Startup & Scaleup Consulting

Accounting & Reporting

• Accounting Advice: Support with IFRS conversion and pre-assessment, US-GAAP conversions, employee stock option plans (ESOP), IPO readiness, goodwill, PPA and impairment tests.
• Capital Market-Ready Reporting Instruments: Advisory and preparation of capital market-ready reporting instruments, particularly IFRS consolidated financial statements, financial instruments, IFRS notes, operational support for financial statement preparation (HGB, IFRS, US-GAAP).
• Transaction Advisory: Pro forma financial post-merger integration, carve-outs.
• Technology: Implementation of Lucanet consolidation systems, accounting tools (e.g. leasing, deferred tax) and disclosure management systems (e.g. Workiva, Smartnotes)

Audit

• Audit Services: Audit of annual or consolidated financial statements (HGB, IFRS, "IFRS light"); audit of non-financial reporting (CSRD).
• Accounting Advisory: Consulting on complex accounting issues according to HGB/IFRS.
• Regulatory and Licensing Support: Assistance with licensing procedures for current and future regulated entities, particularly in the financial services sector.

Deals

• Financial Due Diligence and Transactions: Support with financial, tax and legal DD for investors and start-ups; focused and comprehensive DD; vendor assistance, financial, tax & legal fact books; review of closing accounts, SPAs and leakage review.
• Valuation, Fundraising and IPO: Support with company valuation and financial modeling; capital raising and investor engagement; IPO preparation, including asset valuation, goodwill tests, and management incentive programs.
• ESG Support: ESG strategies, assessments, and fundraising.
• Legal advice: Deal structuring, preparation and negotiation of term sheets, SPAs or investment agreements
• Post Merger Integration: Pre-Deal PMI DD & Preparation, Day-One Readiness, 100 Days Programme, Implementation Support

Finance Transformation

• CFO Strategy and Process Optimization: Development and implementation of financial strategies, target operating models, and roadmaps; maturity assessment, benchmarking, GBS/shared services, process design, automation, and process mining.
• Technology and Data: Support with ERP transformations (SAP S/4 HANA), data and AI strategies, EPM implementation and optimization; maturity assessment, benchmarking, tool selection; ESG integration.
• Compliance and Reporting: Advisory on financial reporting, tax returns, NFR; implementation of internal control systems, annual audits, ESG reporting technologies.

Marketing, Sales and Customer Service

• Go-To-Market and Sales: Development and optimization of go-to-market and sales strategies, as well as business case; market analysis such as market sizing, competitor analysis and buyer personas; development of digital sales channels; product strategy and pricing; sales benchmarking; design of the sales cycle, as well as customer-centric customer journeys.
• Marketing and Analytics: Development and optimization of marketing strategies; traffic generation such as SEO & SEA; benchmarking of marketing channels and campaigns; implementation of data and analytics systems; web & app tracking; conversion rate optimization; data visualization and automated reporting.
• Customer service and CX: Development, optimization and automation of customer service strategies and metrics; implementation of AI-based service ticketing systems, chatbots and voicebots; customer feedback management; customer experience benchmarking.

Risk & Regulatory

• Bilanzierung und Compliance: Unterstützung bei der Bewertung und Bilanzierung komplexer Finanzierungsstrukturen und Derivate nach IFRS und HGB; Aufbau von Risk-Management-Strategien und Hedge Accounting; Durchführung von Forensic Investigations und Forensic Technology; Sanctions Compliance Management
• Governance und Sicherheit: Beratung beim Aufbau von Governance-Systemen (RMS, CMS, IKS); Implementierung interner Revisionssysteme; Cyber Security Beratung, Cloud Compliance und Security; Entwicklung von Open Source Strategien
• Strategie und Krisenmanagement: Unterstützung bei geopolitischen Szenarien und Krisenmanagement; Implementierung von KI-Governance; Beratung zu Fördermittel-Compliance und Verwendungsnachweisen

Subsidies / Subsidy Advice

• Subsidy Analysis and Strategy: Analysis and creation of subsidy concepts for planned measures (investments, personnel development, R&D); presentation of projects to funding bodies; utilization of public subsidies, financing, and information foundation.
• Subsidy Applications: Structuring of subsidy projects; consulting and submission of subsidy applications; correspondence with funding bodies; review and evaluation of subsidy decisions; quick approval, risk avoidance.
• Subsidy Management and Audit: Compliance in project execution; predictable subsidy cash flow; adherence to funding conditions; creation of roadmaps; monitoring and consulting to avoid repayment; audit services (payment requests, usage reports, audits).

Sustainability

• Sustainability and Reporting: Support in assessing and prioritizing sustainability topics; baselining, benchmarking, and management briefings; CSRD implementation, structural analysis, implementation planning, and coaching for the preparation of non-financial reports.
• Regulatory and Rating Support: Screening of the regulatory landscape (DE, EU, Global); Ecovadis rating support for tenders; baselining, benchmarking, and management briefings with action recommendations.
• Sustainability Consulting: Ad-hoc support for sustainability management, addressing competency gaps in operational management; analysis and development of specific sustainability topics.

Tax & Legal

• Tax advice and compliance: Ongoing tax advice; support with bookkeeping, annual financial statements and tax returns (income, wage, corporation, trade and VAT tax); assistance with external audits and tax disputes; advice on tax-efficient structures; advice on social security.
• Legal advice: Ongoing legal advice in areas such as corporate, labour, contract and IP law
• International tax planning: support with foreign expansion, avoidance of double taxation; advice on transfer pricing and international tax obligations.
• Support with notification and reporting obligations: DAC6 (reporting obligation on tax arrangements), DAC7 (Platforms Tax Transparency Act), Federal Bank filings (in particular Z-filings), Pillar 2 (global minimum tax), CESOP (reporting obligation for payment service providers) and the like.
• Customs and excise tax advice: Comprehensive advice on issues relating to customs law, excise tax, energy tax and foreign trade law.

The Scale Program

• To the service

Through our Scale Program, we bring the innovation ecosystem together and create a platform for exchange between startups, corporates, and investors. Become part of the ecosystem too!

The Raise Program

• To the service

Are you struggling to find the investor who best matches your goals? Are valuation methods, venture capital funds, and term sheet negotiations uncharted territory for you? Then PwC Raise is the right place for you. We accompany you on the journey from preparing a business plan and perfecting the investor pitch to executing the deal. As a strong partner, we support you in securing capital for your growth agenda and finding an investor who recognizes the value of your company and invests in your idea.