Understanding burn rate: How to calculate it and why it matters for startups

What is burn rate?

Burn rate is how much cash your business loses each month. It's a critical metric that shows whether you're burning cash faster than you're bringing it in. It typically refers to net cash loss, but once a business becomes cash-flow positive, burn rate turns negative, meaning the company is generating cash rather than consuming it.

For founders, tracking your cash burn rate means knowing exactly how long you can sustain operations before needing additional funding or hitting profitability. At this point, burn rate stops being a definition and becomes a decision-making tool.

Think of it this way: if your current cash balance is SGD $300,000 and your monthly burn rate is SGD $50,000, you have six months to either generate revenue, cut costs, or raise money. No surprises, just clarity.

Key types of burn rate

There are two main types to track:

• Gross burn rate: It shows your total monthly operating costs, everything your company spends to keep the lights on, from salaries to software subscriptions. It doesn't factor in any revenue. This metric helps you understand your baseline cost structure.
  
• Net burn rate: It's more nuanced. It subtracts your monthly revenue from your gross burn.
  

If you're spending SGD $100,000 monthly but earning SGD $40,000, your net burn is SGD $60,000. This is the number that directly impacts your cash runway.

Why does knowing burn rate matter to your business

Your burn rate and net burn tell you how fast you're moving through cash reserves. High burn isn't always bad; rapid growth often requires investment, but a high net burn rate without a clear path to revenue or funding is risky.

Tracking these numbers helps you:

• Make informed decisions about hiring, marketing spend, and expansion.
  
• Know when to raise money or adjust your business plan.
  
• Communicate your financial health clearly to investors. For later-stage companies, some investors reference the "Rule of 40", where a company’s revenue growth rate plus profit margin should exceed 40%. While early-stage startups aren't expected to meet this benchmark, it provides a useful long-term reference for balancing growth and burn as the business matures.
  
• Avoid negative cash flow surprises that could shut down operations.
  

For small businesses and professional services firms operating across multiple markets, understanding burn rate becomes even more critical when managing multi-currency expenses and international payments.

Another benefit of understanding burn rate is gaining a clear view of your actual cash movement.

A business can appear profitable on its income statement while quietly running out of cash. This happens because income statements use accrual accounting, where revenue is recognised when earned rather than when cash is received.

Burn rate, by contrast, reflects real cash outflows. Expenses such as salaries, rent, software subscriptions, and supplier payments directly reduce your available cash and shorten your runway. To avoid a false sense of financial security, founders should always review burn rate alongside the cash flow statement, not just the income statement.

The psychology of burn rate

Burn rate isn't just a financial metric. For founders, it's an emotional one.

Many founders experience what is often called "burn rate anxiety" when their cash runway drops below 6 months. At this point, every hiring decision, marketing spend, or delayed deal can feel existential. This anxiety often leads to reactive decision-making, such as freezing investments too early or cutting growth initiatives that could generate future revenue.

A healthier approach is to treat burn rate as a planning tool rather than a verdict on your company’s performance. Scenario modelling, including base case, downside case, and recovery case, can help founders regain clarity and make deliberate decisions even under pressure.

Other uses

Beyond basic cash flow tracking, burn rate helps you:

• When analysed alongside revenue growth and burn multiple, burn rate helps benchmark operational efficiency against peers.
  
• Evaluate whether your growth trajectory justifies current spending.
  
• Assess operational efficiency and identify cost optimisation opportunities.
  
• Plan scenario models for different revenue growth paths.
  
• Prepare for investor due diligence and fundraising conversations.
  

The distinction between gross burn rate and net burn rate is fundamental to understanding your cash position. Many founders confuse the two, leading to miscalculated runway and poor decision-making. Let's break down each type, when to use them, and how to calculate them accurately.

Gross burn rate, uses and formula

Gross burn rate is straightforward. It's the total amount your business spends each month, regardless of revenue. This includes salaries, rent, software, marketing, and all operating expenses.

Gross burn rate formula:

Gross burn rate = Total monthly operating costs

If your company spends SGD $80,000 on salaries, SGD $ 15,000 on tools and software, and SGD $10,000 on office space, your gross burn is SGD $105,000 per month.

Use gross burn when you need to:

• Understand your fixed cost base.
  
• Calculate gross burn rate for budgeting purposes.
  
• Evaluate whether you can afford to scale operations.
  
• Identify which expense categories consume the most cash.
  
• Set departmental budgets and spending limits.
  

