As our first Finance Lead, you'll be the single owner of all things finance at Different.ai . This is a high-impact, hands-on role where you'll set up systems and processes from scratch, ensure we stay compliant across two geographies, and be a trusted partner to the founding team on business decisions. You'll work closely with the CEO and leadership team and have the prospect to build the finance function as we scale.

Accounting And Bookkeeping

The candidate will have responsibilities across the following functions:

Maintain accurate books for both the India entity and the US entity (C-Corp / Delaware).
Manage month-end and year-end close processes.
Oversee accounts payable, accounts receivable, and vendor payments.
Manage and reconcile multi-currency transactions (INR/USD).
Manage relationships with external auditors and CA/CPA firms.

Tax And Compliance

India: GST registration, filing, and reconciliation; TDS deductions and returns; income tax filings; ROC filings and MCA compliance; transfer pricing documentation.
US:



Federal and state corporate tax filings; sales tax/nexus analysis for SaaS; 1099 contractor filings; coordination with a US CPA firm.
Ensure timely regulatory filings across both geographies and proactively flag compliance risks.
Manage FEMA/RBI compliance for cross-border transactions (including FIRC, ODI, ECB).

Payroll

Run end-to-end payroll for the India team: PF, ESIC, PT, TDS on salary, gratuity.
Manage US payroll through a payroll provider (Gusto / Rippling) for employees and contractors.
Maintain employee records for finance purposes and ensure payroll compliance in both jurisdictions.

Business Finance And Strategy

Own budgeting and forecasting to build the annual operating plan and quarterly reforecasts.
Track and report key financial metrics: burn rate, runway, CAC, LTV, gross margin.
Build financial models to support fundraising, pricing decisions, and hiring plans.
Prepare investor-ready financial reports and board decks.
Iden

📌 Finance Manager (Bengaluru)
🏢 CBX1
📍 Bengaluru