Investor-grade financial modelling | UK
Investor-grade financial modelling.
Built for the questions ahead.
Show how the business grows, what it costs to deliver and how much capital the plan needs.
Consult EFC builds investor-facing financial models for founders, management teams and growing businesses. Bring the commercial plan, financial evidence and funding requirement into one connected model that can be challenged, updated and used in the room.
See the thinking behind the service
Investor-Grade Financial Modelling
An investor-grade financial model is a decision tool that connects operating assumptions, financial forecasts and funding needs in a clear, reviewable structure. The term describes the standard and intended use of the work, not an investor accreditation or a guarantee that a fundraise will succeed.
The service
What makes a financial model investor-ready?
An investor-grade financial model is a decision tool that connects operating assumptions, financial forecasts and funding needs in a clear, reviewable structure. The term describes the standard and intended use of the work, not an investor accreditation or a guarantee that a fundraise will succeed.
The investor question
What has to be true
for this plan to work?
The growth case
Explain the drivers behind revenue: customers, contracts, capacity, conversion, pricing, retention or usage. Distinguish known commitments from assumptions and ambition.
The delivery case
Connect hiring, operations, implementation, product investment and other costs to the growth plan. Show where capacity or margins change as the business scales.
The capital case
Identify the cash requirement, use of funds and milestones. Explain the downside, funding timing and decisions that follow if the operating plan changes.
Model architecture
Build the logic.
Make it reviewable.
Historical financial foundation
Establish opening balances, recent performance and the relationship between accounting information and operational metrics. Flag unresolved gaps rather than hide them inside forecasts.
Operating driver schedules
Model the activities that generate revenue and cost. Choose the level of detail that matters for the business and decision, rather than adding complexity for its own sake.
Integrated financial statements
Connect profit and loss, balance sheet and cash flow where appropriate to the brief, with financing, working capital and balance checks that make movements explainable.
Scenarios and sensitivities
Separate a coherent alternative plan from a single-input sensitivity. Test the effects of sales timing, margins, hiring, collections or funding changes.
Funding and ownership assumptions
Show funding timing and sources, use of funds and agreed dilution analysis. Option pools, convertibles and other instruments require explicit treatment and appropriate legal input.
Investor outputs and handover
Prepare decision-focused summaries, assumptions documentation, review points and a walkthrough. The model needs a named update owner after delivery.
Explore the detail
One change should flow through the plan
Select a simplified scenario to see the connection between trading, collections and funding need. Illustrative examples only, not a forecast or investment recommendation.
A connected operating plan
In this illustrative case, sales, hiring and collection timing follow the agreed assumptions. The model links those drivers to statements, cash and funding.
What makes it credible
The model should survive
a reasonable challenge.
Assumptions need sources, dates and owners. A formula should connect to an identifiable business driver. Forecasts should distinguish actuals from projections and flag where data is incomplete. A balance check is useful, but it does not prove the commercial assumptions are sound.
We review the model against the agreed brief, test important calculation paths and inspect the relationship between scenarios, statements and outputs. An investor may apply their own definitions, assumptions and diligence requirements.
We do not describe this work as an audit, assurance opinion or valuation unless a separate, appropriate engagement has been agreed. Investor-grade describes a practical modelling standard, not independent verification by an investor.
Deliverables
One connected model.
A useful handover.
Editable forecast workbook
A structured model with agreed time periods, operating schedules, integrated outputs and visible checks. The format and software are agreed before starting.
Assumptions and scenario guide
A clear record of key inputs, source information, scenario logic and limitations. Users can see what changes a result and which assumptions need refreshing.
Decision summaries and walkthrough
The agreed cash requirement, milestones, sensitivities and investor-facing summaries, plus a handover session focused on using and updating the model.
Start with the information
A polished forecast cannot fix
an unexplained starting point.
Useful inputs include recent accounts and management information, an opening balance sheet, contract or pipeline data, staffing plans, operating costs, payment terms and existing funding arrangements. We tailor the request to your business.
If records or plans are incomplete, we agree how to address the gaps and label provisional assumptions. Clean-up, historic restatement, complex accounting and legal interpretation may need additional work or specialist support.
This service focuses on the financial model and its use in a funding discussion. For a wider project involving financial narrative, evidence and data-room preparation, see fundraising and investor readiness. For a model built primarily for management decisions, explore financial modelling services.
Our process
From commercial plan
to a model you can use.
Define the decision
Agree the purpose, audience, forecast horizon, detail, scenarios, deliverables and decision deadline.
Review data and assumptions
Assess the starting information and agree the commercial drivers, sources and data gaps with management.
Build and challenge
Develop the model, review the financial links and test the material assumptions and scenarios.
Refine and hand over
Agree the final outputs, explain limitations and provide the walkthrough and update responsibilities.
Read further
Useful thinking for
your next decision.
From the journal
The 5 Financial Modelling Mistakes That Put Your Funding at Risk
Explore the detail, then discuss how it applies to your business.
From the journal
From Guesswork to Growth: How a Financial Model Becomes Your Business’s Strategic Roadmap
Explore the detail, then discuss how it applies to your business.
Your questions
Investor-Grade Financial Modelling, explained.
What does investor-grade mean?
It means a clear, connected and reviewable model designed for investor-facing questions. There is no universal certification implied by the phrase. The scope, checks, intended audience and limitations are agreed for the assignment.
Is this different from a pitch-deck forecast?
A short deck summary can communicate the result, but it does not explain all the mechanics. The underlying model should connect those headline figures to assumptions, cash and the operating plan.
Will the model include a balance sheet and cash flow?
Integrated statements can form part of the agreed brief. We establish the opening position and model the relevant working capital, investment and financing movements, with checks appropriate to the assignment.
Can you model dilution and funding rounds?
We can build agreed funding and ownership scenarios. The share classes, fully diluted basis, option pool and convertible instruments must be defined. The model does not replace legal advice on documents or rights.
How long does a model take?
Timing depends on data readiness, scope, complexity and management availability. We agree a delivery plan after the initial review. Urgent or incomplete briefs may need a phased approach.
Can you improve an existing model?
Yes. We first assess its structure, reliability and suitability for the decision. A targeted repair may be enough, while some models are more effectively rebuilt. We agree that choice before substantial work.
Does the service guarantee investment?
No. A well-prepared model can support a credible discussion, but investors decide whether to invest, on what terms and after what further diligence.
What happens after delivery?
We provide the agreed walkthrough and handover documentation. Ongoing updates, investor questions and changes to the plan can be included in a separate support arrangement.
Work directly with the adviser
Bring the decision.
We will help frame the work.
Tell us what is changing, what you need to achieve and any important deadline.
Kishen Patel leads Consult EFC engagements. He is an ICAEW Chartered Accountant with a background in Big Four audit, investment banking and corporate advisory. Consult EFC has advised 100+ businesses and remains sector agnostic.
We agree the scope, deliverables, responsibilities, fee, VAT treatment and timing before work starts. An introductory conversation does not commit you to an engagement.