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Fremont, CA, USA

Rakesh C.

Fractional CFO | AI | Fintech | Blockchain | DePIN | DefenseTech

Rakesh Pullabhatla specializes in serving as a CFO and Chief Strategy Officer for AI-, Fintech-, Blockchain-, DefenseTech-, and SaaS-driven companies, helping management teams scale operations, professionalize finance, and prepare for institutional growth.

As a finance executive and Consulting CFO, Rakesh has worked extensively across AI, Fintech, Blockchain infrastructure, and enterprise SaaS, supporting companies from early stage through growth, fundraising, and exit. He has held in-house leadership roles at high-impact technology companies, including Planet Labs (NYSE: PL), a global satellite imaging and data company, and Boku (AIM: BOKU), a leading mobile payments platform.

Rakesh’s AI experience spans the full stack—from data infrastructure for large language models (Unstructured.io), to foundation model development (DeepCogito AI), to applied AI systems in supply chain contexts (Helios AI), and healthcare analytics platforms (Whiterabbit AI). His work focuses on translating technically complex AI products into scalable unit economics, investor-grade forecasting, and defensible financial narratives.

Rakesh’s Fintech experience covers a broad range of business models, including mobile payments (Boku), neobanks (Illume Financial, Anatomy Financial), buy-now-pay-later platforms (Kueski, Bankaya), digital wallets (Fynbos), proptech and real-world asset platforms (Haus), and bill payment and financial operations companies (ZilMoney).

Rakesh's blockchain experience has focused on infrastructure, treasury, and governance rather than speculation, including work with blockchain foundations, tokenized asset platforms, and crypto-adjacent operating companies. In these contexts, Rakesh has helped management teams design entity structures, capital flows, and reporting frameworks that meet institutional investor and regulatory expectations.

In his role as a CFO consultant, Rakesh has led companies through successful financial and IRS audits, built treasury management and capital allocation frameworks, partnered with external stakeholders and boards, and supported day-to-day operational decision-making—always with an emphasis on balance-sheet clarity, controls, and investor readiness.

Rakesh holds an MBA from the Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago, a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering from the National Institute of Technology, India, and is both a CFA charterholder and a CPA.

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Rakesh C.

Experience

Mar 2023 — Present
Maxceon

Maxceon

Co-Founder and Head of Finance and Accounting Practice

Maxceon is a a top-tier, senior team of experienced business executives that provide fractional finance & accounting, business & people operations, legal, and business consulting services to organizations of all sizes. • Working with interesting startups in blockchain, fintech, space tech and e-commerce space spread across the US, Latin America, Europe and Africa.

  • Work with companies in the crypto, fintech, Spacetech, SaaS, and e-commerce space.
Dec 2019 — Present
Zil Money

Zil Money

Chief Strategy Officer (CSO)

ZilMoney is a cutting-edge financial technology company committed to simplifying and streamlining financial workflows for businesses of all sizes. Our innovative solutions empower organizations to optimize their financial processes, reduce operational costs, and enhance overall efficiency. With a focus on user-friendly design and robust functionality, ZilMoney offers a comprehensive suite of tools and services, including expense management, invoicing, payment processing, and more. Securely process payments and transactions with ease. Whether it's ACH transfers, credit card payments, or check printing, we've got you covered. Seamlessly integrate with popular accounting software like QuickBooks, Xero, and more to streamline your financial data management. Say goodbye to manual expense tracking. ZilMoney's intuitive expense management system simplifies expense reporting, approval workflows, and reimbursement processes. Create and send professional invoices in minutes. Customize invoices, set up recurring billing, and get paid faster with our invoicing tools. Gain valuable insights into your financial performance with our analytics tools. Make data-driven decisions and stay ahead of the curve. Security: Your financial data is secure with us. We employ industry-leading security measures to safeguard your information. Efficiency: We help you eliminate manual, time-consuming tasks so you can focus on growing your business. Cost Savings: Our solutions reduce operational costs, improve resource allocation, and optimize your financial processes. Scalability: ZilMoney grows with your business. Whether you're a small startup or a large enterprise, our solutions can scale to meet your needs. Exceptional Support: Our dedicated support team is here to assist you every step of the way, ensuring a smooth and successful implementation. Discover how ZilMoney can transform your financial operations and help your business thrive.

May 2019 — Present
Haus.com

Haus.com

Consultant

Haus is on a mission to make finding the right home financing hassle-free. We look beyond the rate, incorporating your unique homeownership goals. With all your options in one place, including traditional refis and Haus’s own co-investing model for ownership, you can discover, compare, and apply the easy way—online. To learn more about how Haus is changing the way people finance their homes, visit www.haus.com.

  • Tokenization of real estate.
Sep 2018 — Present
Coil

Coil

Consulting CFO

Coil was founded in 2018 to build a better business model for the Web. Coil makes it easy for creators, publishers and platforms to monetize their content across the internet, and provides an alternative to advertising and site-by-site subscription models. As Coil Members enjoy content, Coil uses a proposed open web standard called Web Monetization to stream micropayments to individual creators and websites in real time. In 2019, Coil, in collaboration with Mozilla and Creative Commons, launched the $100 million Grant for the Web to boost open, fair and inclusive standards and innovation in Web Monetization. Coil also invested $20 million in Imgur, the community-powered entertainment platform reaching 300 million people each month.

  • Cryptocurrency payments startup founded by ex-Ripple CTO.
Dec 2017 — Apr 2023
Kranz & Associates

Kranz & Associates

CFO

Hi, we’re kranz! We are the preeminent accounting and financial solutions firm helping start-ups and Venture Capital companies grow. We believe that every business, at every stage of growth, is a story waiting to be told – and that all companies deserve to reach their full potential. By focusing on our core values and fostering trusted personal connections, we help our clients thrive with confidence so they can share their stories with the world.

  • CFO to several leading Web 3.0/crypto/fintech/SaaS companies.
Dec 2014 — Sep 2017
Planet Labs

Planet Labs

Director of Finance

Planet(NYSE: PL) provides daily satellite data that helps businesses, governments, researchers, and journalists understand the physical world and take action.

  • Worked as Head of FP&A for this spacetech company
Dec 2008 — Dec 2012
BOKU, Inc.

BOKU, Inc.

Head of FP&A and Controller

Boku Inc. (BOKU.L) is a global provider of localized payment solutions including digital wallets, direct carrier billing, and account to account/real-time payments schemes. Boku’s global payments network includes over 200 local payment methods worldwide, reaching over 7.5 billion consumer payment accounts in more than 60 countries. Boku works with the world’s largest merchants including Amazon, Google, Spotify, Meta, Microsoft, Netflix, Spotify, Tencent and Sky, helping them to grow their businesses in every corner of the globe. Incorporated in 2008 and headquartered in London and San Francisco, Boku is also an international company when it comes to hiring, having professionals working from Brazil, China, Estonia, Germany, India, Ireland, Japan, Kenya, Singapore, and the UAE.

  • Worked as Controller and Head of FP&A