fume date

plural fume dates

1. informalThe date on which a company (especially a startup) runs out of money or is expected to run out of money.

   Without either the bridge loan or the next round of financing, Xedia would reach its fume date by the end of March 1998.

   2002, Paul A. Gompers, William Sahlman, Entrepreneurial Finance: A Casebook, Wiley, published 2002, →ISBN, page 447

   2 more examples

   Acknowledging that risk and discussing the window of foresight that will be available before problems become serious and even honestly discussing the "fume date" is often all the reassurance a prospective employee needs.

   1999, Howard H. Stevenson, New Business Ventures and the Entrepreneur, Irwin/McGraw/Hill, published 1999, →ISBN, page 168

   Was it a success? The WebTaggers guys say they will not know until the wire transfer date, Aug. 15, when WebTaggers anticipates that funds from investors will have traded hands. After that? Jan. 1, 2001, the "fume date," which no one really wants to think about -- the point at which, if no venture capital is coming in, the partners must admit defeat.

   2000 June 7, Courtney Barry, “10 Months, 10 Minutes, $10 Million”, in The New York Times