Elementaryb, the pioneering fintech redefining financial management for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), today announces the commercial launch of sherloc, the world's first 'financial brain' created specifically for SMEs.
sherloc is an AI-enabled software platform designed to deliver closer financial control and the forward-looking insights business owners need to anticipate risks, protect operations, and identify new growth opportunities.
The sherloc platform is onboarding 270 startups and scaleups with three accelerators, including FasterForward run by the Female Founder Network (FFinc) and the Frontier Programme by London Grow in partnership with Fidelity Centre for Applied Technology (FCAT).
Market Context: Why SMEs Need a New Kind of Intelligence
According to the official figures from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), the UK's 5.5 million SMEs account for over 99% of all businesses, three-fifths of employment, and more than half of the turnover in the UK private sector. They are, without question, key to UK economic health and growth.
Yet, despite being the engine room of the economy, they are often the most exposed to economic shocks, supply chain disruptions, and cash flow pressures.
Democratising Financial Foresight
Historically, sophisticated financial forecasting has been the preserve of large corporations with dedicated in-house planning teams and costly analytics. Most SMEs, despite their importance to the UK economy, have been left to navigate volatility with tools that were designed for large corporations, with functionalities and price tags to match.
sherloc bridges this gap. It connects operational, budgetary, and financial data to provide seamless, affordable and accurate strategic forecasting. The platform uses AI-powered signals to alert leadership teams to financial risks, economic trends, and supply chain events in real-time, while also suggesting potential solutions.
Karen Rudich, CEO of Elementaryb, commented: “The launch of sherloc marks the start of an exciting new chapter. As an entrepreneur with experience building and scaling businesses, I know first-hand how much this vital part of the market needs better tools, designed specifically for them. SMEs deserve more than just a backwards glance at their finances; they need to see what’s coming around the corner. sherloc has been designed to offer them just that capability, as well as helping them to identify future opportunities for growth.
“We’re accelerating at full throttle and look forward to announcing more key strategic alliances, all designed to add value to SMEs as we build-out the UK’s first SME marketplace, which will be key to our ambitions to scale.”
Tim Jones, CEO and Founder at Positive Transition Limited, an early user of the sherloc platform, said: "sherloc puts financial strategy in founders’ hands. It’s intuitive, visual and genuinely helps you think like an investor without needing to be one."
Built by SME Entrepreneurs, for SME Entrepreneurs
sherloc is the result of a five-year development and validation journey, co-designed with business owners, CFOs, and a range of advisors. The platform's development was backed by an Innovate UK grant to support manufacturing businesses, proving its real-world value in helping firms model the impact of economic events like new trade tariffs or dynamic shipping costs, as just two examples.
sherloc’s features include:
- Smart Forecasting: A powerful bottom-up engine that turns operational inputs into structured financial models for real-time scenario modelling.
- Collaborative Workspace: Allows CEOs, CFOs, and advisors to work from a shared base with full audit trails and version control.
- Data Integrity: Built-in validation checks and pattern recognition detect errors and inconsistencies to maintain financial accuracy.
- Embedded Education: Contextual content explains key financial concepts and acronyms, making advanced financial planning accessible to all.
Building the UK’s First SME Ecosystem: Partners and Marketplace
To provide immediate value, sherloc is launching with a powerful ecosystem of strategic partners, including Time Finance and Caxton.
Elementaryb is also building the UK’s first independent SME marketplace, a curated platform of products and services tailored to SME needs. This will give business owners direct access to trusted solutions from launch partners like iwoca, Xero, The Bird Dog, Legal Clarity, RJF Accountants and xe.com, placing sherloc at the heart of the UK’s business community, FCAT, London and Partners, and FFinc, all in collaboration with HSBC, Grant Thornton, Block and Wilson Sonsini, amongst other large corporates.
