Simple Agreement For Future Equity Example For Company In Bronx
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A simple agreement for future equity (SAFE) is a financing contract that may be used by a startup company to raise capital in its seed financing rounds. The instrument is viewed by some as a more founder-friendly alternative to convertible notes.
A SAFE is an investment contract between a startup and an investor that gives the investor the right to receive equity of the company on certain triggering events, such as a: Future equity financing (known as a Next Equity Financing or Qualified Financing), usually led by an institutional venture capital (VC) fund.
Introduced by Y Combinator in 2013, the Simple Agreement for Future Equity (SAFE) has become the go-to structure for pre-seed and seed-stage startups looking to raise capital fast and with minimal legal friction. But while SAFE notes are often considered founder-friendly, they're not without trade-offs.
A simple agreement for future equity (SAFE) is a financing contract that may be used by a startup company to raise capital in its seed financing rounds. The instrument is viewed by some as a more founder-friendly alternative to convertible notes.
An SAFT is an investment contract between investors who provide capital and developers who issue the s after specific conditions are met. An SAFE is a contract where investors provide capital in exchange for equity in a company at a future date.
The Discount Rate is calculated as 100% minus the percent discount the SAFE investors are entitled to. For example, if SAFE investors are entitled to a discount of 20% (they can buy Standard Preferred Stock 20% cheaper than subsequent investors), the Discount Rate is 80% = 100% - 20%.
The SAFE discount is derived by dividing the valuation cap by the typical equity financing valuation and then removing that value from one (representing no discount). In this case, $2 million / $4 million = 0.5 and 1 – 0.5 = 0.5 would be the mathematical representations. Discounts often vary from 0% to 20%.
An equity discount rate range of 12% to 20%, give or take, is likely to be considered reasonable in a business valuation. This is about in line with the long-term anticipated returns quoted to private equity investors, which makes sense, because a business valuation is an equity interest in a privately held company.
For example, if a SAFE has a valuation cap of $10 million, and your startup's next financing round values the company at $15 million, the SAFE investor's equity will be calculated based on the $10 million cap, not the $15 million valuation.
The Discount Rate is calculated as 100% minus the percent discount the SAFE investors are entitled to. For example, if SAFE investors are entitled to a discount of 20% (they can buy Standard Preferred Stock 20% cheaper than subsequent investors), the Discount Rate is 80% = 100% - 20%.
