Actual Burn Rate (Past Period)
The single past-period observed burn — gross and net — that anchors the forecast-scenario matrix. The "we just lived through this" baseline against which conservative / most-likely / best-case forecasts are projected. Differs from `finance.gross_burn_rate` and `finance.net_burn_rate` in being explicitly a point-in-time historical anchor with both components paired in one object, rather than the standalone monthly KPI values. Common pitfall: anchoring forecasts off a single month with a known one-off (large bill, prepayment received) bakes a distortion into all scenarios — pick a representative period or document the adjustment. — Finance KPI, I'mBoard-authored (editorial tier).
I'mBoard-authored (editorial tier)
No public third-party standard anchors this KPI yet, so I'mBoard authors and maintains the definition — transparently labeled as editorial tier. See the ontology methodology for the published vs editorial tier system and the back-attribution workstream.
Rogue ID: finance.burn_rate_actual
Type: Currency (/month)
Domain: Finance
Definition
The single past-period observed burn — gross and net — that anchors the forecast-scenario matrix. The "we just lived through this" baseline against which conservative / most-likely / best-case forecasts are projected. Differs from finance.gross_burn_rate and finance.net_burn_rate in being explicitly a point-in-time historical anchor with both components paired in one object, rather than the standalone monthly KPI values. Common pitfall: anchoring forecasts off a single month with a known one-off (large bill, prepayment received) bakes a distortion into all scenarios — pick a representative period or document the adjustment.
Formula
Paired historical observation: `{ gross: finance.gross_burn_rate_for_anchor_period, net: finance.net_burn_rate_for_anchor_period }`. The anchor period is typically the most recently closed reporting period.Why it matters
Anchors the credibility of the forecast matrix — scenarios that diverge wildly from the actual baseline without explicit drivers are not credible. Boards typically interrogate any scenario whose burn differs from actual by more than ~20% without a named driver.
How to interpret
Cross-check the anchor against the 3-month trailing average; if they differ materially, the anchor period was atypical and the forecast may be unrealistic. Pair every anchor with a one-line note on what was one-off and how the forecast normalizes for it.
Related KPIs
finance.gross_burn_ratefinance.net_burn_ratefinance.burn_rate_scenariosfinance.forecast_notes
Source
I'mBoard editorial — authored and maintained by I'mBoard, first published 2026-04-01. No third-party standard is cited for this KPI; when one emerges, the definition is back-attributed and promoted to the published tier (a minor version bump). Read the ontology methodology for the published vs editorial tier system, attribution rules, and dispute process.
Stage relevance
| Company stage | Priority |
|---|---|
| Pre-Seed | Core |
| Seed | Core |
| Series A | Core |
| Series B | Recommended |
Suggested for stages: Pre-Seed, Seed, Series A, Series B.
Default owning functions
- Finance
Machine-readable
- This KPI as JSON:
/api/ontology/finance/burn_rate_actual.json - All Finance KPIs:
/api/ontology/finance.json - Full catalog:
/api/ontology/index.json
Bank Accounts
FX-aware enumeration of the company's bank, brokerage, and money-market accounts — each with bank name, account type, restricted flag, currency, balance, as-of date, and notes. The underlying data source for `finance.total_cash_in_bank`, `finance.total_restricted_cash`, `finance.total_unrestricted_cash`, and the FX conversion that turns multi-currency holdings into a single reporting-currency number. Common pitfall: a single forgotten account (often a legacy operational account or a money-market sweep) silently misstates the total — boards should ask for a checklist reconciliation against the prior board pack each cycle. Best practice: include account-number last-4 (not full numbers, for security) and the FX rate used per non-functional-currency account. — Finance KPI, I'mBoard-authored (editorial tier).
Burn Rate Scenarios
Forecast burn-rate matrix across three scenarios — conservative (defensive cost plan, slow revenue), mostLikely (current best-estimate), bestCase (aggressive investment with strong revenue) — with gross + net burn for each. Bound to the ScenarioBurnRateMatrix widget alongside the historical `finance.burn_rate_actual` anchor. The board reads this to understand what range of cash trajectories the company is planning for and which one management has chosen as the base case. Common pitfall: the three scenarios cluster tightly (all within ±10% of each other) — that's not three scenarios, it's one scenario with rounding error. Real scenarios should reflect meaningfully different operating decisions and produce visibly different runways. — Finance KPI, I'mBoard-authored (editorial tier).