Even when a business is losing money, it's possible for shareholders to make money if they buy a good business at the right price. For example, biotech and mining exploration companies often lose money for years before finding success with a new treatment or mineral discovery. But while history lauds those rare successes, those that fail are often forgotten; who remembers Pets.com?

Given this risk, we thought we'd take a look at whether Caribou Biosciences (NASDAQ:CRBU) shareholders should be worried about its cash burn. For the purpose of this article, we'll define cash burn as the amount of cash the company is spending each year to fund its growth (also called its negative free cash flow). First, we'll determine its cash runway by comparing its cash burn with its cash reserves.

Check out our latest analysis for Caribou Biosciences

How Long Is Caribou Biosciences' Cash Runway?

A company's cash runway is calculated by dividing its cash hoard by its cash burn. In September 2023, Caribou Biosciences had US$338m in cash, and was debt-free. Importantly, its cash burn was US$108m over the trailing twelve months. That means it had a cash runway of about 3.1 years as of September 2023. There's no doubt that this is a reassuringly long runway. The image below shows how its cash balance has been changing over the last few years.

How Well Is Caribou Biosciences Growing?

Some investors might find it troubling that Caribou Biosciences is actually increasing its cash burn, which is up 17% in the last year. On a more positive note, the operating revenue improved by 172% over the period, offering an indication that the expenditure may well be worthwhile. If that revenue does keep flowing reliably, then the company could see a strong improvement in free cash flow simply by reducing growth expenditure. We think it is growing rather well, upon reflection. Clearly, however, the crucial factor is whether the company will grow its business going forward. So you might want to take a peek at how much the company is expected to grow in the next few years.

How Easily Can Caribou Biosciences Raise Cash?

There's no doubt Caribou Biosciences seems to be in a fairly good position, when it comes to managing its cash burn, but even if it's only hypothetical, it's always worth asking how easily it could raise more money to fund growth. Companies can raise capital through either debt or equity. Many companies end up issuing new shares to fund future growth. By looking at a company's cash burn relative to its market capitalisation, we gain insight on how much shareholders would be diluted if the company needed to raise enough cash to cover another year's cash burn.