Strategic finance support for innovation-led businesses preparing to grow, fund or scale.
Innovation-led businesses often move faster than their finance function.
The product, market and opportunity may be strong, but funding, runway, reporting, cashflow, investor scrutiny and international growth can quickly create pressure.
Leask Advisory Solutions helps life sciences, healthtech and innovation-led businesses build clearer financial visibility, stronger reporting and more credible finance foundations for growth, investment and board-level decision-making.
Led by Julia Leask FCMA, CGMA, Leask provides senior strategic finance support when the business needs more than bookkeeping, payroll and year-end accounts, but may not yet need a full-time Finance Director.
A brilliant idea still needs numbers investors can trust.
Innovation-led businesses are often built around possibility.
New technology. New markets. New clinical or commercial impact. New geographies. New funding rounds.
But the finance function has to keep pace.
Investors, boards, grant providers, lenders and leadership teams need clear answers. What is the runway? What does growth cost? What assumptions sit behind the forecast? How is performance reported? What happens if timelines move? Can the business explain the numbers under scrutiny?
You may need strategic finance support if…
You are preparing for investment
Forecasts, assumptions, cashflow and reporting need to stand up to scrutiny.
Investors need confidence in the numbers behind the opportunity.
Your finance function has not kept pace with growth
Bookkeeping and compliance may be in place, but senior finance leadership is missing.
Growth needs structure before pressure builds.
You need clearer runway and cashflow visibility
Funding, hiring, development costs and expansion plans need careful planning.
Cashflow clarity protects decision-making.
Board reporting needs to improve
The leadership team needs better information for decisions and stakeholder updates.
Boards need insight, not just historic accounts.
You are expanding internationally
UK, US or group reporting may become more complex.
Cross-border growth needs joined-up finance.
You need CFO-level judgement before hiring permanently
The business needs senior finance input, but not yet a full-time FD.
Fractional support can bridge the gap at the right stage.
The finance story has to support the growth story.
In innovation-led businesses, the pitch may open the door.
The numbers help keep it open.
Runway and cashflow
How long cash lasts, what drives burn and where pressure may appear.
Helps leadership and investors understand timing and risk.
Forecasts and assumptions
Revenue, costs, funding needs, hiring plans and growth scenarios.
Shows whether the plan is commercially credible.
Board reporting
Clear, timely information for leadership and investors.
Supports better decisions and stronger accountability.
Finance systems and controls
Reliable processes behind the numbers.
Reduces risk during due diligence and scale-up.
International reporting
UK, US or group finance visibility where relevant.
Makes growth across borders easier to manage.
Finance function maturity
The right structure for the stage of the business.
Helps the business grow towards permanent finance leadership when ready.
Senior finance leadership for funding, growth and control.
Leask helps innovation-led businesses strengthen the financial foundations behind growth.
CFO-level support before a full-time FD is viable
Fractional CFO & Strategic Finance Partner
Preparing forecasts, reporting and due diligence evidence
Investment Readiness
Understanding runway, cashflow and working capital pressure
Cashflow & Profitability Improvement
Improving board packs and investor reporting
Governance, Reporting & Board Support
Building stronger finance processes and controls
Finance Systems, Reporting & Controls
Managing UK, US or group finance complexity
International Finance Support
Understanding value drivers before investment or exit
Business Value Review
Preparing the business for future transition or handover
Exit & Succession Readiness
Neurofenix: finance leadership through investment, international growth and scale.
Neurofenix needed more than standard accounting support.
The business required senior finance leadership to support Series A preparation, UK and US finance activity, group reporting, cashflow planning, due diligence and investor-facing financial information.
Julia helped build and lead the UK, US and group finance function, supporting the business through Series A due diligence, board reporting, international expansion and a successful £5.5m investment.
She came in when Neurofenix needed senior finance leadership before it could justify a full in-house finance team, then helped build the structure to the point where a permanent Finance Director became viable.
