From Ad Hoc to Airtight: JuneBrain’s Finance Upgrade

Background

JuneBrain is a Baltimore-based health technology company developing Neuro-i, a wearable, AI-powered eye scanner designed to enable remote monitoring of neurological and ophthalmic conditions. Operating at the intersection of medical research, product development, and grant funding, JuneBrain manages a complex financial environment with limited margin for error.

As an early-stage company, JuneBrain ran lean on internal finance resources. Financial operations evolved organically as the company scaled, with manual processes supporting payroll, vendor payments, grant reporting, and forecasting. While this approach worked initially, increasing funding complexity and reporting requirements made financial visibility and control increasingly important.

Opportunity

As JuneBrain’s operations expanded, its finance processes struggled to keep pace with the needs of the business.

• Financial models were updated manually and inconsistently, limiting leadership’s confidence in forecasts.
• Payroll and accounts payable were handled on an ad hoc basis, increasing operational risk.
• Cash visibility was limited, making short-term planning difficult in a grant-funded environment.
• Grant and stakeholder requests required significant manual effort and quick turnaround.

JuneBrain identified the need to:

• Establish a reliable, repeatable cadence for financial forecasting.
• Improve controls around payroll, payables, and cash management.
• Enable faster, more accurate responses to grant-related and investor requests.
• Reduce the operational burden on leadership.

Solution

By partnering with Quadrant Advisory, JuneBrain transitioned from reactive finance management to a structured, system-led operating model.

Quadrant embedded directly into JuneBrain’s finance operations, taking ownership of recurring model updates, payroll coordination, vendor payments, and cash planning. The goal was not to add unnecessary complexity, but to create consistency, clarity, and confidence across core financial workflows.

Safeguarding Financial Control

Improving finance operations in an early-stage, cash-constrained company requires balancing stronger controls with operational flexibility. Over-engineering processes could slow execution, while under-engineering would fail to address existing risk.

To ensure stability without disruption, Quadrant implemented changes through a deliberate, phased approach.

Phase 1: Financial Review and Alignment
Quadrant reviewed JuneBrain’s existing financial model, payroll workflows, payment processes, and grant reporting requirements. This phase focused on identifying gaps, clarifying ownership, and aligning reporting cadence with leadership needs.

Phase 2: Structured Finance Execution
Following alignment, Quadrant implemented recurring model updates tied to actual performance, standardized payroll workflows, and transitioned vendor payments to Bill.com. These changes introduced clear approval paths, improved auditability, and reduced manual effort while maintaining operational speed.

Results

Quadrant’s embedded finance support delivered tangible improvements across JuneBrain’s operations.

Improved Forecast Accuracy
Recurring model updates ensured forecasts reflected real-time financial performance, improving planning and decision-making.

More Predictable Operations
Payroll and vendor payments became timely, well-documented, and easier to manage, reducing execution risk.

Clear Cash Visibility
Weekly cash forecasts provided leadership with forward-looking insight into liquidity, enabling more confident short-term planning.

Unlocking Better Financial Decision-Making

With core finance operations stabilized, JuneBrain was able to use financial insights more proactively.

Weekly cash visibility allowed leadership to anticipate funding needs earlier, sequence payments more effectively, and respond to grant-related requests without disruption. By reducing uncertainty around cash and execution, finance became a support function rather than a bottleneck.

This ensured:

• Fewer last-minute finance decisions.
• Faster responses to external stakeholders.
• More time for leadership to focus on product and research priorities.

Impact

By replacing ad hoc processes with a disciplined finance operating model, JuneBrain was able to:

• Gain consistent, reliable insight into cash position and runway.
• Reduce leadership involvement in day-to-day finance execution.
• Improve responsiveness to grants, investors, and partners.
• Operate with greater confidence as the business scaled.

Quadrant Advantage

Embedded Finance Leadership
Hands-on support that integrates directly into daily operations.

Systems Over Spreadsheets
Repeatable workflows that reduce manual effort and operational risk.

Decision-Ready Visibility
Timely financial insight that supports faster, more confident decisions.