Multiplier Capital Managing Director Ash Vaidya explains the baseline gross and net retention benchmarks he uses when evaluating enterprise versus SME startups for venture debt underwriting.
0:00 / 0:26exact quote · 26.4s
720p mp4 · rendered on demand · StarZero watermark
“Like if a company is an enterprise focused business, right? Typically speaking, we're seeing, you know, gross and net retention numbers are sort of in the 90% range to the hundred to 120% range for those. If it's an enterprise focused business, right? If it's a SME focused and market business, right? That you're talking to, then it's okay to have a gross retention, maybe in the 70 to 80% range and the net retention to be in the 90% range.”
quote is from the automated transcript, cleaned for reading:
filler sounds and stutters are removed, nothing is rephrased. names can be misheard
(the analysis reads context, assessments check outside sources). how →
More from Ash Vaidya
Insight
Vaidya: Co-founders making every decision jointly is a recipe for disaster
“As opposed to both the founders thinking that everything is a co-jointed decision. That's always a recipe for a disaster.”
Ash VaidyaJun 18, 2025▶ 19:17Navigating Venture Debt: Startup Insights from Multiplier Capital
AssertionNot checkable as stated
Vaidya: Startups funded in 2021-2022 turn to debt as equity multiples compress
“Companies that were raising money in the 18 to 24 month cadence that raised money in 21, 22, right? At higher multiples are coming up for raising capital now in the equity markets, and they're seeing their multiples compress quite a bit. So Debt has become a s…”
Ash VaidyaJun 18, 2025▶ 9:43Navigating Venture Debt: Startup Insights from Multiplier Capital
Insight
Vaidya: Startups at $5M-$7.5M Run Rate Need Dedicated Finance Leadership
“Like when you get to a five to seven and a half million dollar run rate, you should have a finance seat that's filled or have a very reputable firm that's managing your finances, right? You should be on a path to getting audited.”
Ash VaidyaJun 18, 2025▶ 20:16Navigating Venture Debt: Startup Insights from Multiplier Capital
Insight
Vaidya: Startups Must Maintain at Least 12 Months of Runway
“I think the best practice in current times and beyond should be like having at least 12 months of cash on the runway at all times. Whether you're talking to an equity investor or a debt investor, I think that's the right signal to have. I think best practice c…”
Ash VaidyaJun 18, 2025▶ 22:27Navigating Venture Debt: Startup Insights from Multiplier Capital
Opinion
Vaidya: AI company valuations are quite high relative to actual delivery
“Companies that have the word AI attached to them, their valuations are I don't want to use superlatives, but the valuations are quite high, right, from a multiple perspective, from what they're delivering.”
Ash VaidyaJun 18, 2025▶ 25:18Navigating Venture Debt: Startup Insights from Multiplier Capital
Disclosure
Vaidya: Multiplier Capital Requires $10M Revenue and Established Product-Market Fit
“Once the sort of company's sort of in the top of funnel, we really hone in on the qualities that I mentioned before, right? Like, do we first see the fact that this business has at least ten million in revenues? Because one of the things that we're looking for…”
Ash VaidyaJun 18, 2025▶ 3:32Navigating Venture Debt: Startup Insights from Multiplier Capital
Made with StarZero
Turn any episode into a week of clips.
This entire site, over 100 episodes transcribed, diarized, checked and made playable,
runs on the StarZero media pipeline. Drop in your own episode and the podcast clipper finds the
moments worth sharing, cuts them, captions them, and reframes them for every feed.
We use essential cookies to make the site work. With your permission we
also use analytics cookies (Google Analytics and Mixpanel) to understand
usage and improve StarZero. See our Cookie Policy.