How The Startup Academy was born
When we started working with startups at The Startup CFO, we kept seeing the same scenario: brilliant founders, great ideas, motivated teams… but lacking a clear grasp of startup finance.
We saw the same thing internally. Talented financial analysts from consulting or corporate finance often struggled to understand startup metrics, funding rounds, and the unique language of the ecosystem.
That’s what inspired us to launch The Startup Academy. Our goal is simple: to bring the financial knowledge we’ve gained from working with over 400 startups to founders and professionals—direct, practical, and grounded in real-world cases.
Since 2021, we’ve delivered over 11 editions of the Startup Finance course, training more than 550 students from 15+ countries.
And the results?
- Students now master the financial metrics that drive startups.
- Many have accelerated their careers, landing roles in top startups and VC funds.
- Our own team has grown faster and stronger, delivering even greater value to our clients.
What is the Startup Finance course?
You could call it a course, but it’s more than that, it’s a financial learning experience designed for action. Over the course of 10 weeks, we combine:
- Concise, practical video lessons.
- Hands-on Excel case studies based on real companies like Uber, Ontruck, and Colvin.
- Live sessions in Spanish to dive deeper, solve questions, and debate.
- A global alumni community that remains active long after the course ends.
The weekly commitment is around 3 hours (1h theory, 1h case, 1h live session). Best of all? You get lifetime access to the content, the alumni network, and ongoing support from the The Startup CFO team.
Who is this course for?
Our first edition felt like a true startup experiment. Since then, we’ve refined our audience. Today, our ideal participants include:
- Early-stage founders who want to make data-driven decisions.
- CFOs, controllers, or financial analysts in startups seeking to level up with startup-specific metrics.
- Business Angels and VCs who want to better evaluate and support portfolio companies.
- Corporate professionals looking to pivot into the startup world with a solid financial foundation.
Despite different backgrounds and levels of experience, they all share the same goal: to master startup finance.
What you’ll learn (and how you’ll apply it)
Module 1 – Introduction to Startup Finance
- What defines a startup and how Lean Startup methodology works
- Understanding unit economics as the engine of any model
- Case study: Uber – breaking down its unit economics
Module 2 – Business models
- SaaS: MRR, churn, CAC, LTV, cohort analysis
Case study: Graphext
- Marketplaces & Ecommerce: take rate, GMV, CAC by user type, AOV, conversion rates
Case study: Ontruck
- Fintech & Data: monetization models and financial assets
Case study: Lenme
- Reporting: designing financial reports that support both management and investors
Case study: Brighter AI
Module 3 – Startup fundraising
- Funding options: venture debt, public financing, recurring revenue models
Case study: Geoblink
- Understanding funding rounds: cap tables, valuation, ESOPs, SAFEs, convertibles
Case studies: Colvin & ACME
- Corporate governance: shareholder agreements, key clauses, decision-making processes
Case study: Build38
Module 4 – Venture Capital
- How VC funds operate and what LPs and GPs expect
- Key VC metrics: TVPI, IRR, DPI
- Case study: financial modeling of a real fund using eCapital data
Who will be guiding you?
Our instructors combine real startup experience with investment expertise:
- Jaime Medina – Founder at The Startup CFO, ex-McKinsey, former VP Finance at Geoblink
- Juvenal Cubiles – Cap table and metrics expert, former BNP Paribas
- Rafa Canales – Fundraising and finance specialist, ex-KPMG and Banca March
- Luis Fernando Robledo – Global Head of Strategic Finance and FP&A at IVIRMA
- Jordi Vidal – Partner at Kibo Ventures, with deep experience in VC and startup strategy
What do our students say?
There’s no better way to describe the impact than through the words of those who’ve experienced it:
- “Thanks to this course, I joined the M&A team at Nauta Capital. I’m 100% sure I wouldn’t have achieved it without it.” – Laura Homedes
- “The community you’ve built is excellent—I found a new job opportunity thanks to it.” – Teresa Anglada
- “From the academy to the external CFO services, there’s always quality and commitment.” – Denis Ciscale
A community that grows with you
Being part of The Startup Academy doesn’t end when the course does:
- Private Slack space to share challenges, ideas, and opportunities
- Online and in-person events to stay connected
- Exclusive job listings in startups and VC firms
- Alumni discounts on future courses
Each edition confirms what we’ve always believed: mastering startup finance isn’t about memorizing formulas, it’s about making smarter decisions that shape your future.
The Startup Finance Course gives you the tools, frameworks, and confidence to do exactly that.
If it sounds like the right next step for you, we’d love to meet you! Sign up here tu get more information. If you prefer, you can schedule a call with us and one member from our team will help you. Let’s talk! Sometimes a quick 10-minute call says more than 10 pages of text.
