Template · Marketplace / Platform
Marketplace financial model template
Bring your sales, costs and cash figures. Adapt this starting plan for a marketplace business to see what your next move could cost.
Starting assumptions
Check these against your business.
These are the numbers the template starts with, such as costs and how long customers take to pay. Review them with your accountant and change them as needed. They are US starting points, not your own results or financial advice.
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Cost of revenue | 25% |
| Days to collect (DSO) | 5 days |
| Days to pay suppliers (DPO) | 30 days |
| Inventory held | none |
| Revenue collected in advance (deferred) | none |
| Depreciation life | 3 years |
| Tax rate | 21% |
| Trading days per month | 30 |
| Revenue driver | Marketplace transactions |
| Valuation default | 5× forward revenue |
The statements
See where each assumption leads.
Follow the inputs through profit, cash and the balance sheet, then review the template's valuation basis. The method and assumptions determine the estimate; it is not a promised sale price.
Income statement
- Revenue = transactions per day × net take per transaction (or active customers × ARPU)
- Payments and support at 25% are cost of revenue
- Product and engineering are R&D
Balance sheet
- Payouts settle in ~5 days, no inventory, no deferred revenue
- Equipment depreciates over 3 years
Cash flow
- Growth is funded by equity
- The burn multiple (net burn ÷ net new ARR) is the key efficiency measure
Valuation
- Forward revenue multiple (default 5× next-twelve-months net revenue)
KPIs and benchmarks
What the dashboard tracks for this business
The KPIs on the dashboard and the thresholds the ratios grid shades against come from this template.
Dashboard KPIs
- 01Net revenue run-rate
- 02Transactions / day
- 03Take per transaction
- 04Revenue growth
- 05Burn multiple
| Benchmark | Target |
|---|---|
| Gross margin | ≥ 60% |
| EBITDA margin | ≥ 5% |
| Revenue growth (annual) | ≥ 50% |
| Runway | ≥ 18 months |
| Revenue per employee | ≥ $150k |
| Rule of 40 | growth % + margin % ≥ 40 |
| Burn multiple | ≤ 2× |
Targets are US starting points for this kind of business, not advice.
Use it
Turn the starting point into your plan.
- Bring your current figures. Choose “Marketplace / Platform” during setup or on My Company. Enter reported monthly totals in Your Data, or import a supported CSV or XLSX export from your books.
- Set what you expect next. Review the defaults above, then plan sales, people, running costs, purchases and funding. The assistant can propose edits for you to check.
- Explore a decision. Compare a more cautious sales assumption or a planned investment. Review cash and profit, then the valuation and any ownership implications when raising is relevant.
Sample figures show how the model works. Replace them with your own figures and assumptions before relying on the results.
Other templates: SaaS, Café, bar or restaurant, Retail or e-commerce, Agency or professional services.
Start with your business.Explore what comes next.
Request an invitation, bring your current figures and build a plan you can review with your accountant.