Net New ARR

What is Net New ARR?

Net New ARR measures the total new Annual Recurring Revenue added in a period, combining revenue from new customers and expansion revenue from existing customers, minus downgrades and churn. It's the cleanest measure of growth momentum for subscription businesses.

Unlike total ARR (which is cumulative), Net New ARR shows what changed in a given period. Positive Net New ARR indicates growth; negative indicates contraction. It's the primary growth metric that investors and leadership track to assess business trajectory.

Why It Matters

Net New ARR answers the fundamental question: "How much did we grow this period?" It breaks down growth into components: new business, expansion, churn, and downgrades. Understanding these components reveals what's driving or hindering growth.

Investors value businesses based on ARR multiples, and Net New ARR determines the multiple applied. High-quality Net New ARR (from new logos and expansion) commands premium valuations; low-quality Net New ARR (requiring excessive spend) suggests unsustainable economics.

Benchmarks

• Early-stage growth: 100-200%+ annual Net New ARR is expected for pre-PMF companies
• Growth-stage: 50-100% annual Net New ARR indicates healthy scaling
• Mature-stage: 20-40% annual Net New ARR is strong for established companies
• Expansion contribution: Top companies get 20-30% of Net New ARR from existing customer expansion

Best Practices

1. Track Net New ARR components separately - New business, expansion, contraction, and churn each tell different stories. Aggregate Net New ARR masks important trends in underlying drivers.

2. Prioritize balanced growth - Healthy Net New ARR comes from both new logos and expansion. Over-reliance on either creates risk; diversification creates resilience.

3. Calculate quality ratios - Compare Net New ARR to sales and marketing spend. How much are you paying for each dollar of new ARR? This unit economics perspective reveals sustainability.

4. Forecast using pipeline - Net New ARR should be predictable from pipeline value and win rates. If forecasts consistently miss, examine pipeline quality and sales execution.

5. Cohort analyze for patterns - Track Net New ARR by customer segment and acquisition channel. Some segments generate better retention and expansion; double down on what works.

Common Mistakes

• Focusing on gross New ARR while ignoring churn and contraction
• Treating all Net New ARR as equal regardless of acquisition cost
• Not breaking down Net New ARR by segment to understand quality
• Forecasting based on wishful thinking rather than pipeline reality
• Ignoring that expansion revenue is higher quality than new logo revenue

Key Takeaways

• Net New ARR is the primary growth metric for subscription businesses
• Track components (new, expansion, churn) separately for complete picture
• Growth rate expectations decline as companies scale
• Net New ARR quality (unit economics) matters as much as quantity
• Balanced growth from new and expansion sources creates resilience