Startup Cost Calculator
Project startup costs and cash position month by month, separating operational break-even from payback and reporting the cash trough that actually determines how much funding is needed.
Last reviewed by the Radiatus Cloud team
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Radiatus delivers cloud, security & automation for growing teams.
The trough decides the funding, not the ending balance
A plan that ends the third year comfortably in profit can still fail in month eight, because a business has to survive the bottom of its cash curve rather than the end of the spreadsheet. The lowest balance the projection reaches is therefore the number that sets how much money is actually needed, and it is reported here alongside the month it happens in. Plans that quote only the closing position routinely under-raise and then run out of cash while technically on track.
Break-even and payback are different dates
Operational break-even is the month revenue first covers monthly costs. Payback is the later month when the balance returns to where it started, once the setup costs and every month of accumulated losses have been repaid. Confusing the two is how funding rounds get sized wrongly: reaching break-even does not refill the bank account, it only stops draining it. Both dates are computed separately here, and the gap between them is usually a surprise the first time it is seen.
Setup costs land before month one
Incorporation, equipment, deposits and initial inventory are paid up front, not spread across the first year, so the opening balance is already reduced before any trading happens. Averaging them across twelve months flatters the early position exactly where a plan is most fragile. A contingency percentage is applied to every figure because first budgets typically omit whole categories rather than merely estimating the known ones low, and it is the omissions that empty the account.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How much funding do I actually need?
Enough to clear the lowest point of the cash curve, not the ending balance. The projection reports that trough and the month it occurs, and the shortfall figure is what has to be covered.
What is the difference between break-even and payback?
Break-even is when monthly revenue first covers monthly costs, so the business stops losing money each month. Payback is the later date when the balance returns to its starting level, after the setup costs and accumulated losses have been repaid.
Why add a contingency?
Because first budgets usually omit entire categories rather than under-estimating the ones they list. A percentage on top is a crude but effective allowance for the costs nobody thought of yet.
How is revenue growth applied?
As a constant monthly multiplier, which compounds. Twelve per cent a month is roughly 290 per cent a year, so a rate that seems modest monthly is the assumption most worth stress-testing over a long horizon.
Should setup costs be spread across the first year?
No. They are paid before trading starts, so they reduce the opening balance directly. Spreading them flatters the early months, which is exactly where a plan is most likely to fail.
Is anything sent to a server?
No. The whole projection runs in your browser, so cost structures and funding figures stay on your machine.
Privacy & Security
Everything runs in your browser; nothing is uploaded.
How to Use
List your one-off and monthly costs.
Disclaimer: This tool is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind. Results are for educational and utility purposes.
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