The Art and Science of Company Valuations (Infographic)See a visual explanation of how young companies are valued, in some cases before they're even making money.

ByCatherine Clifford

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Shutterstock

Instagram, Spotify, Square, Pinterest, and the list goes on: It's starting to seem likebillion-dollar startup valuationsare a dime a dozen. But how does a young company get a billion-dollar price tag?

The below infographic by San Francisco-based startup organizationFunders and Foundersdetails how a startup is typically valued. A valuation is simply an estimated value of a company and is often based on assumptions about a startup's potential. It's not an exact science, explainsAnna Vital, the author of the infographic in a blog post. A company's valuation is important because it can determine the percentage of the company that should be given to an investor in exchange for cash, Vital says.

Related:How Instagram Went From Idea to $1 Billion in Less Than Two Years

Click to Enlarge+

How to Jumpstart Your Social-Media Marketing During the Summer Slowdown

Wavy Line
Catherine Clifford

Senior Entrepreneurship Writer at CNBC

Catherine Clifford is senior entrepreneurship writer at CNBC. She was formerly a senior writer at Entrepreneur.com, the small business reporter at CNNMoney and an assistant in the New York bureau for CNN. Clifford attended Columbia University where she earned a bachelor's degree. She lives in Brooklyn, N.Y. You can follow her on Twitter at @CatClifford.

Editor's Pick

Related Topics

Money & Finance

Want to Become a Millionaire? Follow Warren Buffett's 4 Rules.

企业家是不能过度指狗万官方望太多a company exit for their eventual 'win.' Do this instead.

Business News

Kevin O'Leary Slams Anheuser-Busch CEO's Listening Tour, Says It Won't Stop Bud Light Backlash for One Huge Reason

Anheuser-Busch U.S. CEO Brendan Whitworth announced plans to hear consumers out this summer.

Business News

Netflix is Hiring an AI-Focused Role—and the Starting Salary is up to $900,000

The streaming giant is looking for a leader in its machine learning department.

Business News

McDonald's Is Launching a Spinoff Restaurant Chain Based on a Beloved, Blast-From-the-Past Mascot

The company saw a lot of success with another former mascot, Grimace, in June.

Business News

'Truly Unprecedented': If You Are Hoping to Score a Lionel Messi Soccer Jersey, You Are Going to Wait a Very Long Time

The soccer superstar's authentic Inter Miami jersey is sold out through October.