Valuation & Equity

Valuation

The estimated monetary worth of a company, determined through various methods and negotiations.

Full Definition

Valuation is the process of determining the current worth of a company. For startups, valuation is critical during fundraising because it determines how much equity investors receive for their capital.

Startup Valuation Methods

Comparable Companies: Benchmarking against similar companies' valuations
Revenue Multiples: Valuation as a multiple of annual revenue (e.g., 10x ARR for SaaS)
DCF (Discounted Cash Flow): Present value of projected future cash flows
Scorecard Method: Adjusting average angel deal valuations based on team, market, and product
Berkus Method: Assigning value to specific risk factors for pre-revenue startups

Typical Startup Valuations by Stage

Pre-seed: $1M - $5M
Seed: $3M - $20M
Series A: $15M - $60M
Series B: $50M - $200M
Series C+: $200M+

Typical Startup Valuations by Stage

Pre-Seed3$M

Seed10$M

Series A35$M

Series B120$M

Series C350$M

Pre-IPO800$M

Real-World Example

A SaaS startup with $2M ARR and 100% year-over-year growth is valued at $30M (15x revenue multiple) in its Series A.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you value a startup with no revenue?

Pre-revenue startups are valued based on team experience, market opportunity size, comparable company benchmarks, intellectual property, and the stage of product development. Methods include the Berkus Method (up to $500K per risk factor) and Scorecard Method (comparing to average angel deal valuations).

What is a typical revenue multiple for SaaS startups?

SaaS startup valuations are commonly 10-30x ARR (annual recurring revenue) at Series A, with high-growth companies (100%+ YoY) commanding 20-40x multiples. Later-stage and public SaaS companies typically trade at 8-15x ARR depending on growth rate and profitability.

What determines a startup's valuation?

Key factors include: revenue and growth rate, total addressable market (TAM), team strength and track record, unit economics (LTV:CAC), competitive landscape, product differentiation, stage of development, and overall market conditions.

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