A complete Series A financial model for Gaming startups. Revenue model, unit economics, hiring plan, cash flow projections, and funding scenarios — structured for investor review.
Projection Horizon
5 years (monthly for Years 1-2, annual for Years 3-5)
Model Tabs
8 core tabs
Format
Excel + Google Sheets
Scalability of the revenue model and efficiency of the go-to-market. Series A investors validate that the growth engine is repeatable and unit economics improve with scale.
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.
Series A models are reviewed by investment committee analysts. Include a data room version with formula audit trail turned on. Avoid hardcoded numbers in cells — every input should flow from the assumption dashboard.
Three scenarios: upside (125% of plan), base (100%), and downside (70%). Include key assumption levers for each scenario and the capital required in each path.
A Series A Gaming financial model should cover 5 years (monthly for Years 1-2, annual for Years 3-5) of projections with these tabs: Executive Summary Model, Revenue Model with Cohorts, Unit Economics Dashboard, Headcount Plan by Department, Departmental P&L, Cash Flow Forecast, Funding Scenarios, Sensitivity Analysis. Scalability of the revenue model and efficiency of the go-to-market. Series A investors validate that the growth engine is repeatable and unit economics improve with scale.
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 Series A 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.
Series A models are reviewed by investment committee analysts. Include a data room version with formula audit trail turned on. Avoid hardcoded numbers in cells — every input should flow from the assumption dashboard. 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.
Three scenarios: upside (125% of plan), base (100%), and downside (70%). Include key assumption levers for each scenario and the capital required in each path.
Get the Gaming Series A 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