing | 12,400 | 11,700 | +700 |
| Total cost of revenue | 108,400 | 104,700 | +3,700 |
| Gross profit | 303,900 | 284,200 | +19,700 |
| Gross margin | 73.7% | 73.1% | +0.6 pts |
| Operating expenses | |||
| Research and development | |||
| Salaries and benefits | 148,300 | 146,100 | +2,200 |
| Contractors | 18,700 | 16,900 | +1,800 |
| Software | 9,500 | 8,800 | +700 |
| Total research and development | 176,500 | 171,800 | +4,700 |
| Sales and marketing | |||
| Salaries and benefits | 58,400 | 57,900 | +500 |
| Paid acquisition Why | 31,600 | 41,200 | −9,600 |
| Events | 6,000 | 4,800 | +1,200 |
| Software | 8,200 | 7,700 | +500 |
| Total sales and marketing | 104,200 | 111,600 | −7,400 |
| General and administrative | |||
| Salaries and benefits | 29,800 | 29,800 | 0 |
| Rent | 14,500 | 14,500 | 0 |
| Professional fees Why | 9,800 | 3,400 | +6,400 |
| Insurance | 4,100 | 2,100 | +2,000 |
| Other | 3,400 | 3,100 | +300 |
| Total general and administrative | 61,600 | 52,900 | +8,700 |
| Total operating expenses | 342,300 | 336,300 | +6,000 |
| Net income | (38,400) | (52,100) | +13,700 |
Accrual basis: revenue when earned, costs when incurred.
Balance sheet
USD · month ended 30 Sep 2026. Lines marked Why have a recorded reason.
| Line | 30 Sep 2026 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assets | |||
| Cash Why | 2,410,000 | 2,530,000 | −120,000 |
| Accounts receivable | 286,400 | 241,700 | +44,700 |
| Prepaid expenses | 96,300 | 41,800 | +54,500 |
| Fixed assets, net | 48,200 | 50,100 | −1,900 |
| Total assets | 2,840,900 | 2,863,600 | −22,700 |
| Liabilities | |||
| Accounts payable | 72,600 | 64,900 | +7,700 |
| Accrued expenses | 88,400 | 81,300 | +7,100 |
| Deferred revenue | 413,100 | 412,200 | +900 |
| Total liabilities | 574,100 | 558,400 | +15,700 |
| Equity | |||
| Paid-in capital | 9,850,000 | 9,850,000 | 0 |
| Accumulated deficit | (7,583,200) | (7,544,800) | −38,400 |
| Total equity | 2,266,800 | 2,305,200 | −38,400 |
| Total liabilities and equity | 2,840,900 | 2,863,600 | −22,700 |
Assets equal liabilities plus equity in both months.
Cash flow
USD · month ended 30 Sep 2026. Lines marked Why have a recorded reason.
| Line | Sep 2026 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operating activities | |||
| Net income | (38,400) | (52,100) | +13,700 |
| Depreciation | 1,900 | 1,900 | 0 |
| Accounts receivable | (44,700) | (21,300) | −23,400 |
| Prepaid expenses | (54,500) | 3,600 | −58,100 |
| Accounts payable | 7,700 | (9,200) | +16,900 |
| Accrued expenses | 7,100 | 6,100 | +1,000 |
| Deferred revenue | 900 | (17,600) | +18,500 |
| Cash from operations | (120,000) | (88,600) | −31,400 |
| Investing activities | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Financing activities | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Net change in cash | (120,000) | (88,600) | −31,400 |
| Cash at end of month | 2,410,000 | 2,530,000 | −120,000 |
Indirect method. Ties to the change in cash on the balance sheet.
Up 56.9% on September 2025, and up every month for a year.
Up 3.5 points in a year: hosting grew more slowly than revenue.
Down from $204,300 a year ago. September rose on the insurance premium paid up front.
$2.41M at 30 Sep, down $1.87M in twelve months.
What changed, why, and what to watch
The best revenue month this year, a smaller loss, and a cash dip that reverses in October.
Revenue: two annual upgrades
Revenue grew 6.0% to $412,300. Northwind Freight and Halcyon Health moved to annual enterprise plans, adding $14,200 of subscription revenue. One customer left after an acquisition.
Show the numbers
| August | 349,200 |
| New customers (3) | +5,500 |
| Upgrades: Northwind Freight, Halcyon Health | +14,200 |
| Seat expansion (11 accounts) | +3,200 |
| Churn: Tallgrass Outfitters | −3,200 |
| September | 368,900 |
Spend: less paid acquisition, more legal
Paid acquisition fell $9,600 after LinkedIn was paused on 9 Sep. Legal review of the Series A data room added $6,400 to professional fees. Operating expenses rose 1.8%, against revenue growth of 6.0%.
Show the numbers
| Paid acquisition | −9,600 |
| Professional fees | +6,400 |
| Events | +1,200 |
| Everything else | +8,000 |
| Operating expenses | +6,000 |
Cash: timing, not trend
Cash fell $120,000, which is $81,600 more than the loss. The annual insurance premium was paid up front, and receivables rose $44,700 as two enterprise invoices slipped into October.
