Specialized calculator · B2B SaaS

    Runway Calculator for B2B SaaS

    Runway is the most critical metric in SaaS. Calculate yours with industry-specific benchmarks and learn what to do if it's running short.

    Calculate your runway

    The preloaded values are a typical example for B2B SaaS. Replace them with your own.

    Net burn rate

    $85,000/mo

    Runway

    17.6months
    Green zone

    Good cushion. Execute and plan your next milestone.

    Typical example for B2B SaaS

    A typical post-seed B2B SaaS has ~$1.5M in the bank, burns ~$85k net per month ($35k in MRR against $120k in expenses), and has a runway of 17-18 months.

    Healthy runway

    18-24 months post-seed

    Burn typically concentrated in

    70-80% on engineering + sales salaries

    Typical cost breakdown for B2B SaaS

    Engineering and product

    The biggest expense in early B2B SaaS

    45-55%

    Sales and marketing

    AEs, SDRs, campaigns, outbound tools

    20-30%

    Infrastructure (hosting, SaaS tools)

    AWS/GCP + Stripe + Datadog + Slack

    5-10%

    Operations and G&A

    Finance, legal, HR, accounting

    10-15%

    Customer Success

    Onboarding, support, expansion

    5-10%

    Key metrics you should monitor

    • CAC payback <12 months
    • NRR >110%
    • Gross margin >75%
    • Burn Multiple <1.5x
    • MRR growth >15% monthly (seed)

    Common mistakes when calculating runway for B2B SaaS

    • Not separating one-time revenue (setup fees) from recurring MRR
    • Underestimating true CAC by leaving out the founder's time
    • Ignoring collection timing (DSO on enterprise contracts)
    • Spending too much on marketing before clear PMF

    Frequently asked questions

    What's a healthy runway for a B2B SaaS?

    The general Silicon Valley rule is 18-24 months post-round. In tighter capital environments (2023-2026), many investors prefer to see 24-30 months as a safety cushion.

    How does annual billing affect the calculation?

    If you bill annually upfront, your cash balance spikes temporarily but your normalized MRR is still month to month. Separate deferred revenue from operating cash so you don't overstate your real runway.

    Runway always up to date, without touching Excel

    Hayes Strategic calculates your runway, P&L, and cash flow automatically from your transactions. Built for B2B SaaS.

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