Various · Standard
Comparables (market multiples)
Founder takeaway
Founder reading: this is the method you use to defend your number to the VC. Pull 5-7 recent comps (Crunchbase + PitchBook) in your sector + stage + geography. If you're non-AI in 2026, strip out the AI deals before averaging — the +85% AI premium will distort your benchmark upward and the VC will know.
Best for
Sanity check against comparable transactions.
Formula
Pre-money = Revenue × Industry multiple OR Median (comparable round pre-moneys)Inputs
- 5-15 comparable transactions
- Sector/stage/geography adjustments
- Revenue multiple or pre-money median
Caveats
- True comparables are rare
- Recent rounds may reflect distressed pricing
- 2026 AI premium is +85% at Series A
Source
↗ https://www.equidam.com/startup-valuation-methods-to-use-and-avoid/Verified 2026-06-03.
Other methods