Startup valuation, as frustrating as this may be for anyone looking for a definitive answer, is, in fact, a relative science, and not an exact one. For those of you that want to cut to the summary of this post (which is somewhat self-evident when you read it) here it is:
The biggest determinant of your startup’s value are the market forces of the industry & sector in which it plays, which include the balance (or imbalance) between demand and supply of money, the recency and size of recent exits, the willingness for an investor to pay a premium to get into a deal, and the level of desperation of the entrepreneur looking for money.
Some of the valuation methods you may have heard about include:
Knowing what the exit price will be, or having an idea of what it will be, means that an investor can calculate what their returns will be on any valuation relative to the amount of money they put in, or alternatively what their percentage will be in an exit (money they put in, divided by the post-money valuation of your company = their percentage). Before we proceed, just a quick glossary:
An investor is willing to pay more for your company if:
An investor is less likely to pay a premium over the average for your company (or may even pass on the investment) if:
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