Riya's first startup and lessons learned

In this episode of Future Finance, hosts Paul Barnhurst and Glenn Hopper sit down with Riya Grover to explore how AI is transforming order-to-cash workflows. The conversation explores billing automation, revenue operations, and the evolving role of finance teams. Riya shares her entrepreneurial journey and how Sequence is building the first agentic AR platform. This episode is packed with practical insights for modern finance leaders navigating AI adoption.

Riya Grover is the Co-founder and CEO at Sequence. Sequence, backed by a16z with $40M raised, is building the first agentic platform for accounts receivable. The company helps B2B businesses automate quoting, billing, invoicing, and revenue recognition, especially for complex pricing and custom contracts. Prior to Sequence, Riya founded Feedr, a venture-backed company that exited to Compass Group in 2020. She holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BA in Economics and Management from Oxford University.

In this episode, you will discover:

1. Why building a two-sided marketplace is incredibly difficult
2. How modern B2B pricing models break traditional billing systems
3. The difference between deterministic systems and generative AI in finance
4. Why human-in-the-loop design is critical for financial AI agents
5. What the future finance tech stack will look like in the next five years

Riya explains how complex contracts, usage-based pricing, and custom deal structures create massive billing challenges for growing companies. Sequence solves this by combining deterministic billing foundations with AI-powered workflow agents. The discussion highlights where AI should and should not be used in finance operations. Trust, auditability, and human oversight remain central to successful AI implementation.

Follow Riya:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/riya-grover-a22a4822/

Website: https://www.sequencehq.com/

Sequence Series A Fundraising: Announcement

Follow Glenn:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gbhopperiii

Follow Paul:

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/thefpandaguy

Follow QFlow.AI:

Website - https://bit.ly/4i1Ekjg

Future Finance is sponsored by QFlow.ai, the strategic finance platform solving the toughest part of planning and analysis: B2B revenue. Align sales, marketing, and finance, speed up decision-making, and lock in accountability with QFlow.ai.

Stay tuned for a deeper understanding of how AI is shaping the future of finance and what it means for businesses and individuals alike.

In Today’s Episode:

[02:05] – Riya’s Startup Journey

[06:55] – Marketplace Challenges

[08:28] – Modern Billing Gaps

[10:46] – AI in Finance

[13:10] – Human-in-the-Loop Design

[18:35] – ML vs. Gen AI

[24:26] – Series A & Scaling

[30:11] – Future Finance Stack

[35:15] – Rapid Fire & Wrap-Up