A complete Pre-Seed financial model for E-commerce startups. Revenue model, unit economics, hiring plan, cash flow projections, and funding scenarios — structured for investor review.
Projection Horizon
18 months
Model Tabs
5 core tabs
Format
Excel + Google Sheets
Cash runway, burn rate, and the key milestones that unlock your next round. Pre-seed investors focus on whether you have enough runway to prove the thesis.
Ecommerce models must separate first-order economics from repeat-order economics. Investors will calculate blended CAC payback — if your first order loses money, you need repeat purchases to break even. Show this explicitly.
GMV-based model with take rate, return rate, and fulfillment cost structure. Build customer cohorts tracking first purchase, repeat purchase rate, and declining reorder intervals.
Build every assumption from first principles. Pre-seed investors will ask "how did you get to this number?" for every major line. Have a clear answer that ties back to market research or comparable benchmarks.
Model two scenarios: (1) raising your target amount, (2) raising 70% of target. Show what milestones you hit in each case and when you need to start the next raise.
A Pre-Seed E-commerce financial model should cover 18 months of projections with these tabs: Assumptions Dashboard, Revenue Model (monthly), Headcount Plan, Cash Flow Forecast, Runway Sensitivity. Cash runway, burn rate, and the key milestones that unlock your next round. Pre-seed investors focus on whether you have enough runway to prove the thesis.
GMV-based model with take rate, return rate, and fulfillment cost structure. Build customer cohorts tracking first purchase, repeat purchase rate, and declining reorder intervals. The key revenue drivers are: Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) by category; Net revenue after returns and refunds; Subscription membership revenue (if applicable); Marketplace or third-party seller revenue.
E-commerce unit economics at the Pre-Seed stage should include: Average Order Value (AOV) trend; Gross margin by product category; Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) by channel; Repeat purchase rate and purchase frequency; LTV by customer vintage at 12, 24, 36 months. Ecommerce models must separate first-order economics from repeat-order economics. Investors will calculate blended CAC payback — if your first order loses money, you need repeat purchases to break even. Show this explicitly.
Build every assumption from first principles. Pre-seed investors will ask "how did you get to this number?" for every major line. Have a clear answer that ties back to market research or comparable benchmarks. Start with the smallest unit of your business (one customer, one transaction, one seat) and build up from there. Every assumption should have a source or benchmark you can defend in an investor meeting.
Model two scenarios: (1) raising your target amount, (2) raising 70% of target. Show what milestones you hit in each case and when you need to start the next raise.
Get the E-commerce Pre-Seed financial model as a pre-built Excel and Google Sheets template. Assumptions dashboard, revenue model, unit economics, and cash flow — ready to customize.
Includes Excel file, Google Sheets version, and model documentation guide