Startup Runway Calculator 2026
This startup runway calculator tells you exactly how many months of cash your startup has left at the current burn rate. Enter your cash balance, monthly gross burn, and monthly revenue; the tool returns net burn, runway in months, and the date you run out of cash. Example: a seed startup with CHF 800,000 in the bank, CHF 95,000/month gross burn and CHF 25,000 MRR has a net burn of CHF 70,000 and a runway of 11.4 months — meaning fundraising needs to start by month 5 to close before zero. Under 6 months runway is critical; 18+ months is the new SaaS standard post-2024. Last updated June 2026.
How to use this calculator
- 01Enter your current cash balance (bank + short-term deposits).
- 02Enter monthly gross burn (all outflows: salaries, rent, tools, cloud).
- 03Enter monthly revenue (recognised, not invoiced).
- 04Optionally add expected monthly revenue growth %.
- 05Read net burn, runway in months, and zero-cash date.
- •Net burn = gross burn − revenue. Runway = cash ÷ net burn.
- •Start fundraising at 9 months runway; closing a round takes 4–6 months.
- •Under 6 months runway → emergency mode (cut burn, bridge round).
- •Default alive: revenue growth covers burn growth → infinite runway.
- •Include 1-month severance buffer in burn for a realistic worst case.
Frequently asked questions
What is a healthy startup runway?
Post-2024 the new standard is 18–24 months. 12 months is acceptable for profitable growth-stage companies; under 6 months means raising or cutting now.
Gross burn vs net burn?
Gross burn is total monthly outflows. Net burn is gross burn minus monthly revenue. Investors care about net burn, but cut decisions are made on gross.
Should I include the next round in runway?
No. Runway is calculated on cash on hand today. Counting unsigned commitments is how startups die.
When should I start fundraising?
At 9 months of runway. A round takes 4–6 months from first meeting to wire, longer in tight markets.
What is 'default alive'?
Paul Graham's term: at current revenue growth, will you become profitable before cash runs out? If yes you're default alive, if no you're default dead and must raise.
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