Stacked Area for Revenue Retention — SaaS Cohort ARR Layer Cake
A revenue retention stacked area chart ('SaaS layer cake') stacks recurring revenue from existing customer cohorts ($ARR_{base}$), net dollar expansion ($ARR_{exp}$), and new bookings ($ARR_{new}$) over time.
Tip: Paste Excel or Google Sheets rows (Ctrl+V / ⌘V) directly into any cell.
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Total Ending ARR_t = Base_t + Expansion_t + New_t. Net Dollar Retention (NDR) = ((Base_t + Expansion_t) / Ending_{t-1}) * 100%.
Chart Design & Use-Case Tips
- 01Total Ending ARR_t = Base_t + Expansion_t + New_t. Net Dollar Retention (NDR) = ((Base_t + Expansion_t) / Ending_{t-1}) * 100%.
- 02In S-1 filings and Series B/C board decks, the SaaS layer cake demonstrates how net dollar retention (>100% NRR) compounds existing cohorts even before adding new logos.
- 03Place Retained Base ARR in Series A, Expansion in Series B, and New Logo ARR in Series C.
- 04Pair with the Waterfall Chart Maker for a single-quarter Beginning-to-Ending ARR bridge.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a SaaS 'layer cake' chart?+
Popularized by public SaaS S-1 filings, it is a stacked area chart where each layer represents revenue from customer cohorts over time, visually proving compounding retention and expansion.
What does a widening middle band (Series B) show?+
A widening expansion band shows strong net negative churn—existing customers are upgrading seats or usage faster than any churn.
Can I export this data back to Excel?+
Yes, click 'Copy CSV Data' to copy the exact cohort table to your clipboard.