Template · Tech startup / SaaS

SaaS financial model template

Bring your sales, costs and cash figures. Adapt this starting plan for a saas 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.

SettingValue
Cost of revenue20%
Days to collect (DSO)30 days
Days to pay suppliers (DPO)30 days
Inventory heldnone
Revenue collected in advance (deferred)60 days
Depreciation life3 years
Tax rate21%
Trading days per month30
Revenue driverUsage / transactional revenue
Valuation default8× 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 = subscribers × price by plan (or customers × ARPU) net of churn
  • Cost of revenue at 20% (hosting, payments, support) so gross margin reads ~80%
  • Engineering payroll and tools are R&D, marketing is S&M

Balance sheet

  • Invoiced customers pay on 30-day terms (receivables), annual prepayments build deferred revenue (≈60 days of revenue), no inventory
  • Laptops and equipment depreciate over 3 years

Cash flow

  • Growth in deferred revenue is an operating inflow: prepaid annual plans fund growth before it is earned

Valuation

  • Forward revenue multiple (default 8× next-twelve-months revenue), which is the market convention for growth software

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

  1. 01MRR / ARR
  2. 02Net new ARR
  3. 03LTV : CAC
  4. 04CAC payback
  5. 05Rule of 40
  6. 06Burn multiple
BenchmarkTarget
Gross margin≥ 70%
EBITDA margin≥ 10%
Revenue growth (annual)≥ 40%
Runway≥ 18 months
Revenue per employee≥ $150k
Rule of 40growth % + 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.

  1. Bring your current figures. Choose “Tech startup / SaaS” during setup or on My Company. Enter reported monthly totals in Your Data, or import a supported CSV or XLSX export from your books.
  2. 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.
  3. 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: Café, bar or restaurant, Retail or e-commerce, Agency or professional services, Marketplace.

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.