Biotech Startup Runway Calculator
Calculate runway against real biotech benchmarks. The relevant benchmark here is 24-36 months between value-inflection milestones.
Typical starting inputs
This page starts from $350,000/mo burn, $0/mo revenue, 0% gross margin, and 0% monthly growth — adjust them to match your books.
What Biotech founders should watch
- Biotech runway is measured by milestones, not months. Plan to the next value inflection.
- Non-dilutive grants (NIH, SBIR) materially extend runway.
- Tranched financings are normal — model worst-case tranche release.
Burn multiple
Biotech burn is judged by milestone risk-adjusted: cost per IND, cost per Phase I readout, cost per pivotal trial.
When to raise
Series A biotech rounds typically fund to the next value inflection point (preclinical -> IND, IND -> Phase I) with 6 months of buffer.
What usually goes wrong
- Trial timeline slippage.
- Regulatory feedback delays.
- CRO cost overruns.
Related free tools
Also try the startup runway calculator, the survival simulator, the default alive or default dead test, and the AI CFO — all free, no account required. When you're ready for live data and ongoing forecasts, sign up for FounderConsole.