Net burn rate, uses and formula

Net burn rate gives you the real picture, it shows how much cash you're actually losing after accounting for monthly revenue. This is the number of months your cash will last.

Net burn rate formula:

Net burn rate = Total monthly operating costs - Monthly revenue

If your gross burn rate is SGD $105,000 and you generate SGD $35,000 in revenue, your monthly net burn is SGD $70,000. That's the cash leaving your account each month.

For founders planning growth or fundraising, net burn is critical. It determines your cash runway and tells investors how efficiently you're moving toward profitability. A high net burn rate signals aggressive growth, or unsustainable spending, depending on your business plan and market.

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How to calculate burn rate—Step by step

Calculating your burn rate isn't complicated, but accuracy matters. Here's how to calculate burn rate correctly using real numbers from your business, whether you're working from cash flow statements, financial statements, or calculating burn rate percentage.

Monthly burn rate

Start by tracking your expenses over a consistent period. Most businesses calculate monthly, but you can also look at quarterly averages if your spending fluctuates seasonally.

To calculate gross burn rate, add up all monthly expenses: payroll, rent, software subscriptions, marketing, travel, and any other total monthly operating costs. Don't exclude one-time costs unless you're specifically measuring recurring burn.

To calculate net burn rate, subtract monthly revenue from your gross burn. This shows how much your company loses each month after bringing in cash.

How to calculate burn rate from cash flow

Your cash flow statement is the most reliable source for burn rate data. Look at the "Cash Used in Operating Activities" section; this captures actual cash outflows, not just accounting expenses.

How to calculate burn rate from cash flow:

• Review your cash flow statement
  
• Note your starting cash balance and ending balance for the month
  
• Subtract ending cash from starting cash (excluding financing activities like loans or equity)
  
• The difference is your cash burn
  

If you started with SGD $500,000 and ended with SGD $430,000 without raising funds, your monthly cash burn was SGD $70,000. This method shows real cash movement, not accrual-based accounting.

How to calculate burn rate from financial statements

For a more comprehensive view, use your income statement alongside your balance sheet.

How to calculate the burn rate of a company from financial statements:

• From the income statement, take total operating expenses for the month
  
• Subtract total revenue for the same period
  
• Verify against the change in cash on your balance sheet
  
• Adjust for non-cash items like depreciation or amortisation if needed
  

This approach helps you understand both the P&L impact and actual cash consumption, giving you a complete picture of a company's burn rate.

How to calculate burn rate percentage

Burn rate percentage shows what portion of your cash reserves you're consuming each month. This metric is particularly useful for comparing burn rates across different company sizes.

How to calculate burn rate percentage:

Burn rate percentage = (Monthly net burn ÷ Total cash reserves) × 100

If your monthly net burn is SGD $50,000 and you have SGD $500,000 in cash, your burn rate percentage is 10%. This means you're consuming 10% of your cash reserves monthly.

As a general rule, consistently burning more than 15–20% of cash reserves per month shortens the runway quickly and increases funding urgency, especially for early-stage startups. Below 5% gives you a comfortable runway for strategic planning.

Formula breakdown

Let's break this down with a real example that ties everything together.

Example calculation:

• Starting current cash balance: SGD $400,000
  
• Ending cash balance: SGD $325,000
  
• Monthly revenue: SGD $25,000
  
• Total monthly operating costs: SGD $100,000
  

Following formula for net burn: Net burn rate = SGD $100,000 - SGD $25,000 = SGD $75,000

This means your business is burning cash at SGD $75,000 per month. With SGD $325,000 remaining, you have roughly 4.3 months of runway.

Burn rate percentage: (SGD $75,000 ÷ SGD $325,000) × 100 = 23%

At 23% monthly consumption, you need immediate action, either increase revenue, cut costs, or secure funding.

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When to calculate burn rate

Don't wait until you're close to empty. Burn rate factors change as your business evolves, so regular tracking is essential for maintaining healthy cash flow and avoiding surprises.

Calculate burn rate at these critical moments:

• Monthly, as part of your standard financial review.
  
• Before launching a major growth initiative or marketing campaign.
  
• When planning to hire or scale operations.
  
• Ahead of fundraising conversations, investors will ask.
  
• After significant revenue changes or potential cash flow issues emerge.
  
• When evaluating whether to cut costs or reduce costs.
  
• During quarterly board meetings or investor updates.
  
• When considering new market expansion or product launches.
  

