Startup to IPO, Your Way
Build a B2B SaaS company from $500K seed to IPO. Every decision shapes your trajectory. AI drives the market.
Start Playing — It's Free100% free · no signup · single player
How It Works
three steps · zero friction
Pick Team
Choose your co-founder specialties.
Make Moves
Build, sell, hire, raise each month.
AI Resolves
AI simulates outcomes, market, competitors.
10 Mechanics That Mirror Real Startup Life
Hiring & Team Building
Recruit engineers, salespeople, and marketers. Team morale matters.
Fundraising (Seed → IPO)
Pitch investors across five rounds from $500K seed to public offering.
Product Development
Build features, fix bugs, and ship — product quality drives retention.
Go-to-Market Channels
Choose from 8 channels: PLG, outbound, content, partnerships, and more.
Customer Segments
Land SMB, mid-market, and enterprise accounts with different economics.
AI Token Actions
Spend AI tokens on market research, competitor analysis, and strategic pivots.
Market Events
React to market booms, downturns, regulatory changes, and viral moments.
Competitor Threats
AI-driven competitors enter your market and steal your customers.
Scoring & Tiers
Earn S through F tier scores based on revenue, growth, and team health.
Acquisition Offers
Weigh buyout offers against the chance to go all the way to IPO.
Under the Hood
From Seed to IPO
- → Seed — $500K at $5M valuation
- → Series A — $5M at $25M valuation
- → Series B — $20M at $100M valuation
- → Series C — $50M at $300M valuation
- → IPO — public offering, final score
Three Revenue Engines
- → SMB — $1K/mo, fast close, high churn
- → Mid-Market — $8K/mo, moderate cycle
- → Enterprise — $40K/mo, long sales cycle, sticky
How Startups Die
- → Bankruptcy — cash hits zero, game over
- → Morale Collapse — team quits, operations halt
- → Churn Spiral — customers leave faster than you acquire
Founder Wisdom Built In
“Make something people want.”
— Paul Graham
“The hard thing about hard things is that there is no formula for dealing with them.”
— Ben Horowitz
“Product-market fit means being in a good market with a product that can satisfy that market.”
— Marc Andreessen
“The first ten employees make or break the company.”
— Garry Tan
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Startup to IPO Simulator?+
It's a free, AI-powered business simulation game where you lead a B2B SaaS startup from a $500K seed round through hiring, fundraising, product development, and go-to-market strategy — all the way to IPO or acquisition. Each round represents one month of startup life.
How does the AI work?+
After you make your monthly decisions (hiring, spending, channel selection), an AI engine resolves the outcomes. It simulates market conditions, competitor moves, customer behavior, and random events — so no two playthroughs are the same.
Is the game free?+
Yes, 100% free to play with no signup required. The optional paid Founder's Report provides a detailed PDF analysis of your game with personalized insights and lessons.
What mechanics are included?+
The simulator includes 10 core mechanics: hiring & team building, fundraising (Seed through IPO), product development, go-to-market channels, customer segments, AI token actions, market events, competitor threats, scoring & tiers, and acquisition offers.
Ready to Build Your Startup?
36 rounds of strategic decisions. AI-driven market dynamics. Can you make it from seed to IPO?
Start Playing — It's FreeComing soon: Founder's Report — a paid PDF deep-dive into your game performance