Enter your cash balance, burn rate, and revenue – your runway, zero-cash date, and fundraising timeline update automatically.
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Startup runway is the number of months your business can operate at its current spend rate before exhausting its cash reserves – assuming no new funding arrives. It is the single most important number in early-stage financial planning.
Runway (months) = Cash Balance ÷ Net Monthly Burn Net Burn = Monthly Expenses − Monthly Revenue
For example: with £150,000 in the bank, £18,000 in monthly expenses, and £4,000 in monthly revenue, your net burn is £14,000 and your runway is approximately 10.7 months.
Methodology and limitations
This calculator uses a linear burn model with optional compound revenue growth. It does not account for lumpy one-off expenses, seasonal revenue variation, or new funding tranches. The scenario modelling panel lets you stress-test expense reductions, revenue uplifts, and new hires simultaneously. The fundraise-by date is calculated as runway minus a 6-month closing buffer – the minimum recommended to avoid distressed fundraising.
Fill in your figures below – the forecast updates automatically as you adjust any field.
Total cash held in your business bank accounts
$
e.g. salaries, cloud hosting, SaaS tools, marketing
$
MRR — monthly recurring revenue — enter 0 if pre-revenue
$
Month-on-month revenue growth rate
5%
Runway
10
months
Caution
Net Burn / mo
$14k
expenses minus revenue
Gross Burn / mo
$18k
total monthly spend
Zero-Cash Date
June 2027
estimated runout
Raise By
December 2026
to keep 6-month buffer
Revenue covers 22% of monthly expenses$4,000 / $18,000
Projected cash balance over time – base scenario
Runway Benchmarks by Stage
Pre-Revenue
Healthy: 12mo+ Caution: <6mo
Pre-Seed
Healthy: 14mo+ Caution: <8mo
Seed — you
Healthy: 18mo+ Caution: <10mo
10mo of 18mo target
Series A
Healthy: 24mo+ Caution: <14mo
Plan how to fund the growth
Now that you know your runway, build a budget that makes it last longer.
This calculator uses a linear burn model. Figures are estimates only and do not constitute financial advice. Consult a financial adviser before making funding decisions.
Save your results
Create a free account to save your work, track changes over time, and export.
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{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"How is startup runway calculated?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Runway is calculated by dividing your current cash balance by your net monthly burn rate. Net burn is the difference between your total monthly expenses and your monthly revenue. If your expenses are £20,000 and your revenue is £5,000, your net burn is £15,000 and — with £150,000 in the bank — your runway is 10 months."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"What is the difference between gross burn and net burn?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Gross burn is your total monthly expenditure before any revenue is factored in — every salary, tool, and invoice you pay. Net burn subtracts your monthly revenue from gross burn. Investors typically want to see both figures: gross burn tells them your cost base, and net burn tells them how fast you are consuming cash."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"How much runway should a startup have before raising?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"The standard guidance is to begin your fundraising process when you have at least 6 months of runway remaining — giving you a 3–6 month buffer for the process to close. At Seed stage, healthy runway is 18 months or more. Starting a raise with less than 6 months of cash puts you in a weak negotiating position."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"What counts as a good runway for a pre-revenue startup?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Pre-revenue startups typically need 12–18 months of runway to reach a milestone that justifies their next funding round. That milestone might be an MVP launch, early customer traction, or a key regulatory approval. Less than 12 months at pre-revenue stage is a high-risk position — you need to be fundraising or cutting costs immediately."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"How can a startup extend its runway without raising money?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"The main levers are: reducing headcount or moving to contractor arrangements, renegotiating SaaS and supplier contracts, pausing non-essential spend, accelerating revenue collection (shorter payment terms, upfront billing), and pursuing non-dilutive funding such as R&D tax credits, grants, or revenue-based financing. The Scenario Modelling panel in this tool lets you model the impact of each lever on your runway."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"What does the zero-cash date mean in practice?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"The zero-cash date is the estimated date your bank account reaches zero if current burn and revenue trends continue unchanged. It is not a prediction — it is a planning tool. Use it to work backwards: if your zero-cash date is 10 months away, you need a signed term sheet in 4 months to leave 6 months for due diligence and closing."}}]}