Smilegate's Orange Planet Startup Foundation and Samil PwC have successfully wrapped up their 'Office Hour' mentoring program, designed to bolster the financial prowess of early-stage startups.

The core objective of this initiative was to act as a surrogate Chief Financial Officer (CFO), a role many fledgling startups struggle to afford. By identifying potential financial and tax risks early, the program aims to sharpen strategic decision-making. Eschewing the usual 'consultation-only' approach, they opted for a rigorous three-stage process: business diagnosis, simulation modeling, and decision-making support.

The program welcomed a cohort of Orange Planet family firms—ranging from Seed to Series A stages—including Jeongri Habit, Planby Technologies, PulseAd, and iPin Labs. Samil PwC partner Kim Jin-kook personally spearheaded the consultancy efforts by visiting each firm.

Teams were asked to choose from three bespoke packages: 'Burn Rate Diet & Survival Budgeting' to keep cash burn in check and extend their runway; 'Weaponizing Numbers' to quantify business models for funding and government grants; and 'Founder Equity Protection & C-level Stock Options' to navigate talent acquisition without losing control of the cap table.

Each team walked away with practical Excel-based tools ready for immediate use, such as 12-month rolling cash flow statements, break-even point (BEP) scenario models based on unit economics, and cap table fluctuation simulators.

Samil PwC partner Kim Jin-kook noted, "What these early-stage startups need isn't just generic financial advice, but a partner who can see the world through a CFO's eyes. Samil PwC remains committed to being a hands-on strategic partner, walking with founders from diagnosis to execution so they can focus entirely on their business."

Seo Sang-bong, head of Orange Planet, added, "For early-stage startups, objective financial data is a potent weapon for survival and investment. We will continue to leverage our top-tier expert network to ensure our family firms can scale up with stability."