Free Startup Runway Calculator: Burn Rate & Cash Runway

Most founders don't know their real runway until it is too late to act on it. This calculator is built to change that. It combines a full P&L model, a hiring plan and a 24-month cash flow projection in one connected spreadsheet. Every number you enter flows through to a clear answer: how long do you have, and when do you need to start raising?

Four connected sheets do the work.

1. Assumptions. Set the drivers: revenue growth rate, headcount cost growth, fundraising lead time and runway buffer.
2. P&L. Break down revenue, payroll by team and operating expenses line by line across 12 months.
3. Hiring Plan. Model headcount growth role by role. The cost of each hire feeds into your burn automatically.
4. Dashboard. Read the result in five live KPIs.

Blue cells are your inputs. Everything else is calculated automatically, and the formulas are password-protected so nothing breaks by accident.

The five numbers on the dashboard

The Dashboard answers the questions investors and board members ask first.

• Cash balance. What is in the bank today.
• Monthly burn. How much cash the business uses each month.
• Runway in months. How long the cash lasts at that burn.
• Projected cash-out date. The month the money runs out if nothing changes.
• Fundraise start date. The date by which you need to begin your next raise.

The fundraise start date works back from your cash-out date using the lead time and buffer you set on the Assumptions tab. The 24-month projection gives every month a traffic-light status, so you can see when the position turns from comfortable to urgent.

Planning a round off the back of this? Build the spending plan next with the Use of Funds Template.

What's inside

• Dashboard with five live KPIs: cash, burn, runway, cash-out date and fundraise start date
• 24-month cash flow projection with traffic-light status per month
• Full 12-month P&L: revenue, payroll by team and operating expenses
• Hiring plan: model headcount growth role by role with automatic cost impact
• Assumptions tab for all growth rates and timing inputs
• Password-protected formulas: only input cells are editable

Using the calculator before a raise

Run the model before you speak to investors, not after. Set your fundraising lead time to reflect how long rounds take in your market, and add a buffer for delays. If the Dashboard shows a fundraise start date that has already passed, you have two levers: reduce burn through the Hiring Plan or bring revenue forward through the Assumptions tab. Either change flows straight through to your runway.

Then save the scenario you plan to share and walk investors through it. A founder who can explain their cash position month by month is far easier to back than one guessing at it.

Who it's for

• Pre-seed and seed founders managing their first cash runway
• Founders preparing for a fundraise who need to know when to start
• Operators and CFOs building their first financial model
• Accelerator teams and advisors helping portfolio companies with financial planning

Runway questions founders ask

What is burn rate?

Burn rate is the cash your company uses each month. Gross burn is your total monthly spend. Net burn is that spend minus the revenue you collect. Runway is calculated on net burn.

How do you calculate startup runway?

Divide your cash balance by your net monthly burn. A company with $600,000 in the bank and a net burn of $50,000 a month has 12 months of runway. The calculator goes further by letting burn change month by month as you hire and grow.

How much runway should a startup have?

A common rule of thumb is to raise enough for 18 to 24 months. That gives you time to hit the milestones the next round depends on, with room for a slower raise than planned.

When should I start fundraising?

Earlier than feels necessary. A round often takes several months from first meeting to money in the bank, so many founders start with at least six to nine months of runway left. The Dashboard gives you a specific date based on your own lead time and buffer.

What is the difference between a P&L and a cash flow projection?

A P&L shows revenue earned and costs incurred in a period. A cash flow projection shows when money actually enters and leaves the bank. Runway depends on cash, which is why the calculator carries both.

Can I change the formulas?

The formulas are password-protected, and only the blue input cells are editable.