How ThermoAI simplified their operations and freed the team to build
Key Takeaways
4x savings from cost and time
Forge charges 2-3x less than their previous firm, plus the team spends far less time on administrative work. Engineers can focus on building the product instead of wrestling with accounting setup.
Everything in one place
Budgets, timesheets, and transactions all live together. The team can see exactly where they stand without jumping between systems.
Accounting adapted to the business
Instead of forcing the business into an accounting template, Forge starts with the project budget and works from there.
Aiden Livingston
CEO, ThermoAI
“When we saw how everything came together, it just made sense. This is the way things should work. One place, everything connected, and it is simple.”
Aiden Livingston
CEO, ThermoAI
About ThermoAI
AI solutions for defense and industrial clients
ThermoAI develops advanced AI software for defense and industrial applications. Their products include Combustion AI for optimizing combustion facility efficiency, WINGMAN for cyber-physical systems security, and FUELSIM for simulating jet fuel performance in Air Force engines.
The company has a Navy SBIR Phase II contract and funding from NYSERDA (New York State Energy Research and Development Authority). They are actively pursuing additional contracts as they scale their AI platform across defense and energy sectors.
The Challenge
Paying 2-3x more for an accounting setup that did not fit
Before Forge, ThermoAI worked with an accounting firm that cost two to three times what they pay now. Despite that cost, the team was still doing transaction pre-entry themselves, then waiting for the accountant to come in and re-update everything. They were confused about how the whole system worked.
When they came in, ThermoAI had six cost pools. But with fewer than five people, that level of complexity made no sense. The accountant was just applying a standard template without considering whether it actually fit the business.
How Forge Helped
Adapting accounting to the business, not the other way around
Like with other Forge customers, we started with the project budget and then dealt with the accounting. Instead of forcing ThermoAI into a template designed for a different kind of company, we simplified their cost structure to match their actual operations.
Timesheets that just work. When the team saw the timesheet tool, their reaction was immediate: "Wow, this is amazing. It just works." No more complicated setup or manual workarounds. Engineers log time, and it flows directly to the right project and budget line.
One place for everything. Budgets, timesheets, and transactions all live together in Forge. The team can see exactly where they stand on any project without jumping between spreadsheets, their accounting software, and their bank.
Why It Matters
Better visibility and true cost flexibility
ThermoAI now pays significantly less per month while getting better visibility into their operations. More importantly, their costs scale with their actual business activity. During slower periods, they pay less. When projects are ramping up, costs go up with it. This is how accounting should adapt to the business, not the other way around.
The foundation Forge helped them build positions them to scale across defense and energy sectors without needing to overhaul their finance operations every time they win a new contract.
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