Recurring Revenue

The annualised value of recurring subscription revenue. ARR is the primary top-line metric for SaaS and subscription businesses, providing a normalised view of predictable revenue that strips out one-time fees and variable charges.

The total predictable revenue a subscription business earns each month, normalised to exclude one-time charges. MRR is tracked as new MRR, expansion MRR, contraction MRR, and churned MRR to understand the drivers of revenue movement.

The percentage of recurring revenue retained from existing customers over a period, including expansion revenue from upsells and cross-sells. NRR above 100% indicates that growth from existing customers outpaces losses from churn, a hallmark of strong product-market fit.

The percentage of recurring revenue retained from existing customers over a period, excluding any expansion revenue. GRR isolates the impact of churn and contraction and can never exceed 100%.

An assessment of the sustainability, predictability, and growth trajectory of a company's revenue streams, examining factors such as the proportion of recurring versus one-time revenue, customer concentration, contract duration and renewal rates, pricing power, and the distinction between organic and acquisition-driven growth. Revenue quality analysis is a core component of financial due diligence in M&A transactions and directly impacts the selection of appropriate valuation multiples.

A valuation multiple calculated by dividing enterprise value by revenue, used to value businesses where profitability is not yet meaningful — such as early-stage companies, high-growth SaaS businesses, and pre-profit biotech firms. EV/Revenue is less susceptible to manipulation through accounting choices than earnings-based multiples but provides less insight into operating efficiency.

Income received by a company for goods or services that have not yet been delivered or performed, recorded as a liability on the balance sheet. In SaaS and subscription businesses, deferred revenue is a key indicator of future recognised revenue and contract backlog strength.

The percentage increase in a company's revenue over a specific period, typically measured year-over-year or quarter-over-quarter. Revenue growth rate is a fundamental measure of business expansion, market traction, and the effectiveness of go-to-market strategy.

What is customer relationship value and how is it measured?

Customer relationship value is the profit generated by customer relationships over their lifetime. It's measured via LTV (lifetime value) and is often the largest intangible asset for recurring revenue businesses.