Startup Financial Intelligence That Actually Works
Real numbers from real startups in the Australian ecosystem. We track what matters so you can make informed decisions about your venture's financial health.
Active monitoring across NSW tech scene since 2022
For pre-seed companies in their first 18 months
Based on current funding and expenditure patterns
Of startups that implement structured financial planning
Context Behind the Numbers
Most startup financial advice feels disconnected from reality. We've spent three years collecting data from founders who actually share their real figures — not the polished versions they present to investors.
The Sydney startup scene has its own rhythm. Costs here differ from Silicon Valley benchmarks, and funding patterns follow Australian investor behaviors. Our statistics reflect these local realities rather than imported assumptions.
We update quarterly based on direct founder surveys and voluntary financial sharing. The data covers everything from co-working space costs to contractor rates, giving you benchmarks that match your actual environment.
Finding Your Financial Direction
Different stages need different metrics. Here's how to navigate what matters for your situation.
Focus on minimum viable costs. Track your bootstrap runway carefully — most founders underestimate by about 40%. Our data shows successful bootstrappers spend between K-K monthly in the first six months, mostly on development and basic operations.
Your burn rate becomes critical now. The sweet spot we've observed is keeping monthly burn under 12% of total funding. This gives you actual runway to find product-market fit, not just theoretical months on paper.
Investors want to see unit economics that make sense. Companies that successfully raise Series A in our data set had CAC payback periods under 14 months and gross margins above 60%. Start tracking these at least six months before you need them.
Watch your growth efficiency ratio — revenue growth divided by net burn. Sustainable companies in our tracking maintain ratios above 1.2, meaning they're growing faster than they're spending. Below 0.8 often signals problems ahead.
This typically increases monthly costs by 35-50% based on our data. Most successful expansions happened after achieving strong domestic unit economics first. The startups that struggled expanded before they had repeatable processes.
Who Builds These Insights
Two people who've seen enough startup financial disasters to know what actually prevents them.
Torin Blackwood
Spent seven years in venture capital before switching sides to help founders understand their own numbers. Built the original tracking framework we still use, though it's evolved considerably. Still maintains relationships with 200+ founders who share data voluntarily.
Keston Prichard
Former CFO at three different startups that actually succeeded. Knows what metrics matter because he's watched which ones predict problems versus which ones just look impressive in presentations. Designs our quarterly surveys and cleans the data.
How We Got Here
Started as informal founder meetups where people actually shared real numbers. Turned into something more structured when we realized how valuable honest data could be.
First Data Collection
Started with 23 founders willing to share actual financial data anonymously. Built basic spreadsheet tracking system that became surprisingly useful for spotting patterns nobody else was documenting.
Methodology Development
Realized our initial categories were too broad. Rebuilt entire framework to capture stage-specific metrics that actually predict outcomes. Added quarterly survey system that now reaches 400+ founders.
Regional Focus
Discovered Australian startup costs don't match American benchmarks everyone quotes. Shifted entirely to local data collection with NSW-specific tracking. Made insights actually relevant to founders operating here.
Expanded Coverage
Added tracking for post-revenue companies and later-stage metrics. Started seeing enough data volume to identify reliable patterns around growth efficiency and sustainable scaling.
Public Access Launch
Opened core statistics to broader startup community. Built this platform to share insights that previously only reached founders in our direct network. Response showed clear appetite for honest financial data.
Enhanced Analytics
Current focus involves deeper analysis of what separates sustainable startups from those that burn too fast. Adding more granular stage-specific benchmarks based on three years of accumulated data.