Startup Investability Score
Evaluate your startup from a VC's perspective. Identify strengths and weaknesses in your team, market, traction, and defensibility.
Investability Score
Rate your startup from 1 (Weak) to 10 (World Class) on the following dimensions:
Experience, track record, technical ability, completeness
TAM > $1B, growth rate, urgency of problem
Revenue growth, retention, user engagement, love
IP, network effects, high switching costs, brand
Click "Calculate Score" to see your result
Investors back founders who understand their numbers.
Find Investors for Your StageMethodology & Scoring
How VCs Score Startups
This calculator uses a weighted average of the four most critical factors venture capitalists evaluate. The weights reflect the relative importance of each factor for early-stage companies (Seed to Series A).
1. Team (30%)
For early-stage startups, the team is the biggest risk and biggest asset. Investors look for founder-market fit, technical capability, sales ability, and resilience.
2. Market (25%)
VCs need massive outcomes to return their funds. They look for large ($1B+) and growing markets. A great team in a small market is capped; an average team in a booming market can sometimes succeed.
3. Product-Market Fit (25%)
Evidence that customers love your product. Measured by growth, retention, engagement, and revenue. This validates that you are solving a real problem.
4. Moat / Defensibility (20%)
What stops Google or a funded competitor from cloning you? Network effects, proprietary data, complex tech, or brand affinity create long-term value.
Overall Score = (Team × 0.30) + (Market × 0.25) + (PMF × 0.25) + (Moat × 0.20)
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a startup investable?
Investable startups minimize risk while maximizing potential return. They have a credible team (execution risk addressed), a huge market (market risk addressed), and early signs of traction (product risk addressed). The "story" connects these dots convincingly.
How do VCs evaluate early-stage companies?
At Pre-Seed and Seed, evaluation is almost entirely qualitative: "Do we believe these founders can build this future?" As you move to Series A and B, evaluation becomes quantitative: "Do the metrics prove the business model works at scale?"
Can a low score still raise funding?
Yes, especially if one area is an outlier "10/10". For example, a repeat founder with a billion-dollar exit (Team: 10) can often raise money with just an idea (PMF: 1). However, weakness in all areas usually prevents funding.
How should founders use investability scores?
Use the score to identify your weakest link. If your Market score is low, consider pivoting to a bigger problem. If PMF is low, focus on customer discovery before pitching investors. Fix the holes in your boat before trying to sail across the ocean.