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Markets & Metrics

Burn Rate

How fast a company spends cash each month

What it is

Burn rate is how fast a company spends cash that it isn't yet earning back, usually quoted per month. "Gross burn" is total monthly cash out; "net burn" is cash out minus cash in. A startup burning $200k a month net is depleting its bank account by that much every month.

Why it matters

Burn rate plus cash in the bank determines how long a company survives before it must raise again or become profitable. It is the number that keeps founders up at night.

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