AI for CFOs: What Startup Founders Need to Know
AI has quickly become one of the biggest talking points in finance. Every week there’s a new tool promising to automate forecasting, close the books faster or even replace parts of the finance function altogether.
But most startup founders are asking a much simpler question:
Where should we actually start?
That was one of the biggest themes in a recent conversation with Pac O’Shea, CEO and co-founder of Round Treasury. Rather than talking about AI replacing finance teams, the discussion focused on something far more realistic: using AI to remove repetitive work so CFOs can spend more time making better decisions.
For founders, that’s a much more useful way to think about AI.
Administrative work continues to crowd out the strategic role of finance
Finance teams, particularly in startups, often struggle because they’re constantly switching between strategic thinking and administrative work. One hour they’re discussing fundraising strategy, and the next they’re checking payment approvals, reconciling transactions, updating reports or chasing missing information.
None of these jobs are especially difficult, they’re simply repetitive.
This is where AI delivers the biggest gains today.
Instead of trying to replace financial judgement, AI can automate the manual tasks that consume hours every week.
Think about:
- Categorising transactions
- Matching invoices and payments
- Preparing reports
- Identifying anomalies
- Moving information between finance systems
- Drafting recurring communications
- Flagging exceptions for review
None of these remove the CFO from the process but they reduce the amount of manual work required.
Why finance still needs humans in the loop
Unlike marketing or customer support, finance operates with very little room for error.
- A single incorrect payment could mean suppliers aren’t paid
- A payroll mistake could affect every employee
- An incorrect cash position could influence major business decisions
That’s why the most successful finance teams are looking for AI that works like a trusted analyst.
It prepares information, spots patterns and recommends actions.
Then a person makes the final decision.
This “human-in-the-loop” approach is likely to define finance automation for years to come. AI accelerates execution, but accountability still sits with finance leaders.
CFOs don’t lose sleep over interest rates
One of the more interesting points from the discussion was about priorities.
Many founders assume treasury is about generating the highest possible return on cash.
In reality, CFOs care far more about knowing cash will be there exactly when it’s needed.
Missing out on a small amount of interest is frustrating.
Missing payroll is catastrophic.
That’s why liquidity almost always wins over yield.
It’s also why AI in finance shouldn’t be judged by how sophisticated it is. It should be judged by whether it helps finance teams make faster, safer decisions without increasing risk.
The future CFO will spend less time operating systems
The role of a CFO has always extended beyond spreadsheets. The best finance leaders influence hiring decisions, fundraising, pricing strategy, board reporting and long-term planning. Administrative work has simply prevented them from spending enough time there.
AI changes that equation.
Instead of replacing finance professionals, it shifts their focus towards the work only humans can do:
- Strategic decision making
- Scenario planning
- Investor conversations
- Risk management
- Business partnering
- Judgement under uncertainty
Ironically, as AI becomes more capable, the human skills of leadership, communication and commercial thinking become even more valuable.
Final thoughts
AI is redefining finance because it can take care of the work that doesn’t require people in the first place.
For startup founders, that means fewer hours spent on manual processes, faster access to reliable financial information and more time for CFOs to focus on the decisions that shape the business. From fundraising and cash planning to board reporting and growth strategy, these are the areas where human judgement continues to matter most.
The finance teams that get the most from AI won’t be the ones chasing every new tool. They’ll be the ones that identify repetitive processes, automate them thoughtfully and use the time they’ve saved to make better business decisions
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