Runway Calculator

Runway is the number of months a startup can continue operating before its cash balance hits zero. Static runway assumes current burn rate stays constant — just divide your cash by your monthly net burn. Dynamic runway accounts for revenue growth and expense growth, which gives a much more realistic picture because few startups have flat revenue. The critical insight is that runway is not just a survival metric — it dictates your strategic options. With 18+ months of runway, you can experiment, iterate, and wait for the right fundraising window. With 12 months, you should be planning your next raise. With 6 months, you are in emergency mode — fundraising under duress with leverage shifting heavily to investors. The "fundraise deadline" output is arguably the most important number this calculator produces: it tells you the latest date you can begin raising capital (assuming a 5-7 month process) and still close before running out. Most founders start fundraising too late because they anchor on the zero-cash date rather than counting backward from it. According to First Round Capital's data, the median time from first partner meeting to wire transfer is 5.5 months, and that assumes a warm introduction and a company with clear traction. Cold outreach adds another 1-2 months. Build that timeline into your planning or risk discovering the math too late to change the outcome.