SaaS Capital: SaaS valuation multiples
Last verified November 3, 2026 · Source: SaaS Capital, September 30, 2026
SaaS Capital lends to SaaS companies. Each month it publishes the SaaS Capital Index (SCI): the median of market cap divided by annualized latest month GAAP revenue, across about 63 public SaaS companies. It also publishes a model for private SaaS valuations.
Headline: 4.2x (SaaS Capital Index, September 30, 2026).
SaaS Capital Index, median
SaaS Capital shows the current value as an image on its index page, so most monthly values below come from sites that quote it.
| Measure | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peak | 16.9x | August 2021 | Sourceas reported by L40 |
| Median (top 10: 14.2x, bottom 10: 1.9x) | 7.0x | December 31, 2024 | Source |
| Median | 4.8x | January 2026 | Sourceas reported by L40 |
| Median, lowest since 2011 | 3.1x | June 2026 | Sourceas reported by L40 |
| Median | 3.9x | July 2026 | Sourceas reported by saasvaluationmultiple.com |
| Median | 4.6x | August 2026 | Sourceas reported by L40 |
| Median (25th percentile 2.3x, 75th percentile 7.2x) | 4.2x | September 30, 2026 | Sourceas reported by saasvaluationmultiple.com |
Private SaaS model
| Measure | Value | Period | Sample | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bootstrapped, predicted ARR multiple | 4.8x | January 2025, index at 7.0x | Survey of 1,500+ private B2B SaaS companies | Source |
| Equity-backed, predicted ARR multiple | 5.3x | January 2025, index at 7.0x | Survey of 1,500+ private B2B SaaS companies | Source |
| Model | −2.43 + 0.19 × SCI + 6.21 × growth + 4.38 × NRR | 2024 paper | 55 valuation events, minimum $2M ARR, R² 0.361 | Source |
Notes
- In April 2026 SaaS Capital wrote that the index "now sits at decade-plus lows" (Four early 2026 SaaS trends, saas-capital.com).
- A 2026 update of the valuation paper is available from SaaS Capital behind an email form.
For information only. Not investment advice or a valuation opinion. Published by Livmo, a sell-side M&A advisor for software companies.