For startups and SMEs, monthly tracking gives you time to adjust before hitting a crisis. If you're pre-revenue or in a growth phase, weekly or bi-weekly monitoring keeps you ahead of negative cash flow.

Professional services firms should calculate burn rate when taking on large projects with deferred payments, as this impacts working capital and immediate cash availability.

How to use burn rate to calculate cash runway

Knowing how long your cash will last is critical. Your cash runway tells you exactly how many months you can continue operating at your current burn rate, and it's one of the first metrics investors examine.

Cash runway formula

Cash runway = Current cash balance ÷ Monthly net burn rate

If you have SGD $300,000 in cash reserves and your net burn is SGD 50,000 per month, your runway is six months. That's your deadline to hit profitability, raise funding, or make changes to your spending.

Burn rate example:

• Cash balance: SGD $450,000
  
• Monthly net burn: SGD $75,000
  
• Cash runway: 6 months
  

Why runway matters

Runway is more than a mere number; it's your planning horizon. Understanding your runway shapes every major decision you make.

Six months of runway means you need to start conversations with investors now; fundraising typically takes 3-6 months. Three months means urgent action is required: cut costs immediately or accelerate revenue. Twelve months give you breathing room to focus on revenue growth, product development, and building sustainable unit economics.

For founders expanding internationally, runway calculations become more complex with multi-currency accounts and fluctuating exchange rates. Building a 20-30% buffer into your projections protects against unexpected costs, slower-than-expected future profitability, or market downturns.

As a rule of thumb, never let the runway drop below 6 months without a concrete plan. Below 3 months, you're in crisis mode, and making desperate decisions rarely leads to sustainable burn rate or long-term success.

What is a "good" burn rate? Factors that influence it

There's no universal answer to what is a good burn rate for a startup. It depends on your stage, industry, and growth goals. But understanding the factors that influence healthy burn rate helps you benchmark your performance.

A seed-stage SaaS company burning SGD $50,000 monthly pre-revenue might be on track if they're building product and validating market fit. A Series B company with the same burn and minimal traction is in trouble. Context matters more than the absolute number.

Key burn rate factors to consider:

Revenue growth rate, if you're doubling revenue quarterly, higher burn may be justified.

• Future profitability path: Can you reach break-even within your runway?
  
• Market conditions: Is funding readily available, or are investors cautious?
  
• Competitive pressure: Does rapid growth require aggressive spending?
  
• Operational efficiency: Are you spending effectively, or burning without a clear ROI?
  
• Industry standards: B2B SaaS tolerates higher burn than bootstrapped service businesses
  
• Stage of business: Early exploration warrants a different burn than scaling operations
  

Generally, aim for 12-18 months of runway at all times. Less than 6 months triggers urgency. More money in the bank gives you leverage in negotiations and space to execute your vision without desperation.

For solopreneurs and small businesses, lower burn rates (under SGD $20,000 monthly) are more sustainable. SMEs typically maintain higher burn as they scale operations across markets.

Pro tip for founders: Three signs your burn rate is unhealthy

• Low efficiency ratio: You're spending more than your revenue. For example, spending SGD $5 only to generate SGD $1 of new ARR.
  
• Shortening runway without hiring: Burn increases due to SaaS sprawl or operational creep rather than strategic headcount growth.
  
• High gross burn, fragile net burn: You're heavily reliant on one single customer to keep the "net" number low.
  

Common mistakes in burn rate calculation

Founders make predictable errors when tracking burn rate. Avoid these to maintain accurate financial visibility.

• Don't exclude irregular expenses. That annual software license or quarterly tax payment? It affects your monthly expenses and should be factored in as an average.
  
• Don't ignore one-time costs. A large equipment purchase or legal fee impacts your cash burn. Track these separately, but don't pretend they didn't happen.
  
• Don't confuse accounting profit with cash burn. Your P&L might show profitability while your bank account drains. This happens when you have receivables outstanding or prepaid expenses. Always use cash flow data.
  
• Don't forget multi-currency impacts. If you're paying vendors in USD and earning revenue in SGD, exchange rate fluctuations affect your real burn rate.
  
• Don't mix personal and business finances. For solopreneurs, this is critical. Track every business expense accurately to understand your true company's burn rate.
  
• Don't calculate only once per quarter. Monthly tracking catches trends early. Quarterly reviews miss opportunities to course-correct before problems compound.
  

How to forecast burn rate and scenario plan

Forecasting helps you prepare for different futures and make proactive decisions rather than reactive ones. Build models for best-case, expected, and worst-case scenarios to stress-test your business's burn rate.

