Will my startup run out of money?
Take the cash in your bank, subtract what you lose each month (costs minus what you earn), and you get how many months you have left before you hit zero. If you reach the point where you earn more than you spend before that, you survive. That number of months has a name: your runway.
The simple version (no jargon)
You run out of money when your bank account hits zero. So two things decide it: how much cash you have now, and how fast you lose it each month. If you lose €5,000 a month and have €60,000, you have about 12 months — unless you start earning more or spending less before then.
The trap is that it is not a fixed number. If your costs grow faster than your income, you run out sooner than the simple division suggests. That is why a quick projection beats staring at your bank balance.
The word for this is "runway"
What we just described — months of money left at your current pace — is what founders call your runway. And the moment your income covers your costs (so you stop losing money) is your break-even. If you reach break-even before your runway runs out, you are "default alive".
You do not need to know these words to use the idea. But now that you do, you can read the benchmarks: most early-stage founders aim for 12-18 months of runway.
How to get your number
Our free runway calculator does the projection for you: put in your cash, monthly revenue, monthly costs and growth, and it shows the exact month you would run out, your break-even month, and whether you are on track — checked against real benchmarks for your stage.
FAQ
How do I calculate how long my money will last?
Divide your cash by your monthly net loss (costs minus revenue) for a rough number, then adjust for growth: if costs rise faster than income, it lasts less. A calculator that projects month by month is more accurate than a single division.
What is a healthy amount of runway?
Most early-stage founders aim for 12-18 months. Under 6 months is a red flag — you should be cutting costs or raising well before you get there, because options dry up as cash does.
Check your own numbers.
Startkeel tells you in minutes whether your SaaS holds up.
Last updated: June 25, 2026. For information only — not financial advice.