ARCUS PARTNERS

A strategic finance partner for life sciences
and medical device organizations

Life Sciences  |  Medical Devices  |  Healthcare

35+
Years of financial
leadership experience
20+
Years in Fortune 500
life sciences
3
Fortune 500 life sciences
companies
From the Latin
Arcus noun

a bow  ·  an arch  ·  a curve

Our Purpose

The arch carries weight across a span no single pillar could bear. We carry growing life sciences and medical device organizations from today into what's next — with CFO-level financial leadership, at the moment the span demands it.

The Challenge
Your science is advancing.
Your financial strategy needs to keep pace.
  • The board is asking questions about capital allocation, growth pacing, and risk management that require CFO-caliber thinking
  • A full-time CFO costs $375K–$450K+ and may not match your current stage — but the decisions facing you can't wait
  • Generalist advisors don't understand FDA pathways, GMP environments, clinical milestone economics, or life sciences M&A
  • You need a strategic finance partner who operates at the intersection of your science and your balance sheet

Arcus Partners bridges this gap — pairing deep life sciences expertise with enterprise-level financial leadership, delivered as a dedicated team that integrates with yours.

$26B
Biopharma VC
invested in 2024
310%
Surge in fractional
CFO demand since 2020
24,000
U.S. life sciences
companies
Capabilities
The work we do

Eight core capabilities that we assemble — in different shapes and intensities — into the engagements that follow. We don't just produce reports; we help leadership teams make better capital allocation, growth pacing, and risk management decisions.

Fractional CFO &
Strategic Finance
CFO-level leadership in the seat — capital allocation, executive partnership, board and investor communications, and the judgment calls that shape direction.
FP&A & Financial
Infrastructure
Forecasting and variance analysis that surface the decisions behind the numbers. R&D milestone economics. KPI architecture designed to drive operational accountability.
Capital Markets &
Fundraising
Fundraising strategy that positions your story for the right investors. Use-of-proceeds modeling. Data rooms and diligence support that accelerate close.
M&A & Transaction
Advisory
Financial diligence that identifies value and risk before the LOI. Integration planning that protects synergies. EBITDA improvement programs that deliver measurable results.
Accounting &
Compliance
Technical accounting that keeps you audit-ready and investor-credible. Revenue recognition, lease accounting, and inventory controls built for regulated environments.
Board & Investor
Reporting
Monthly financial packages that tell a story, not just show numbers. KPI dashboards tailored to your subsector. Board decks that frame the decisions, not just the data.
Monthly Close &
Controllership
Disciplined close cycles delivered on a predictable cadence. Management reporting infrastructure. The operating rhythm that turns finance from reactive to reliable.
Finance Operations &
Banking Relationships
Audit, tax, and lender coordination. Treasury and banking relationship management. The institutional touch points that signal a finance function in good standing.
Who We Work With

Life sciences and medtech companies between 10 and 150 employees — typically post-Series A through pre-IPO — where the board expects CFO-caliber leadership but a full-time hire doesn't match the stage.

How We Engage
Two engagement structures,
sized to where you are

Every Arcus client engages with us through one of two structures. Both draw from the same capabilities and the same senior team — what differs is the shape, the cadence, and the intensity of the work.

For Inflection Moments
Strategic Engagement

Capital raises, transactions, scale events, ERP transitions, leadership gaps — periods where the cost of getting finance wrong compounds quickly.

Structure

Pod model: Fractional CFO + Senior Manager + Analyst, sized to scope. Embedded, board-presenting, executive partnership.

Capabilities
  • Fractional CFO & Strategic Finance
  • FP&A & Financial Infrastructure
  • Capital Markets & Fundraising
  • M&A & Transaction Advisory
  • Accounting & Compliance
  • Board & Investor Reporting
For Steady-State Operations
Operating Partnership

Established healthcare and life sciences companies running without an active inflection — where a full-time CFO doesn't yet make economic sense, but finance leadership and discipline still do.

Structure

Right-sized team: Senior finance leadership paired with controllership depth — sized to the engagement rather than a fixed structure. Predictable monthly cadence with quarterly scope reviews.

