Tomasz Tunguz (Theory Ventures) · 2022-11-06
· 1306d
Inflation's Impact on Startup Runway: Treasury Management in High-Inflation Environments
8% annual inflation effectively costs startups one month of runway per year due to purchasing power erosion. Startups with large cash reserves may be tempted to pursue higher-yield investments to offset inflation, but the author cautions that liquidity and accessibility of capital should be the primary consideration in treasury management strategy.
Metrics in this report
Annual Inflation Rate
8%
baseline assumption
Startup runway erosion calculation
Recommended Runway Reserve
12-24months
range
Minimum cash on hand for startups
VC Investment Decline
40%
peak decline
Global Financial Crisis impact on venture capital