From early stage to growth: strategies for making the leap successfully

During the meeting, the three speakers shared the essential keys to making the leap from ‘early stage’ to ‘growth’. Their experiences outline the roadmap for sustainable growth.

• Choose the right moment. “It is necessary to choose the stage very carefully: the CFO must know how to adapt growth to the stage the company is at,” said Alexandre Granell, VP of Finance at Exoticca. The traveltech company is currently in a key phase, having closed a €25 million financing agreement with BBVA Spark, bringing the total capital raised to €175 million to drive its expansion. 
• Listening to the customer. At the round table, Jochen Doppelhammer, COO of Maisa, explained that the evolution of the business depends on the pace of the market: “For us, it is the customers who define the pace and investment much more.” Edtech company Innovamat agrees with this view. “We decided to expand by listening to the market,” explained Sergi Fabregat, the company’s CFO. In Maisa’s case, customer adoption of its solution is following a staggered pace, which is helping it to grow steadily after breaking the record for capital raised in a seed round in Spain, with €25 million.

• Maintaining a quantitative-qualitative balance. Both quantitative and qualitative data are important in decision-making. Sergi Fabregat explained that “there are qualitative factors that do not always have to be related to profits. The qualitative aspect is becoming increasingly important.” On the other hand, Alex Granell offered the other side of the coin: “We are data-driven, we are obsessed with data. We identify which metrics are necessary, and if we don’t have them, we build them.” In their case, they handle large amounts of data that allow them to make predictions about spending and investment. 

Today, CFOs must know how to combine data, analyse intangible signals and have a strategic vision to make decisions that maintain a sustainable balance between growth and profitability. They no longer focus solely on financial management for the sustained growth of companies or making the leap from ‘early’ to ‘growth’.

According to Deloitte’s ‘Finance Trends 2026’ report, the number of skills required of CFOs has grown by 19% in the last five years. CFOs now take on a more strategic role that influences the strategy of the entire organisation. In the words of Doppelhammer, “the CFO supports the CEO’s vision.” The role has evolved: it no longer focuses solely on numbers, but also on leadership, strategy and analytical vision.

At the meeting, CFOs highlighted the need to develop these skills. Sergi Fabregat stressed that this profile must look beyond the figures and devote time to cultivating relationships with banks, investors and mentors: “It is always good to maintain the relationships you have built up because at some point you are going to need them.” Another key element for him is building strong teams so that he can delegate with confidence: “The time spent looking for the right people is an investment.”

The role of the CFO is undergoing a profound transformation. These profiles have begun to use technology- and AI-based solutions to manage their responsibilities. In fact, according to the Deloitte report, almost half of these profiles acknowledge that they have fully integrated AI agents into specific areas of the finance function. According to this study, AI will help strengthen the strategic impact of the CFO. 

Ultimately, CFOs play a decisive role in the transition from early stage to growth stage. Assessing tangible aspects, such as data and metrics, as well as intangible aspects, such as relationships and strategy, is key to taking the pulse of the company and making informed decisions. Furthermore, the incorporation of tools such as artificial intelligence will help consolidate CFOs as strategic growth leaders who guide companies towards a new stage of financial and technological maturity.