Cash Runway Calculator
Calculates how many months of operation remain at the current burn rate. Models milestone-based cash depletion, identifies when fundraising or revenue acceleration must begin, and compares extension scenarios.
Executive - Cash Runway Calculator.xlsx
Excel (.xlsx) — No macros — Works in Excel, Google Sheets, LibreOffice
What This Spreadsheet Solves
- Runway is estimated informally without a structured model
- Burn rate changes are not reflected in runway projections in real time
- No milestone mapping to show which goals can be achieved before cash runs out
- Fundraising timing decisions lack data on when cash reaches critical levels
- Cost reduction scenarios are not modeled against runway extension impact
Who This Is For
- Startup founders monitoring cash position
- CFOs planning fundraising timelines
- Board members reviewing cash adequacy
- Operations leaders evaluating the cost impact of hiring plans
Inputs
- $Current Cash Balance
- $Monthly Revenue
- $Monthly Burn Rate (Total Expenses)
- %Monthly Revenue Growth Rate
- $Planned Expense Changes
- dateKey Milestone Dates
Outputs
- Runway in months at current burn
- Runway with revenue growth factored in
- Cash-zero date
- Milestones achievable before cash runs out
- Runway extension from 10%/20%/30% burn reduction
How Calculations Work
Net monthly burn is calculated as total expenses minus revenue. Runway equals current cash divided by net burn. When revenue growth is enabled, each month's revenue increases by the growth rate, reducing net burn over time and extending the runway. Milestones are plotted on the cash depletion timeline to show which can be reached before cash runs out. Extension scenarios reduce expenses by fixed percentages and recalculate the runway and cash-zero date for each.
Example Use Case
Scenario: Cash: $1.4M. Monthly revenue: $85,000 (growing 4%/month). Monthly expenses: $165,000. Key milestones: product launch (month 4), Series A target (month 10).
Result: Net burn: $80,000/month. Runway at constant burn: 17.5 months. With 4% revenue growth: 22.3 months (revenue reaches $125,800 by month 10, reducing net burn to $39,200). Cash-zero without growth: month 18. Product launch (month 4): $1.08M remaining. Series A target (month 10): $620,000 remaining. A 20% expense cut extends runway to 28.1 months.
What You Get — 5 Sheets
Technical Details
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I use gross burn or net burn?
The model calculates both. Net burn (expenses minus revenue) gives the true runway. Gross burn (total expenses) is useful for understanding cost structure but overstates the cash consumption rate for revenue-generating businesses.
How reliable is the revenue growth projection?
It depends on your growth consistency. If growth has been steady at 4% for 6+ months, the projection is reasonable. For early-stage companies with volatile growth, use conservative estimates or disable the growth factor.
When should I start fundraising relative to runway?
Begin fundraising when you have 6-9 months of runway remaining. Fundraising typically takes 3-6 months. The CONFIG sheet includes a fundraising buffer setting to automatically flag when to begin.
Can I model a funding round?
Yes. Add a planned cash infusion in the INPUT sheet at a specific future month. The model will show the runway jump and revised cash-zero date post-funding.
What if my expenses are increasing?
Enter planned expense changes (e.g., new hires) with their start month. The model will increase the burn rate at that point and reflect it in the runway calculation.
Download Cash Runway Calculator
Ready to use immediately. Enter your data in the INPUT sheet, see results in OUTPUT.