Startup Runway Calculator
Calculate how long your startup can survive on current cash.
Plan fundraising timing and manage burn rate.
Know your runway
Enter your cash balance and burn rate to see how long your startup can survive and when to start fundraising.
Gross burn vs net burn
Understanding the difference is critical for accurate runway planning.
Gross Burn
Total monthly expenses—everything you spend regardless of revenue. Shows your fixed cost structure.
Net Burn
Expenses minus revenue—your actual cash outflow. This is what determines your real runway.
How much runway do you need?
The right runway depends on your stage and goals.
Danger zone
Need to fundraise immediately or cut costs drastically. Very limited time to execute.
Start fundraising
Enough runway to execute but should begin fundraising process soon.
Healthy runway
Time to focus on growth without immediate fundraising pressure.
💡 Pro tip
Raise for 18-24 months of runway. This gives you ~12 months to hit milestones before you need to fundraise again (fundraising takes 3-6 months).
How to extend your runway
Increase revenue
Every dollar of revenue extends runway. Focus on quick wins: price increases, upsells to existing customers, faster sales cycles.
Cut non-essential costs
Audit every expense. Cancel unused subscriptions, renegotiate contracts, defer non-critical hires. Every dollar saved is a dollar of runway.
Bridge financing
Consider convertible notes, SAFE agreements, or revenue-based financing to extend runway while preparing for a larger round.
Focus resources
Stop doing everything. Focus your limited resources on the 1-2 things that will most move the needle for your next milestone.
Validate before you burn cash
Use a waitlist to validate demand before building. Save months of runway by knowing people want what you're making.
Waitlister is the best multi-purpose tool for launching a product waitlist, newsletter or even just to gauge interest in your Website, project or domain name
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