Date: 18.11.2025 (2025-11-18)
Uli Grönbeck (18.11.2025)
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/uligroenbeck/
• CFO at 3SS (260 ppl)
• In car entertainment
• We deliver experiences people love across all screens, powered by the world’s leading Entertainment Ecosystem 3Ready.
• Was HoF at deepc (radiology) and then worked as a fractional CFO for some time
• Based in MUC
• My message:
• Ich bin auf Ihr Profil gestossen, da ich gesehen habe, dass Sie als fractional CFO aktiv sind.
• Wir entwickeln proprietäre KI-Modelle für Controlling & Accounting, die auch für komplexe Fälle trainiert sind - etwa mehrere Purchase Orders auf einer Rechnung, Price-Variance-Tolerances bei Lieferanten etc.
• Ziel ist eine ~80% Automatisierung in AP/AR und auch 50% weniger Aufwand beim Closing & Reporting - ohne neues SaaS-Tool, direkt integriert in bestehende Systeme (auch ohne API) und angepasst an aktuelle Prozesse.
• Reply:
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Notes: • General • Super excited what we do • What is currently in the market is nice but second step is missing • There is a lot of invoice management - but everything is the same • What is missing: AI in the whole collection of features • AP is done with OCR • If there is an Abweichung one has to do it manual • Moss, Spendesk, Pleo, Datev, SAP, Sage • Datev, SAP, Sage -> similar speed than the new ones • CC management, expense is better in new tools • What is missing: replace the work student • What he wants: • Tool directly gets all invoices • The automation is missing completely • Different VAT (reverse charge), international invoices -> that is not handled well • Hauptbuch: • Abgrenzungen, Rückstellungen • AP: quite simple because information is on invoice • Monthly reinbuchung über Leistungszeitraum • If Leistungszeitraum is not on invoice -> you would send message to supplier • Order management can check if invoice is missing • Datev is Hauptbuchbuchungen zu -> Only allow Nebenbuchungen (kreditoren & debitoren) but not Rückstellungen • Reconciliation? • Goal: you need no more Finanzbuchhalter during the month -> only for Jahresabschluss • International: they are in Romania and Bulgaria -> Excel and manual uploads -> Salary payments etc. is manual • Automation: • • Biggest objections / challenges in his daily life? • • Most valuable flows for him? • • Context: team setup? internal and external? • • Which tasks are the biggest pain? With magic wand -> what would he solve? • Ask for a second space that is interesting • FP&A -> take historic data and add some growth • He does not see a lot of potential • Konzernkonsolidierung -> at the moment it is very shitty -> difficult to find people -> nobody can do it • Even startups have multiple entities often • Lucanet is the biggest player - but they are not good with AI • Overengineered and too expensive • Legal Konsolidierung • He does it in Excel -> they have 3 entities at the moment • He is good in that as he did it for years • He wants to have Konzernzahlen during the year • Take on Excel • He wants to have data in one tool from all three countries • He wants Consolidation completely automatic • Get final Abschluss and put it into Excel so you can do analysis • Mapping automated based on transactions and Kontenbeschreibung • At 3SS it took him days to do it and match it • He could be a very cool guy to work with • He plays around with LLMs (Gemini, ChatGPT) • People anyways work too much in Excel -> keep as much out of it - but then he said maybe staying in Excel is good • Check out DataRails (Excel Plugin) • Planning, Forecasting etc. -> they work on Excel - he liked it • Konsolidierung does not work by LLM • Example Umsatz: inner company Umsatz muss raus konsolidiert werden - sonst doppelt • There are very few Konzernbuchhalter • He is interested as a tester -> he would like to found in general -> could be good advisors • Which tasks would he focus on? • • Do they already have automations? Which ones? How well do they work? • • Which companies would he target? • • General feedback to pitch? •