Startup Runway Calculator

Runway is how many months your company can operate before it runs out of cash, calculated as current cash divided by net monthly burn. It is the single most important number for timing a raise.

Aim to start your next raise with 9–12 months of runway remaining, because raises typically take 3–6 months to close. Dropping below 6 months of runway weakens your negotiating position.

Runway = current cash ÷ net monthly burn. If you hold $600,000 and burn $50,000 net per month, you have 12 months of runway. Falling revenue or rising burn shortens it.

Before cash hits zero you must raise, become cash-flow positive, or cut costs. Planning the next raise against your runway — not against a calendar — is what keeps a company out of a distressed raise.