Start with your current monthly burn rate as the baseline. Then layer in assumptions for the next 12-18 months:

• What if revenue grows 20% monthly versus 10% monthly?
  
• What if you hire three more people next quarter?
  
• What if a major customer churns or delays payment?
  
• What if you need to increase marketing spend to compete?
  
• What if funding takes six months longer than expected?
  

Scenario planning reveals which levers matter most. You might discover that cutting one major software subscription extends runway by two months, or that hitting a specific revenue milestone makes you default-alive and eliminates funding pressure.

Build sensitivity tables that show runway under different burn and revenue combinations. This helps you identify the key metrics to monitor and the triggers that should prompt action.

Update forecasts monthly as actual numbers come in. Your projections get more accurate over time, giving you confidence in decision-making and helping you spot concerning trends before they become crises.

Pro tip for founders: Understanding the "hiring trap"

A common burn rate mistake occurs during aggressive hiring. For example, a startup may double its burn rate to hire a new sales team, expecting rapid revenue growth. What often gets overlooked is the three-month ramp-up period before those hires begin generating meaningful revenue.

During this window, payroll expenses increase immediately while revenue remains flat, accelerating cash burn and shortening the runway faster than planned. This isn't a hiring failure, but a timing mismatch. Burn rate planning must account for delayed returns on headcount investments, especially in revenue-generating roles.

How to manage burn rate for Singapore startups

Singapore offers strong infrastructure for managing a company's financial health, but smart founders go further to optimise their cash position and extend their runway.

Use business accounts that give you real-time visibility into spending across multiple currencies. Track every dollar moving through your account, set team spending limits by department or project, and automate reconciliation to catch issues early before they accumulate.

Consider these strategies specific to Singapore-based businesses:

• Take advantage of government grants and tax incentives (like the Productivity Solutions Grant or Enterprise Development Grant) to reduce effective burn, provided that you meet the qualifying criteria.
  
• Use local payment rails and multi-currency accounts to minimise FX costs on international transactions.
  
• Build relationships with Singapore-based investors who understand the regional market dynamics.
  
• Benchmark your startup burn rate against comparable companies in Southeast Asia; burn rates here differ from Silicon Valley norms.
  

For SMEs and professional services firms, managing burn rate means balancing growth investment with financial prudence. The goal isn't to minimise burn at all costs; it's to ensure every dollar spent drives you closer to sustainable revenue and market leadership.

Singapore's efficient banking infrastructure and digital payment systems make tracking easier, but discipline in categorising expenses and monthly reviews still separates successful founders from those caught by surprise.

Pro tip for founders: Understanding default alive vs default dead

One useful framework for evaluating burn rate is "Default Alive vs Default Dead".

• Default Alive: If your current revenue growth and expense levels continue, your business will reach profitability before your cash runway ends. You aren't dependent on raising additional capital to survive.
  
• Default Dead: At your current burn rate and revenue trajectory, you'll run out of cash unless you raise more funding or make a significant operational change, such as cutting costs or accelerating revenue.
  

In tight capital markets, this assumption introduces significant risk. Therefore, managing burn rate is ultimately about shifting from default dead to default alive, reducing reliance on external capital and increasing operational resilience.

Beyond basics—Advanced variants

Once you're comfortable with basic burn rate tracking, these advanced metrics add depth to your financial analysis and help you make more nuanced decisions.

Burn multiple

Burn multiple shows how much cash you burn to generate each dollar of new revenue. Calculate it by dividing net burn by net new monthly recurring revenue (MRR).

Burn multiple formula: Burn multiple = Net burn ÷ Net new MRR

If you burned SGD $100,000 last month and added SGD $40,000 in the new MRR, your burn multiple is 2.5x. This means you spent SGD $2.50 to acquire each dollar of recurring revenue.

A burn multiple under 1.5x is considered highly efficient. Between 1.5-3x is reasonable for growth-stage companies. Above 3x suggests you're spending too much relative to revenue growth and should optimise your customer acquisition costs.

Burn rate trends

Don't just track the absolute number, track the trend over time. Is burn increasing, decreasing, or stable? A steadily decreasing burn rate often indicates improving efficiency and a path toward profitability.

Plot your monthly burn rate over 12 months. Look for patterns:

• Seasonal variations in spending or revenue
  
• The impact of hiring waves or marketing campaigns
  
• Whether you're trending toward sustainable unit economics
  
• How quickly you're approaching break-even
  

Trends matter more than single data points. One month of high burn due to a trade show might be fine. Three consecutive months of increasing burn without corresponding revenue growth signals a problem.

