Startup Glossary

A high-net-worth individual who provides capital to startups in exchange for equity or convertible debt.

Building a company using personal finances or operating revenue without external funding.

The rate at which a company spends its cash reserves, typically measured monthly.

Customer Acquisition Cost - the total cost to acquire a new customer.

A spreadsheet showing the equity ownership, dilution, and value of equity in a company.

The rate at which customers stop doing business with a company over a given period.

A proprietary AI-generated metric that evaluates startup idea viability across multiple dimensions.

The investigation and analysis process investors conduct before making an investment.

Lifetime Value - the total revenue expected from a customer over their entire relationship.

Monthly Recurring Revenue - predictable revenue a business expects to receive every month.

Minimum Viable Product - the simplest version of a product that can be released to early customers.

A brief presentation that provides investors with an overview of your business plan and vision.

The earliest funding stage, often from founders, friends, family, or early angels.

The degree to which a product satisfies strong market demand.

The amount of time a startup can operate before running out of cash.

Serviceable Addressable Market - the portion of TAM targeted by your products within geographical reach.

The first official equity funding stage, typically used to prove product-market fit.

The first significant round of venture capital financing after seed stage.

Serviceable Obtainable Market - the realistic portion of SAM you can capture in the near term.

Total Addressable Market - the total revenue opportunity available if 100% market share is achieved.