CBA for Life Sciences

Books built for runway, not just records.

Runway models, program-level burn, clinical trial accruals, and books that hold up under investor and auditor scrutiny.

We work with
QuickBooks
NetSuite
Bill.com
Ramp
Carta

How it usually goes. And how it goes with us.

The old way
  • You guess your runway from your bank balance and a gut number for burn.
  • Books are one big 'R&D' bucket and the board can't see where money actually goes.
  • Your CRO invoice lands and a giant lump wrecks the monthly burn picture.
  • Carta says one thing, your balance sheet says another, and the gap shows up in diligence.
  • Audit prep turns into a 60-day fire drill before your next round closes.
  • You wait days for a reply when you have a question.
With CBA
  • Runway model every month with cash to next milestone and a stress case.
  • P&L split by program so the board sees Program A burn separately from platform spend.
  • Clinical trial accruals booked against the work plan so monthly burn is real.
  • Carta and the general ledger reconcile every month. SAFE conversions and option exercises post when they happen.
  • Books kept audit-ready year-round. The auditor finds the schedules already waiting.
  • Same-day responses. We pick up the phone.

What we handle for life sciences founders.

Runway and burn

Net burn, runway in months, cash to next milestone, and a stress case. Board-ready, same format every month.

Program-level cost tracking

Spend allocated by program, function, and headcount so the board sees where every dollar goes.

Audit and diligence-ready books

Clean books, reconciled cap table, clinical trial accruals booked monthly. When the next round comes, you're ready.

Common questions.

When do I need to switch from QuickBooks to NetSuite? +

Usually when headcount passes 50, you have a foreign subsidiary, or your auditor flags consolidation. Most pre-clinical and Phase 1 companies stay on QuickBooks comfortably.

How do you book a CRO contract we paid upfront? +

It goes on the balance sheet as a prepaid and burns down monthly against the work plan, not the invoice schedule. That keeps your monthly burn honest.

Can you reconcile our Carta to our books? +

Yes, every month. Equity comp, SAFE conversions, warrant activity, and option exercises all tied out to the general ledger.

How responsive are you? +

Same business day, usually faster. Board-prep weeks, we're on it.

Will I understand the reports? +

Yes. Board-ready format. If something needs explanation, we walk you through it before the board meeting.

Get a clean read on burn and runway.

Free 30-minute review for biotech and life sciences founders.

Book a call