Amplēo (Lehi, UT) acquires Crunchfirm (San Francisco, CA), adding full-stack CFO services for VC-backed startups to its growing platform. The deal, the firm's seventh acquisition in under two years, deepens Amplēo Finance's venture-stage expertise and expands its one-stop embedded services model.
The Lehi firm's seventh acquisition in under two years adds a team purpose-built for the venture and growth-stage world — and signals the platform is nowhere near done.
Lehi, Utah — May 20, 2026
Amplēo has acquired Crunchfirm, a boutique finance firm based in San Francisco that serves as an on-demand finance department for VC-backed startups. The deal is the company's seventh acquisition in less than two years and its most targeted move yet into the venture and growth-stage market.
TechBuzz readers have tracked Amplēo's rapid expansion closely. Since we first covered the company's acquisition spree in early 2025 — Stage Marketing in January, Peisner Johnson in January, and Peak Business Valuation in February — the Lehi-based firm has barely paused. Last June, it secured a transformative strategic investment from Unity Partners LP, the Dallas-based private equity firm whose backing has visibly accelerated both the pace and the ambition of Amplēo's platform-building. Crunchfirm is the latest proof of that momentum.
What Crunchfirm Brings to the Table
Crunchfirm isn't a single fractional CFO for hire. It operates as a full finance department for founders who need more than one person but aren't yet big enough to build an internal team. Its services span strategic financial leadership, financial modeling, cap table management, controlling, payroll, full-service tax, financial software integration, and day-to-day accounting.
The firm works exclusively with US-based, VC-backed startups, and that focus is exactly what makes it strategically valuable to Amplēo.
"Founders at the growth stage need a full finance team, but rarely have the headcount to justify one," said Lincoln Howell, Amplēo's CEO. "Crunchfirm has spent years solving exactly that problem for VC-backed companies. This acquisition means we can meet founders at that moment with specialized expertise built specifically for the venture and growth-stage world."
A Platform That Keeps Getting More Useful
When Unity Partners invested in Amplēo last June, the firm's president Jon Allen noted that demand for fractional professionals was up 23% year-over-year and 170% since 2022. The Crunchfirm acquisition is a direct response to where that demand is sharpest — high-growth, investor-backed companies navigating fundraising pressure, rapid scaling, and the scrutiny that comes with venture money.
For existing Amplēo Finance clients, the deal means a deeper bench with hands-on expertise in startup financial structures, fundraising preparedness, and investor reporting. For Crunchfirm's existing clients, the calculus is equally compelling: they keep the same team while unlocking access to Amplēo's full platform — fractional HR, marketing, sales tax compliance through The Sales Tax People, business valuation through Peak Business Valuation, and turnaround and restructuring services.
That's the one-stop model Amplēo has been assembling piece by piece since early 2025. Crunchfirm fills a gap that previously existed in the platform: specialized, venture-native finance depth.
The Founder's Perspective
For Crunchfirm founder KJ Gundersen, the acquisition closes a chapter defined by solo-founder risk.
"As a solo founder, building Crunchfirm meant bearing all the risk alone," Gundersen said. "Joining Amplēo means I finally have peers to build with, people who share the same growth ambitions and entrepreneurial drive. For our team, it's validation that we built something worth acquiring. For our clients, it opens the door to a 2.0 version of what we can offer: more talent, more skillsets, and a platform that can grow alongside them."
What Happens Next
The Crunchfirm team will remain intact following the acquisition, with no changes to client relationships or service delivery. The firm will continue operating under the Crunchfirm brand during the integration period before folding into the Amplēo platform — the same pattern Amplēo has used with prior acquisitions, including The Sales Tax People at Amplēo, which retained Peisner Johnson's identity and team through its own transition.
Amplēo, now trusted by more than 14,000 companies nationwide with a bench of more than 300 embedded experts across six business functions, closes the announcement with a note that should surprise no one who's followed this company: Crunchfirm is "far from the last."
Given what Unity Partners' backing has made possible over the past twelve months, that's easy to believe.
For more information, visit ampleo.com and crunchfirm.com.