Conjecture Ltd: Building Financial Discipline to Advance AI Safety
Conjecture Ltd
Company Name
Established / Scale-up
Company Stage
Industry
AI Research / AI Safety
Key Services Used
Bookkeeping, Spend Management, Payments, Payroll, Compliance, Management Accounts, Reporting
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Case Study Overview
About the Client
Conjecture Ltd is a London-based research organization dedicated to advancing AI safety and alignment. Their mission is to ensure that the development of advanced AI systems is both safe and beneficial to humanity.
Challenges
As Conjecture scaled its research and operations, they required junior financial controller-level support to strengthen their finance function. The key challenges included:
Maintaining weekly bookkeeping to ensure accurate financial records.
Managing their spend process with proper oversight and control.
Preparing and executing payment runs in a timely and reliable manner.
Staying compliant with VAT returns, P11D filings, payroll submissions, and year-end requirements, including responding to accountants’ queries.
Producing monthly management accounts, including balance sheet reconciliations, accruals, and cash reporting packs with burn rate and run rate analysis.
Consolidating reporting across both the UK and US entities.
Our Approach
AccoutUp stepped in to provide hands-on financial controller-level support, ensuring that Conjecture’s finance operations were consistent, compliant, and transparent.
1. Daily Operations & Spend Management
Delivered weekly bookkeeping to maintain clean records.
Standardized the spend management process, giving leadership clearer oversight of expenses.
2. Payments & Compliance
Managed payment runs end-to-end.
Filed all VAT returns, P11D submissions, and payroll reports on time.
Supported year-end preparations, including liaising with accountants and responding to audit queries.
3. Monthly Management Accounts & Reporting
Introduced structured monthly management accounts, covering:
Balance Sheet Reconciliations
Accrual Reporting
Cash reporting with burn rate and run rate analysis
Consolidated UK and US reporting, while noting the US entity’s minimal operational activity.
Results & Impact
Outcome | Impact |
Financial Discipline | Clean, reliable bookkeeping and spend management processes in place. |
Timely Compliance | VAT, payroll, P11D, and YE filings handled with precision. |
Monthly Visibility | Management accounts established, giving leadership consistent insight for the first time. |
Cash Clarity | Burn rate and run rate reported monthly, enabling informed decision-making. |
Entity-Level Transparency | UK operations reported alongside the US fundraising entity for a complete financial view. |
Summary
Since March 2025, AccoutUp has acted as Conjecture Ltd’s trusted junior financial controller, building daily financial discipline, introducing monthly management accounts, and ensuring compliance across all regulatory requirements. By consolidating reporting and providing clarity on cash burn and runway, we’ve equipped Conjecture with the financial insight needed to focus on their mission: advancing safe and aligned AI research.