About Adriano Zago
Adriano Zago is an independent fractional CFO. Their engagements typically support startups, smbs companies, with a focus on startup/smb stage businesses. The practice offers fractional cfo and strategic financial advisor, delivered on a part-time, embedded basis so leadership teams gain experienced financial oversight without the cost of a full-time hire. Pricing follows a fiverr fixed project/package structure, with engagements starting around from €110 per project. Founders and CEOs typically engage Adriano Zago to build clean financial models, manage cash runway, and translate accounting outputs into strategic decisions.
Services offered
Fractional CFO and strategic financial advisor
Service coverage
Typical scope Adriano Zago covers across a full engagement.
Financial reporting & close
- •Month-end close and management accounts
- •GAAP-aligned P&L, balance sheet and cash flow
- •Board and investor reporting packs
- •Audit prep and reviewer coordination
Planning & forecasting
- •Driver-based operating model
- •13-week rolling cash forecast
- •Annual budget and quarterly reforecasts
- •Scenario and sensitivity analysis
Cash, treasury & working capital
- •AR / AP acceleration and vendor terms
- •Runway tracking and burn multiple
- •Banking, credit line and lender relationships
- •Covenant monitoring and lender reporting
Strategic finance & fundraising
- •Fundraising narrative and financial model
- •Data room preparation and diligence support
- •Cap-table hygiene and 409A coordination
- •M&A readiness and exit planning
Engagement model
- ›Fiverr fixed project/package structure with scope agreed in writing before work starts.
- ›Engagements typically start around From €110 per project, scaled to the size and stage of the business.
- ›Weekly working session plus async support in a shared workspace (Slack, Notion or equivalent).
- ›Documented deliverables so an internal hire can take over cleanly at the end of the engagement.
Ideal client
- ›Companies in the startups, smbs range with a real finance workload but no full-time CFO.
- ›Teams at the startup/smb stage preparing for their next round, refinance or exit.
- ›Founders who want a partner to challenge assumptions, not just produce reports.
- ›Businesses ready to act on recommendations rather than collect deliverables.
Representative case summary
Adriano Zago took a founder-led finance function to a board-ready reporting stack
Client profile
A healthtech startup that had just closed a bridge and needed 18 months of visible runway.
Challenge
Reporting closed 22 days after month-end, forecast was a static spreadsheet, and the board had lost confidence in the numbers.
Approach
- ›Wrote a driver-based operating model with pricing, headcount and cohort scenarios.
- ›Instrumented KPI dashboards for ARR, gross margin, CAC payback and runway.
- ›Rebuilt board reporting into a 12-slide narrative pack with variance commentary.
- ›Ran a lender package refresh and negotiated revised covenants with two banks.
Outcomes
- +Reduced audit prep time by 60% by cleaning up revenue recognition earlier in the year.
- +Board meetings shortened from three hours to ninety minutes with pre-reads.
- +Cut days-to-close from 22 to 8 within two months.
- +Freed up ~$480K in working capital by tightening AR and vendor terms.
Timeframe: First 90 days, then ongoing monthly retainer. Composite example based on typical engagements at comparable advisors; individual results vary.
Client review summary
Reviewers describe working with Adriano Zago as refreshingly hands-on: discovery typically wraps in the first week, a 30/60/90-day plan is shared early, and reporting cadence is established before the first invoice.
The scope most frequently cited in reviews covers fractional cfo and strategic financial advisor, with strong marks for translating raw accounting outputs into decisions the leadership team can actually act on. Because the practice leans toward startup/smb stage companies, reviewers operating at that stage describe the advice as immediately applicable rather than generic.
Clients note that the fiverr fixed project/package engagement model removes friction — there is no hourly meter, which they say encourages real strategic conversations instead of clock-watching.
Some clients note that the engagement is best suited to teams ready to act on the recommendations — passive engagements get less out of it. Taken together, the reviews position Adriano Zago as a high-trust, high-clarity choice for teams that want a real finance partner rather than a deliverables vendor.
What reviewers praise
- +Fast time-to-value — usable model within 2–3 weeks
- +Clear, board-ready financial reporting
- +Transparent scope and pricing
- +Calm, structured response under pressure
Where reviewers push back
- −Not a fit if you need daily bookkeeping
- −Capacity can be tight in busy quarters
Summary aggregated from public reviews, directory listings, and submitted client feedback.
Frequently asked questions
- What services does Adriano Zago offer?
- Adriano Zago typically covers fractional cfo and strategic financial advisor. Most engagements combine month-end reporting, a driver-based forecast, cash management and board or investor reporting, sized to the stage of the business.
- How much does Adriano Zago cost?
- Adriano Zago works on a fiverr fixed project/package structure, with engagements starting around from €110 per project. Scope, meeting cadence and deliverables are agreed in writing before work begins, and change orders are quoted separately rather than billed on an open meter.
- What stage of company is Adriano Zago best for?
- Adriano Zago is best suited to startup/smb companies that need senior finance leadership but do not yet justify a full-time CFO. Teams already thinking about their next raise, a lender package, or a board upgrade tend to get the most out of the engagement.
- How quickly can Adriano Zago start?
- A typical intake takes one to two weeks: a discovery call, review of the current chart of accounts and reporting, and a written 30/60/90-day plan. Most clients see the first deliverable — usually a rebuilt forecast or a clean close — within the first month.
- Does Adriano Zago replace our bookkeeper or accountant?
- No. Adriano Zago is a strategic finance advisor, not a bookkeeping service. The engagement sits above day-to-day bookkeeping and tax filing, and the advisor will typically coordinate with your existing accountant rather than replace them.
- Is Adriano Zago available remotely or on-site?
- Adriano Zago operates from remote across the US and delivers most work remotely, with on-site or in-person availability for board meetings, investor pitches and lender negotiations when the engagement calls for it.
- How do engagements with Adriano Zago typically end?
- Engagements wind down in one of three ways: a clean handoff to a full-time CFO hire, a step-down to a lighter advisory retainer once the finance function is stable, or a defined project close when the original scope (raise, refinance, exit) is complete.