What Valuation Should I Expect?
Written by Harry Prabandham
Curated by Rubric Financial
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Typical Valuations by Stage
- Pre-seed: $3M-$10M post-money cap on SAFEs, driven by team, market, and early thesis, not revenue
- Seed: $8M-$20M post-money, driven by early traction, MRR trajectory, and competitive dynamics in the round
- Series A: $30M-$80M pre-money, driven by ARR, growth rate, NRR, and the quality of your unit economics
- These ranges shift significantly by market conditions, geography, sector, and the competitive landscape for your deal
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About the author
Harry PrabandhamFounder & CEO
Founder and CEO of StartupCFO. MBA from Wharton, MS in Computer Science, and decades of experience building and advising venture-backed startups.
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