Capabilities
  • Fractional CFO & Strategic Finance
  • FP&A & Financial Infrastructure
  • Monthly Close & Controllership
  • Finance Operations & Banking Relationships
  • Board & Investor Reporting
  • Ad-hoc capital & transaction support as it arises
Onboarding Cadence
What the first six months look like
Horizon
Strategic Engagement
Operating Partnership
First 30 Days
Discovery, stakeholder interviews, financial architecture diagnostic. We map your infrastructure, reporting gaps, and near-term priorities.
Onboarding, close cycle review, reporting cadence assessment. We learn your business and identify where discipline needs reinforcement.
By Month Two
Engagement plan delivered. Pod integrated into your operating rhythm. Reporting cadence the board recognizes. KPI framework established.
Monthly cadence established. First close delivered under new oversight. Management reporting package in your hands on a predictable schedule.
Quarter Two & Beyond
Embedded execution against milestones. Presenting alongside you at board meetings. Scaling up when you raise, transitioning when the time is right.
Continuous operating rhythm. Quarterly scope and pricing reviews. Ad-hoc support during capital events, audits, or transactions without renegotiating the relationship.
The Strategic Engagement Pod
A dedicated team that integrates
with yours

Strategic Engagements deploy a three-tier pod — senior leadership, operational depth, and analytical capacity — embedded into your organization on a sustained basis. Your team, your board, and your investors experience continuity. We don't parachute in for a project and leave.

Fractional CFO
  • Strategic leadership & capital allocation
  • Board & investor communication
  • M&A and transaction advisory
  • Risk management & growth pacing
Senior Manager
  • Monthly close & financial reporting
  • Budget vs. actual analysis
  • Operational accountability
  • Quality control & compliance
Analyst
  • Financial modeling & scenario analysis
  • KPI dashboards & data visualization
  • Board deck preparation
  • Diligence & research support
Industries We Serve
Built for regulated, capital-intensive
organizations
Medical Device,
Diagnostics & Medtech
  • FDA-regulated device manufacturers (Class I, II, III)
  • Surgical instruments, implants, interventional devices
  • In vitro diagnostics & laboratory companies
  • Digital health & connected device platforms
  • Contract manufacturers & component suppliers
Healthcare Providers
& Services
  • Multi-site healthcare groups (ASC, specialty)
  • Healthcare services organizations
  • Revenue cycle management
  • Private payor reimbursement
Leadership
A practitioner's firm
Built by experienced professionals, not advisors

Arcus Partners is led by a senior finance practitioner — three decades operating inside Fortune 500 life sciences and healthcare organizations, including direct CFO and senior finance leadership through capital raises, transactions, scale events, and ERP transitions in regulated environments.

Engagements are supported by a dedicated team with direct life sciences and healthcare industry experience. Arcus is built on practitioner judgment — finance leadership that has done the work, not consulting from the outside.

35+
Years of financial
leadership
20+
Years in Fortune 500
life sciences
3
Fortune 500
companies
Getting Started
What it's like to work
with Arcus Partners
1
Initial Conversation
A 30-minute call to understand your challenges, stage, and objectives. We'll ask about your board's expectations, your current financial infrastructure, and where the pressure points are. No commitment required.
2
Diagnostic Assessment
We review your financials, reporting cadence, systems, and team structure. You'll receive a clear-eyed assessment of where you are, where the gaps are, and a recommended engagement scope tailored to your stage.
3
Proposal & Integration
A defined proposal with scope, team allocation, timeline, and pricing. Our pod integrates with your team within weeks — attending leadership meetings, building relationships with your board, and delivering from day one.
Our Methodology
The Arcus Engagement
Framework

A practitioner's guide to how we structure fractional finance leadership engagements — from initial diagnostic through transition. Drawn from three decades operating inside life sciences, medical device, and healthcare organizations.

  • The pod model and leadership bar
  • Diagnostic framework for finance maturity
  • Engagement scoping and success measures
  • Capital readiness checklist by stage
  • Transition criteria for permanent CFO handoff

Request the Framework

We'll send the PDF to your inbox.

Let's start with a conversation

About where your organization is today, the decisions ahead, and whether we're the right partner.

Start a Conversation
Connect
Three ways to begin

The first conversation is thirty minutes. Tell us where you are, what's ahead, and what's pressing. We'll tell you whether we're the right partner — and if we aren't, where you should look instead.

Schedule
Book a 30-minute conversation →
Email
info@arcuscfo.com
LinkedIn
Arcus Partners on LinkedIn →

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