A complete Pre-Seed financial model for Gaming 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.
Gaming models live and die by the LTV:CPI ratio. A ratio below 1.5x is unprofitable. Build a cohort waterfall showing how D1/D7/D30 retention converts to LTV by acquisition channel. Include a separate tab for each major live title.
User acquisition model with D1/D7/D30 retention cohorts driving LTV calculation. Revenue driven by ARPDAU (average revenue per daily active user) from in-app purchases and advertising.
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 Gaming 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.
User acquisition model with D1/D7/D30 retention cohorts driving LTV calculation. Revenue driven by ARPDAU (average revenue per daily active user) from in-app purchases and advertising. The key revenue drivers are: Daily Active Users (DAU) x ARPDAU; In-app purchase revenue by user tier; Advertising revenue (rewarded ads, interstitials); Live operations event revenue spikes.
Gaming unit economics at the Pre-Seed stage should include: Cost Per Install (CPI) by channel and creative; LTV at D7, D30, D90, D365 by user segment; LTV:CPI ratio by acquisition channel; Contribution margin after UA spend and hosting; Payback period on user acquisition cost. Gaming models live and die by the LTV:CPI ratio. A ratio below 1.5x is unprofitable. Build a cohort waterfall showing how D1/D7/D30 retention converts to LTV by acquisition channel. Include a separate tab for each major live title.
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 Gaming 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