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Free Startup Financial Forecast Calculator

Get an investor-ready forecast in 5 minutes—free and no signup
Forecast Horizon
Revenue Model
Acquisition
Amount $
Start month
Monthly growth %
One-time Costs
Monthly Expenses
Amount $
Start month
Monthly growth %
Capital Planning
LTV/CAC:
ARPU:
LTV:
Payback:
Capital required:
Month → Clients: | MRR:
Tool by Anastasia Nikolaeva Consulting.
Get detailed financial model templates here

Anastasia Nikolaeva
This free calculator gives you a quick snapshot—but real fundraising, planning, and investor conversations require more depth.

If you’re ready to go further, I’ve built detailed, plug-and-play financial model templates. Choose the option that fits your business model to start building a serious forecast today:
Ready-to-Use Financial Model Templates
Easily forecast your revenue, manage expenses, and secure investors with customizable financial model templates. Designed for different startup models, these templates help you make data-driven decisions with confidence.

Choose Your Financial-forecasting Plan

Start free, upgrade when you need deeper insight—your numbers flow smoothly from one level to the next.
Online Calculator
free
5-minute snapshot to test assumptions
Templates
$19-53
Comprehensive forecast in a few hours
Custom Financial Model
$300-1000
Custom deep-dive

Methodology: How the Startup Financial Forecast Calculator Works

This calculator helps early-stage founders quickly model their projected growth, financial runway, and capital needs based on a set of key business assumptions. Below, we break down the methodology and formulas used behind the scenes:
1. Input Parameters

You enter:
Forecast horizon (number of months)
Subscription price (your monthly revenue per customer)
COGS (% of revenue spent on cost of goods sold)
Monthly churn rate (customer attrition)
Acquisition budget, CAC, start month, and growth (how much you’ll spend on marketing to acquire new customers, what it costs to acquire each one, and how that budget changes)
One-time costs
Monthly expenses (e.g., product development, operations, plus custom expense lines, each with start month and monthly growth)
Contingency rate (for safety margin)

2. Customer Acquisition & Growth Calculation

New customers each month are calculated by dividing the acquisition budget for that month by your CAC, starting from the specified “start month.” The marketing budget can increase by a set monthly percentage.
Total active customers for each month is the sum of retained customers from previous months (after churn) plus new customers acquired this month.

3. Revenue and COGS Calculation

Gross revenue each month is the number of active customers × subscription price.
COGS is calculated as a percentage of gross revenue.
Net revenue is gross revenue minus COGS.

4. Expense Planning

Acquisition expenses follow your monthly acquisition budget.
One-time costs are applied in the first month.
Monthly expenses (product development, operations, and any custom expense lines) can start in any month and grow at a defined monthly rate.

5. EBITDA and Burn Calculation

Total expenses each month is the sum of all acquisition, one-time, and monthly operating expenses.
EBITDA (operating profit before depreciation/amortization) is net revenue minus total expenses.
You can switch between calculating your capital need as either:
The sum of total expenses over the forecast period (plus contingency), or
The maximum cumulative cash deficit (“net burn”) experienced over the period (plus contingency) — whichever mode you select.

6. Key Metrics Calculation

ARPU (Average Revenue per User): Monthly subscription price minus COGS per customer.
LTV (Customer Lifetime Value): ARPU divided by monthly churn rate.
CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost): As entered.
LTV/CAC Ratio: LTV divided by CAC, color-coded for easy health-check.
Payback period: CAC divided by ARPU (in months).

7. Results & Output

The calculator visualizes all this in a table (per month and total), a stacked bar chart (revenue and expense breakdown), and summary metrics.
Results are shareable as an image with all calculations visible for transparency.

8. Contingency & Capital Requirement

The final recommended capital raise includes your contingency margin (e.g., +20%) to cover unforeseen risks.

Transparency Note:
This tool uses industry-standard Subscription metrics and simple, linear forecasting logic. For more nuanced planning (like tiered pricing, different acquisition channels or detailed analysis), you should use a full financial model template or seek professional advice.
FAQ: Startup Financial Forecast Calculator
This tool is designed to help startup founders and operators quickly estimate financial needs, runway, and growth metrics by inputting their own business assumptions. It’s ideal for early planning, fundraising preparation, or testing different growth scenarios.

Explore More: Insights on Startup Financial Modeling

Want to dive deeper into startup financial strategies, unit economics, and investment planning? Explore our latest blog articles packed with expert insights, practical guides, and proven frameworks to help you build a solid financial foundation for your business.