3 runway planning frameworks SaaS leaders are using in 2026
Knowledge
September 2, 2025
AI is creating some of the fastest-growing companies we have ever seen. That momentum is a real asset, and for many founders it opens the door to growth capital.
I am a founder myself, and I spend a lot of my time talking to other founders about funding. At Float, we have spoken with thousands of tech companies and funded more than 150 of them, deploying over €100 million across 17 European countries. One lesson stands out: the companies in the strongest position to raise are not just growing fast. They can show their growth is built to last.
A new AI product can hit a nerve quickly. Customers have AI budgets, so they try it, and revenue can climb fast.
The question we always ask is what happens six to twelve months later. In some companies, that is when churn rises. Revenue keeps growing, but more slowly and with a lot more effort behind it. There is also platform risk: a large language model provider can add a feature that replaces a product built on top of its model.
We are excited to back AI companies. As with any lending decision, what we look for is a track record that shows the growth is here to stay. Once that is in place, strong AI momentum becomes a strong funding case.
A steep revenue chart opens the conversation. Track record decides it. We want to see:
Not long ago, the narrative was that AI would replace SaaS. We wrote early on saying that was largely nonsense, and we still believe it.
SaaS companies already have an established business model. AI makes them more competitive: development costs go down, and developers become more productive. Tech companies also adopt new technology quickly, which gives them an edge. Virtually many of our customers today have a strong AI element in their products, and most are stronger businesses than they used to be.
The real divide is not AI versus SaaS. It is novelty versus lasting value.
Growth needs cash, so some burn is expected. The real question is whether your growth justifies it. If you are burning close to your full MRR every month, you may have a fantastic business, but the numbers cannot support debt yet. Bring burn back in line with growth, and you open up far more ways to fund what comes next.
Early on, when the product is still proving itself, equity is the right tool. But once you have real momentum and customers who stay, the logic flips. Selling equity to fund growth you have already proven is the most expensive capital you will ever raise. It dilutes your ownership and takes months of fundraising while competitors pull ahead in the AI race.
I have come to believe a startup's scarcest resource is its founder, and the founder's scarcest resource is energy. The same goes for the CFOs who carry the fundraising with them. If something gives you energy, you find the time for it. If it drains you, everything takes longer. The right funding gives that time and energy back, so you can stay focused on customers, product and growth.
Fast revenue gets attention. Durable revenue gets funded.
A customer of ours from Spain told me recently what he values most about working with us: the freedom to grow on his own terms, without adding anyone to his cap table. That is what the right funding should give every growing company.
I discussed these themes in more depth in a recent interview with CFO.com.
Looking for non-dilutive growth capital to fund your AI roadmap? Talk to us about a flexible revolving credit facility built to keep you ahead of the curve as you grow.