Burn rate adjusted for one-offs

For more accurate forecasting, calculate burn with and without one-time expenses. This gives you a clearer picture of recurring operational costs versus exceptional items.

Strip out major one-off costs like:

• Annual insurance premiums or licenses
  
• Recruitment agency fees
  
• Office relocation expenses
  
• Large professional services engagements
  

Your "normalised" burn rate is what you'd expect to maintain month-over-month. Use this for runway calculations. Track one-offs separately so you can plan for them without distorting your baseline projections.

Tools and templates for burn rate tracking

Tracking burn rate doesn't require complex software, but the right tools help.

Essential tools:

• Accounting software (Xero, QuickBooks) for expense tracking.
  
• Spreadsheets for custom calculations and scenario planning.
  
• Business banking platforms that offer real-time spend visibility.
  
• Financial dashboards that consolidate multi-currency accounts.
  

For founders operating globally, choose tools that integrate with your payment systems and provide consolidated reporting across markets. Manual consolidation of multiple accounts is error-prone and time-consuming.

Build or download templates that track:

• Monthly revenue and expenses by category.
  
• Gross and net burn calculations.
  
• Cash runway projections.
  
• Scenario models for different growth paths.
  

The best tracking system is the one you'll actually use consistently. Start simple with a spreadsheet, then graduate to more sophisticated tools as your business scales.

How Aspire helps you track and manage burn rate

Aspire gives you the financial visibility you need to manage burn rate confidently. Open a multi-currency business account in minutes, track spending in real time across 30+ currencies, and send international payments without the friction of traditional banks.

You can set spending controls by team or project, automate expense tracking, and get clear reporting that shows exactly where your cash is going each month. Whether you're a solopreneur managing expenses across borders or a scaling SME paying vendors in multiple currencies, Aspire removes the complexity that slows you down.

Real-time dashboards show your current cash balance, spending trends, and help you calculate cash runway without manual spreadsheet work. Built specifically for founders who think beyond borders, Aspire scales with your ambition.

Build, run, and scale your business globally with tools designed for founders who are going further.

Conclusion

Getting your burn rate right helps you understand where you stand and make informed decisions. Track your gross and net burn monthly, calculate gross burn rate and net burn rate accurately, and always know your cash runway.

The founders who scale successfully aren't the ones who never burn cash; they're the ones who burn it intentionally, with full visibility and a clear plan forward. They know their numbers, track trends, and make adjustments before small issues become crises.

Start tracking today. Your future self will thank you.

Frequently asked questions

What is burn rate in business?

Burn rate is how fast your business spends cash each month. It measures the rate at which you're depleting cash reserves, helping you understand how long you can sustain operations before needing additional revenue or funding.

Is burn rate a KPI?

Yes. Burn rate is a critical KPI for startups and growing businesses. It directly impacts your ability to continue operating and influences decisions about hiring, spending, and fundraising.

How do you calculate burn rate in a startup?

Calculate burn rate by tracking your total monthly operating costs (gross burn) or subtracting monthly revenue from costs (net burn). Use your cash flow statement for accurate numbers: starting cash minus ending cash equals your monthly burn.

What is the difference between burn rate and run rate?

Burn rate measures how fast you're spending cash. Run rate projects future revenue based on current performance. One tracks outflows, the other forecasts inflows; both matter for financial health.

How often should I calculate my burn rate?

Monthly is standard, but review more frequently during high-growth phases or when cash is tight. Regular tracking helps you spot trends and make adjustments before issues become critical.

How do I calculate runway from burn rate?

Divide your current cash balance by your monthly net burn rate. If you have SGD $200,000 and burn SGD $40,000 monthly, your runway is five months.

What burn rate should a startup aim for?

Maintain 12–18 months of cash runway at minimum. Your ideal startup burn rate depends on growth stage, revenue trajectory, and market conditions, but never let your runway drop below 6 months without a clear plan.

How can I reduce my burn rate?

Focus on high-impact areas: renegotiate vendor contracts, eliminate underused software, optimise marketing spend, and delay non-essential hires. Reduce costs strategically without compromising growth drivers.

Does Aspire help track burn rate and runway?

Yes. Aspire provides real-time expense tracking, multi-currency reporting, and spending controls that give you complete visibility into your cash burn. You can monitor exactly where money goes and make informed decisions about managing burn rate.