Post-money valuation is the company’s valuation immediately after new capital lands—typically calculated as pre-money valuation plus the primary investment amount in the round.

How it works

If pre-money is $8M and investors put in $2M, post-money is $10M. A $2M check therefore buys about 20% of the company on a fully diluted post-money basis, subject to option pool and convertible adjustments. Term sheets may express valuation either pre- or post-money; U.S. venture rounds often anchor post-money for ownership clarity.

Down rounds lower post-money versus prior marks, triggering price protection for some preferred holders. Flat or up rounds increase post-money and reset expectations for future fundraising benchmarks.

Why it matters

• Founders: Headline post-money drives employee option strike context and recruiting narrative— but only if structure (pool, prefs) matches the simple math.
• Investors: Entry post-money sets the hurdle for return multiples at exit; paying too high post-money compresses fund performance even on decent outcomes.

Common mistake

Quoting post-money valuation without specifying whether an option pool increase is included in pre-money or post-money mechanics—identical headlines can hide different dilution.

Related ideas

See pre-money valuation, post-money ownership, and price round math.