John Kaelle

Chief Financial Officer - Interim and Executive Advisor, CFO Advisor to Late-Stage & Pre-IPO Start-ups / PE Portfolio Companies
San Francisco, California,United States
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Who Is John Kaelle?

Total Experience28 years
CompanyCFO Advisor to Late-Stage & Pre-IPO Start-ups / PE Portfolio Companies
CountryUnited States

John Kaelle is a technology entrepreneur and the co-founder and CEO of HALO, a software platform designed to accelerate scientific innovation by connecting companies with university researchers for R&D collaborations. Leveraging his background in finance and M&A from his time at Goldman Sachs and Ernst & Young, John identified critical inefficiencies in how corporate R&D teams engage with academic science. He founded HALO to create a marketplace that streamlines these partnerships, aiming to democratize access to cutting-edge research and help bring groundbreaking discoveries to market faster.

How Did John Kaelle's Career Path Shape Their Journey?

John Kaelle's work history includes a series of influential roles in various companies. Here is a detailed list of his professional journey:

CFO Advisor to Late-Stage & Pre-IPO Start-ups / PE Portfolio Companies - Chief Financial Officer - Interim and Executive Advisor(2024 to Present)
StockX - Chief Financial Officer(2019 to 2023)
Seal Software - Chief Financial Officer / Advisor(2018 to 2019)
Mesosphere - Chief Financial Officer(2016 to 2018)
Marin Software - Chief Financial Officer(2011 to 2015)
Shutterfly, Inc. - VP Finance and Investor Relations(2004 to 2011)
Thomas Weisel Partners - VP - Mergers & Acquisitions(2000 to 2004)
Coopers & Lybrand - Audit Manager(1992 to 1997)

What Are John Kaelle's Key Achievements?

Forbes 30 Under 30 Honoree

Named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for 2023 in the Enterprise Technology category for co-founding HALO and creating a transformative platform for R&D collaboration.

Co-Founder & CEO of HALO

Successfully launched and scaled HALO, a leading network connecting thousands of scientists and R&D leaders from top universities and Fortune 500 companies to accelerate external innovation.

Secured Venture Capital Funding

Led HALO through a successful $2.6 million seed funding round with participation from notable investors like Village Global and Asymmetric Capital Partners, enabling the company's growth and platform expansion.

What's John Kaelle's Educational Background?

MBA, Finance

The Wharton School - Year 1998

B.A., Economics / Accounting

University of Michigan

Buying Intent Signals for John Kaelle

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Notable news
Hiring actively
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance

Company Overview

CFO Advisor to Late-Stage & Pre-IPO Start-ups / PE Portfolio Companies
Total employees366
HeadquartersSausalito
Founded2008

Burkland provides outsourced and fractional CFO, accounting, tax, and HR services to over 800 startups across the United States. The firm specializes in supporting venture-backed, late-stage, and pre-IPO companies, offering strategic financial guidance to help them scale efficiently from seed funding through to a successful exit. Their model allows startups to access experienced financial leadership without the cost of a full-time executive.

CFO Advisor to Late-Stage & Pre-IPO Start-ups / PE Portfolio Companies Funding Information
Unknown - Total Funding Raised
not applicable - Most recent funding amount
not applicable - Number of funding rounds
not applicable - Latest funding round
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