Finance function needed to mature quickly
Built and managed UK, US and group finance activity
Stronger financial visibility across the business
Series A and due diligence pressure
Supported forecasts, reporting, cashflow planning and investor scrutiny
Helped support a successful £5.5m investment
International growth
Supported cross-border reporting and practical finance coordination
Greater control through UK and US expansion
Future finance structure
Built a finance function that could later be handed over
Permanent FD became viable at the right stage
Building the finance function before the business outgrows it.
“She is an expert at building out a smoothly operating finance function that can be easily handed over to an in-house finance hire when the time comes.”
Neurofenix Leadership Team
Trusted by advisers and finance partners when scrutiny increases.
“Julia was acting CFO for the company… she handled the reporting to the board and to the C-suite for the entire company.”
Rachel Fuller
Head of Diversified and International, Escalon Services
CFO-level support, board reporting and strategic finance leadership
“If they’re doing seed rounds and investment rounds, there’s a huge amount of reporting required, and they need to understand their numbers inside out. They need a Julia for that.”
Jane Capel
Managing Director, Think Smart Accounts
Investment reporting, management insight and funding readiness
This support is for innovation-led businesses with real financial complexity.
Better fit
- Healthtech, life sciences or innovation-led business preparing for growth
- Business preparing for funding or investor reporting
- Finance function has not kept pace with ambition
- Board, investors or leadership need clearer numbers
- International expansion is creating finance complexity
- Business needs senior judgement before hiring a permanent FD
Not the right fit
- Very early idea with no live finance requirement
- Founder only wants help with a pitch deck
- Business only wants bookkeeping or compliance
- No appetite to improve reporting or controls
- No real need for strategic finance support
- Wants cheap finance admin, not challenge
Start by understanding where your finance foundations may need strengthening.
Investment Readiness Assessment
Whether forecasts, reporting, controls and the finance story are ready for investor scrutiny.
Cashflow Clarity Assessment
Whether runway, working capital or timing issues could create pressure.
Governance & Reporting Assessment
Whether board reporting and management information are decision-ready.
Business Value Assessment
Whether value drivers, risks or finance foundations need attention before growth or exit.
Practical resources for funding, runway and investor confidence.
Healthtech & Innovation-Led Investment Readiness Guide
Prepare forecasts, reporting and finance evidence before investor scrutiny.
7 Steps to Raising Capital
Understand the financial preparation needed before funding conversations.
Investment Readiness Checklist
Review whether your finance function, forecasts and reporting are ready.
Cashflow Improvement Tool
Identify whether runway, timing or working capital could weaken confidence.
Board Reporting Checklist
Improve the financial information used by leadership, boards and investors.
Frequently asked questions
Does Leask only support healthtech businesses?
No. Healthtech is one strong area of proof, but Leask can support other life sciences, innovation-led and growth businesses where funding, reporting, cashflow, governance or international expansion create finance complexity.
Can Leask help before a funding round?
Yes. Leask can help strengthen forecasts, cashflow visibility, reporting, finance processes and investor-facing financial information before scrutiny increases.
Do we need a full-time Finance Director?
Not always. Many innovation-led businesses need senior finance leadership before they can justify a permanent FD. Leask can provide Fractional CFO support at that stage.
Can Leask work with our accountant or outsourced finance team?
Yes. Leask can work alongside accountants, bookkeepers, outsourced providers and specialist advisers, adding the senior strategic finance layer above day-to-day finance delivery.
Can Leask support international finance?
Yes. Leask has experience supporting UK, US and group finance activity where businesses are growing across borders and need clearer reporting, cashflow planning and coordination.
Innovation needs financial clarity behind it.
If your business is preparing for growth, funding, board scrutiny or international expansion, Leask can help strengthen the finance foundations that support the next stage.
You bring the innovation.
Leask helps make the numbers clearer, stronger and easier to trust.