Show the numbers
| Cash at 31 Aug | 2,530,000 |
| Net loss | −38,400 |
| Insurance paid ahead (annual premium) | −54,500 |
| Receivables rose | −44,700 |
| Payables, accruals and other | +17,600 |
| Cash at 30 Sep | 2,410,000 |
What to watch in October
- Collect the two late enterprise invoices, $38,900, due 15 Oct.
- LinkedIn restarts on 1 Nov with a new offer. The forecast includes it.
- About $4,000 more in legal fees to finish the data room.
Drafted by Pip · edited and approved by your StartupEdge team
Trace a number
Every figure opens to its reason and its transactions.
Northwind Freight and Halcyon Health moved to annual enterprise plans at renewal. Tallgrass Outfitters left after it was acquired.
Priya Shah, CEO · 30 Sep 2026 · Pip asked when revenue moved more than 5%| Step | Amount |
|---|---|
| August | 349,200 |
| New customers (3) | +5,500 |
| Upgrades: Northwind Freight, Halcyon Health | +14,200 |
| Seat expansion (11 accounts) | +3,200 |
| Churn: Tallgrass Outfitters | −3,200 |
| September | 368,900 |
From 214 invoices in QuickBooks. Ties to the statement.
LinkedIn paused on 9 Sep. Its cost per qualified demo reached $1,180, about three times Google's. It restarts on 1 Nov with a new offer, and the forecast includes it.
Marcus Lee, VP Marketing · 9 Sep 2026 · Pip asked when LinkedIn spend stopped| Date | Vendor | Amount | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Sep | Google Ads | Search, cycle 1 | 9,200 |
| 8 Sep | LinkedIn Ads | Last charge before the pause | 2,100 |
| 17 Sep | Google Ads | Search, cycle 2 | 9,200 |
| 22 Sep | Reddit Ads | Developer community test | 3,800 |
| 30 Sep | Meta | Retargeting | 7,300 |
| Total | 31,600 | ||
5 transactions. Ties to the statement.
Legal review of the Series A data room. A one-off: about $4,000 more in October, then back to the usual $3,000 to $3,500 a month.
Jordan Reyes, StartupEdge · 4 Sep 2026| Date | Vendor | Amount | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Sep | Harlow & Pierce LLP | Series A data room review | 6,400 |
| 12 Sep | Ridge People | HR policy update | 2,200 |
| 26 Sep | Ledgerline Tax | R&D credit study, stage 1 | 1,200 |
| Total | 9,800 | ||
3 transactions. Ties to the statement.
Cash fell $81,600 more than the loss. The annual insurance premium was paid up front, and two enterprise invoices ($38,900) slipped into October. Both are timing; neither changes the forecast.
Jordan Reyes, StartupEdge · 5 Oct 2026| Step | Amount |
|---|---|
| Cash at 31 Aug | 2,530,000 |
| Net loss | −38,400 |
| Insurance paid ahead (annual premium) | −54,500 |
| Receivables rose | −44,700 |
| Payables, accruals and other | +17,600 |
| Cash at 30 Sep | 2,410,000 |
From the cash flow statement. Ties to the statement.
How can the close be done by day 3?
We close your books every day, so the work is spread across the month and month-end is a short final check. Most firms spend half of each month closing the last one, so they're never working ahead.
This isn't AI doing your accounting. It's AI doing the busywork, so our team spends its time on you and your numbers.
- 1 AI prepares the work Feeds, matching, reconciliations and first drafts, every day.
- 2 A second person signs off A reviewer who didn't prepare the work checks it before you see it.
- 3 Adam owns the read What moved and why, the model and the cash-out date.
- 4 Every number traces back To its transaction and its workpaper.
How does three or free work?
Most startup firms don't put a date on your financials. We do, and we back it with our fee.
Who's behind your numbers?
A team led by Adam Ahern.
Adam Ahern
Founder, StartupEdge
Adam started in investment banking, then spent two decades in tech and startups: raising capital, running finance and taking companies through exits. He built StartupEdge so founders get that judgment every month, without hiring a CFO.
- Years in tech and startup finance
- 20
- Capital raised
- $500M+
- Exits
- 4, worth $2.7B
Essays and the newsletter are on adamahern.com. LinkedIn.
Our accountants prepare and document every close. A reviewer checks each one before it reaches you, and Adam reads every close.
What does it cost?
Two plans. Your exact price comes from the free diagnostic, based on your real books.
Cleanup, if needed, is priced before you sign. Need more hands-on CFO support? Ask on your diagnostic call.
Get your priceQuestions founders ask
Is AI doing my accounting?
No. AI does the busywork, like matching and categorizing transactions. Our accountants prepare every close, a reviewer signs off, and Adam reads it before it reaches you.
What happens if you miss business day 3?
The close is free: you don't pay that month's close fee. The full terms are in your engagement agreement.
Do I still need a CPA?
For taxes, yes. StartupEdge is not a CPA firm. We work alongside your tax preparer and hand them clean, documented books.
What if my books are a mess?
The diagnostic will show us. Cleanup, if needed, is priced before you sign.
Who does the work?
A team of accountants and reviewers led by Adam Ahern, working in systems he designed.
Can I switch firms mid-year?
Yes. We handle the handover, and the diagnostic tells us how long onboarding will take.
Am I locked into a contract?
No. Your fee is month to month, and you can cancel any time.