Gross IRR
The annualized rate of return on invested capital before fees and carried interest, assuming the gross multiple was achieved over a given holding period.
◆ Percentage
Cumulative cash returned to LPs
Capital called from LPs to date
Computed — distributions ÷ paid-in
Gross IRR · annualized
Awaiting inputs…
Formula
What it measures
The compound annual growth rate implied by a given multiple achieved over a specific holding period — it answers 'what annualized rate would have produced this multiple over this many years,' before any fund-level fees or carry.
Why it matters
A multiple alone doesn't tell you whether a return was fast or slow. Gross IRR annualizes performance so a 2x achieved in 3 years (a strong ~26% IRR) can be properly distinguished from a 2x achieved in 10 years (a modest ~7% IRR) — critical for comparing investments or funds with different holding periods.
How to read it
A Gross IRR of 18% means the investment's gross multiple, compounded annually over the holding period, is equivalent to an 18% annual growth rate. Because this formulation uses a single holding-period assumption rather than dated cash flows, treat it as an approximation — a true dated-cash-flow IRR (XIRR) that accounts for exactly when each dollar went in and came out will differ, sometimes materially, especially with irregular cash flow timing.
What good looks like
Good
Gross IRR in the high teens to 20%+ range for a top-quartile venture fund, before fee drag to net.
Watch
Gross IRR flat or declining as the holding period extends without corresponding multiple growth.
Bad
Gross IRR in single digits or negative for a fund well past its typical hold period.
Watch-outs
- Treating this holding-period annualization as identical to a true XIRR from dated cash flows — it's a close approximation for lump-sum-like flows, not an exact substitute.
- Comparing Gross IRR across investments with very different actual cash-flow timing without checking the underlying multiples and periods.
- Reporting Gross IRR without also showing Net IRR — the gap between them is fee/carry drag, and LPs care most about the net figure.
Worked example
Hypothetical
A gross multiple of 2.5x achieved over a 5-year holding period: Gross IRR = 2.5^(1/5) − 1 ≈ 20.1%.
FAQ
How is Gross IRR different from a true IRR calculated from cash-flow dates?
A true IRR (often called XIRR) solves for the discount rate that makes a full schedule of dated cash flows net to zero. Gross IRR here instead annualizes a single multiple over an assumed holding period — simpler to compute and reason about, but an approximation rather than an exact solve.
Why does Gross IRR change when I adjust the holding period slider?
Because IRR annualizes a multiple over time, the same multiple achieved faster implies a higher annual rate, and achieved slower implies a lower one — the slider lets you see that sensitivity directly.
What's a good Gross IRR for a venture fund?
Top-quartile funds often post gross IRRs in the high teens to 20s over a full fund life, though this varies significantly by vintage, stage, and market conditions — always compare within vintage year.
Related
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