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Calculate startup runway from cash on hand, monthly burn and revenue — see months of survival and break-even timeline.
Calculate startup runway from cash on hand, monthly burn and revenue — see months of survival and break-even timeline.
Enter values above and click Calculate — results will appear here with the formula explained.
Startup runway is cash on hand divided by net monthly burn (costs minus revenue): $100,000 cash at $15,000 costs and $5,000 revenue burns $10,000 monthly for 10 months of survival. It is the single number that decides whether you build, fundraise or cut — every other startup metric is commentary on this clock.
Net burn versus gross burn is the distinction that kills: gross burn ($15,000) scares, net burn ($10,000) decides. Growing revenue extends runway without new capital — each $1,000 of monthly recurring revenue added is $1,000 less burned, equivalent to raising $12,000+ yearly. Track net weekly; founders watching gross alone either panic early or relax late.
The 12–18 month rule governs fundraising: raise when 12+ months remain (leverage), never under 6 (desperation pricing). A 10-month runway means fundraising starts now, not in month 8 — rounds take 3–6 months to close, and due diligence stalls exactly when cash runs lowest. Plan the raise at twice the expected duration.
Extending runway has three levers ranked by speed: cut costs today (pausing hires, killing tools — immediate), accelerate revenue (annual prepay discounts, raising prices — weeks), raise capital (months). Most founders invert the order, chasing funding while burn continues; the disciplined sequence is cut first (buys months), sell second (buys quarters), raise third (buys years).
Zero-cash date math assumes flat burn, which lies two ways: hiring plans step burn up discretely, while revenue ramps bend it down. Model three scenarios — base, +25% burn (hiring slips), and revenue at 50% of plan (the historical average miss). If the pessimistic case still clears 12 months, the plan is fundable; if only the optimistic case survives, cut now.
Break-even is burn minus revenue hitting zero: at $15,000 costs growing revenue $2,000 monthly from $5,000, break-even lands in month 5 — before cash runs out at month 10 only if growth actually compounds. Plot revenue trajectory against the zero-cash date explicitly; crossing lines on a chart beats hoping in a pitch deck.
Startup Runway Calculator: Calculate startup runway from cash on hand, monthly burn and revenue — see months of survival and break-even timeline. Formula: Net burn = burn - revenue. Example: With $100,000 cash, $15,000 monthly costs and $5,000 revenue: net burn $10,000,.
Startup runway is cash on hand divided by net monthly burn (costs minus revenue): $100,000 cash at $15,000 costs and $5,000 revenue burns $10,000 monthly for 10 months of survival. It is the single number that decides whether you build, fundraise or cut — every other startup metric is commentary on this clock.
Net burn versus gross burn is the distinction that kills: gross burn ($15,000) scares, net burn ($10,000) decides. Growing revenue extends runway without new capital — each $1,000 of monthly recurring revenue added is $1,000 less burned, equivalent to raising $12,000+ yearly. Track net weekly; founders watching gross alone either panic early or relax late.
The 12–18 month rule governs fundraising: raise when 12+ months remain (leverage), never under 6 (desperation pricing). A 10-month runway means fundraising starts now, not in month 8 — rounds take 3–6 months to close, and due diligence stalls exactly when cash runs lowest. Plan the raise at twice the expected duration.
Extending runway has three levers ranked by speed: cut costs today (pausing hires, killing tools — immediate), accelerate revenue (annual prepay discounts, raising prices — weeks), raise capital (months). Most founders invert the order, chasing funding while burn continues; the disciplined sequence is cut first (buys months), sell second (buys quarters), raise third (buys years).
Zero-cash date math assumes flat burn, which lies two ways: hiring plans step burn up discretely, while revenue ramps bend it down. Model three scenarios — base, +25% burn (hiring slips), and revenue at 50% of plan (the historical average miss). If the pessimistic case still clears 12 months, the plan is fundable; if only the optimistic case survives, cut now.
Break-even is burn minus revenue hitting zero: at $15,000 costs growing revenue $2,000 monthly from $5,000, break-even lands in month 5 — before cash runs out at month 10 only if growth actually compounds. Plot revenue trajectory against the zero-cash date explicitly; crossing lines on a chart beats hoping in a pitch deck.
With $100,000 cash, $15,000 monthly costs and $5,000 revenue: net burn $10,000, runway 10 months, zero-cash date 10 months out. Cutting $3,000 of tools and one contractor extends to ~14 months; adding $4,000 MRR extends past 16.
Formulas are standard public references (see our methodology). External standards are cited in the text where they apply.
Last reviewed: September 2026 · Report an error