We can readily understand why investors are attracted to unprofitable companies. For example, Tango Therapeutics (NASDAQ:TNGX) shareholders have done very well over the last year, with the share price soaring by 113%. But the harsh reality is that very many loss making companies burn through all their cash and go bankrupt.

So notwithstanding the buoyant share price, we think it's well worth asking whether Tango Therapeutics' cash burn is too risky. 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). The first step is to compare its cash burn with its cash reserves, to give us its 'cash runway'.

Check out our latest analysis for Tango Therapeutics

When Might Tango Therapeutics Run Out Of Money?

You can calculate a company's cash runway by dividing the amount of cash it has by the rate at which it is spending that cash. As at September 2023, Tango Therapeutics had cash of US$360m and no debt. In the last year, its cash burn was US$121m. So it had a cash runway of about 3.0 years from September 2023. Arguably, that's a prudent and sensible length of runway to have. You can see how its cash balance has changed over time in the image below.

How Well Is Tango Therapeutics Growing?

Some investors might find it troubling that Tango Therapeutics is actually increasing its cash burn, which is up 15% in the last year. But looking on the bright side, its revenue gained by 55%, lending some credence to the growth narrative. The company needs to keep up that growth, if it is to really please shareholders. We think it is growing rather well, upon reflection. While the past is always worth studying, it is the future that matters most of all. So you might want to take a peek at how much the company is expected to grow in the next few years.

Can Tango Therapeutics Raise More Cash Easily?

There's no doubt Tango Therapeutics 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 comparing a company's annual cash burn to its total market capitalisation, we can estimate roughly how many shares it would have to issue in order to run the company for another year (at the same burn rate).

Tango Therapeutics' cash burn of US$121m is about 10% of its US$1.2b market capitalisation. Given that situation, it's fair to say the company wouldn't have much trouble raising more cash for growth, but shareholders would be somewhat diluted.