CFO & Strategy
Startup Survival Rates by Stage
Collated by Harry Prabandham
Curated by Rubric Financial
1 / 4
Survival Statistics
- [Source: CB Insights, Carta, Failory startup failure research]
- About 90% of startups fail — but this statistic is misleading because it includes every incorporated entity, not just funded companies
- Of funded startups: roughly 75% of seed-funded companies fail to raise a Series A, and about 60% of those eventually shut down
- Of Series A companies: roughly 30-40% fail to raise a Series B, though many find alternative paths (profitability, acquisition, bootstrapping)
- The median time to failure is 20-24 months — almost exactly the length of a single funding round's runway
Related Resources
CFO & Strategy
Startup KPIs Every Founder Should Track
A comprehensive guide to the financial and operational KPIs that investors expect founders to know and track from day one.
CFO & StrategyWorking Capital Management for Startups
Optimize your startup's working capital cycle to improve cash flow, reduce financing needs, and build operational resilience.
CFO & StrategyWhat Financial Metrics Matter at Each Stage
A stage-by-stage guide to the financial metrics that matter most — from burn rate at pre-seed to efficiency metrics at Series B and beyond.
