Cornerstone wants us all to have amazing mornings! It has achieved web site unique visitors of over 7.7m consumers with its D2C message of great quality, ease of ordering, customer care and value for money. It uses its community to crowdsource new products and has won 7 start-up awards including and successfully launched 22 products in the men’s toiletries and health category.

The challenge

The challenge was significant – support a talented, ambitious first-time entrepreneur to; sharpen business plans, get investor ready, find money (over multi rounds) and demonstrate financial and commercial control and oversight as the business grows. And, as far as possible, help management improve decisions, see round corners and manage the ups and downs of emotions.

Our solution

• Build from the ground up, a lean, flexible and cost effective financial and commercial support structure

• Provide 360-degree financial support from transaction processing through to management accounting and unit economics/KPI reporting

• Provide fund raising support from pitch collateral and coaching to finding and securing investors

• Provide investor grade financial modelling, valuation, due diligence and corporate finance lead advisory support

• Provide NED support

• Act in co-founder capacity providing decision and strategic support for key commercial decisions

• Provide founder and senior team coaching & mentoring

• Over time build the internal team to replace the Realise support resource

Client
Cornerstone

Stage
Start up

Sector
Direct to Consumer (D2C), Subscription commerce, E-commerce, Retail

Proposition
Men’s shaving, toiletries and health products on subscription

Relationship duration
4 years

Our roles
Getting investor ready, finding money and becoming business savvy, Virtual CFO, Finance Support (from transaction processing through to management accounting), Fund raising support (from pitch decks to finding and convincing investors), Financial Modelling, NED support, Recruitment support, Decision making support Founder and senior team coaching & mentoring

Funding rounds
SEIS, EIS, Shareholder Loans, Crowd, Offshore investor, VCT, Series A