Debt vs. Equity Financing Evaluator
PROCompare debt and equity financing options for my business stage. Analyze WACC, dilution impact, and capital structure to make optimal funding decisions.
Example Usage
I’m a 9-month-old B2B SaaS startup with $12k MRR, burning $40k/month with 14 months runway. I have two options: (1) Join an accelerator for $150k check at $3M post-money (10% dilution), or (2) Take a $100k venture debt loan at 14% interest with 2-year repayment starting after 6-month grace. Which is better for my situation, and what’s the cost of each?
How to Use This Skill
Copy the skill using the button above
Paste into your AI assistant (Claude, ChatGPT, etc.)
Fill in your inputs below (optional) and copy to include with your prompt
Send and start chatting with your AI
Suggested Customization
| Description | Default | Your Value |
|---|---|---|
| Company stage: startup, early_growth, growth, or mature | growth | |
| Desired percentage of debt in capital structure (0-0.70) | 0.35 | |
| Earnings before interest and taxes | $5,000,000 | |
| Required return for equity investors (15% typical for growth) | 0.15 | |
| Annual interest rate on debt (7% typical for mid-tier) | 0.07 | |
| Corporate income tax rate | 0.25 |
The Debt vs. Equity Financing Evaluator helps founders, CFOs, and financial analysts compare capital structure options based on business stage, financial health, risk profile, and strategic goals. This skill evaluates trade-offs between debt financing (borrowing with mandatory repayment) and equity financing (selling ownership stakes) to recommend optimal funding strategies.
Key Capabilities
- Business Stage Assessment: Evaluate startup, early growth, growth, or maturity stage with recommended capital structure for each
- Cost Comparison Analysis: Compare weighted average cost of capital (WACC) under different debt/equity scenarios
- Debt Capacity Evaluation: Determine maximum sustainable debt load based on cash flow and interest coverage ratios
- Equity Dilution Calculator: Project ownership percentages across multiple funding rounds
- Optimal Capital Structure Modeling: Simulate various debt-to-equity mixes to identify lowest-cost combination
- Funding Recommendation Engine: Generate tailored financing recommendations based on business parameters
When to Use This Skill
Use this skill when you need to:
- Decide between taking a loan vs. raising venture capital
- Optimize your company’s debt-to-equity ratio
- Understand the true cost of equity dilution over multiple funding rounds
- Determine how much debt your business can safely handle
- Plan capital strategy for your next 2-3 years of growth
- Compare specific funding offers (accelerator vs. venture debt, Series B vs. bank loan)
How It Works
- Share your business parameters (stage, revenue, cash flow, existing capital)
- Describe the financing options you’re considering
- Receive detailed analysis with WACC calculations, dilution modeling, and scenario comparisons
- Get a clear recommendation with supporting rationale and implementation steps
Research Sources
This skill was built using research from these authoritative sources:
- Debt vs Equity Financing - CFI Comprehensive comparison with advantages/disadvantages, WACC impact, and tax implications
- Capital Structure Over Business Life Cycle CFA framework showing capital structure evolution from startup to maturity
- Understanding Debt vs Equity Financing Current 2025 guide with real interest rates (6-15% APR)
- Capital Structure Optimization Calculator Interactive tool for computing WACC scenarios and optimal ratios
- Startup Cost of Capital Components Analysis of startup-specific tradeoffs with equity costs 20%+ and venture debt rates
- Debt vs. Equity: Choosing Strategy Practical framework for selecting based on financial health and growth stage
- Debt vs Equity: Startup Perspective Real-world startup guidance with pros/cons and hybrid approach benefits
- KPMG: Debt and Equity Financing Handbook Professional KPMG framework for corporate finance decisions