Draft the equity agreement, detailing the company's capital structure, the number of shares to be offered, the rights of the shareholders, and other details. