How much revenue growth do founders in CEE forecast?
About 9.4× their current revenue. CEE founders who applied to BADideas in 2026 so far and showed both current revenue and a forecast expected next year's revenue to be a median of 9.4× what they earn now. Half forecast between 4.0× and 33×.
The figures
| Next year's forecast against current revenue, CEE | Bottom quarter up to | Median | Top quarter from |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3.7× | 8.9× | 46× |
| 2026 (to date) | 4.0× | 9.4× | 33× |
In BADideas application data, the typical forecast barely moved between 2025 and 2026: founders raising early expect to grow several times over in a year, and a quarter of them far more.
What is changing
| CEE applicants | 2025 | 2026 (to date) |
|---|---|---|
| Showing financial projections | 53% | 43% |
Few founders show both a forecast and current revenue, so the multiple is not shown by quarter.
Across CEE
CEE founders who applied in 2025 and 2026 so far, and each country with enough applicants to show. Countries with fewer applicants are still counted in the CEE row.
| Where the founder is based | Showing financial projections |
|---|---|
| All of CEE | 48% |
| Baltics | 46% |
| Latvia | 42% |
| Estonia | 53% |
| Lithuania | 44% |
| Poland | 46% |
| Ukraine | 51% |
| Romania | 60% |
| Czechia | 47% |
| Bulgaria | 50% |
Showing financial projections: highest in Romania (60%), lowest in Latvia (42%).
What it means for you
- A steep forecast is normal, an unexplained one is not. Show the drivers: customers, price and conversion behind each year.
- Anchor on what you know. Investors trust a forecast whose first months match your current trend.
- Show a base case. One realistic scenario next to the ambitious one reads as judgement, not caution.
- Tie the forecast to the round. Show which hires and which spend the money buys, and the revenue they should bring by the next raise.
- Say what you assume about churn and pricing. A forecast without them cannot be checked.
Also answers
Do pre-seed decks need financial projections?
About 43% of CEE founders who applied in 2026 so far included them. A clear use of funds and milestones often tells investors more.
How we measured it
- Source: applications founders sent to BADideas, enriched with publicly available information where applicable.
- Limits: these are CEE only and early-stage companies.
- On this page: The multiple is the revenue forecast for the next full year divided by annual recurring revenue at the date of the deck. Few founders show both, so the multiple is not broken down by country or quarter.
- Updated: 27 September 2026.
BADideas.fund, "How much revenue growth do founders in CEE forecast?", updated 27 September 2026. https://badideas.fund/answers/revenue-forecast-growth-cee
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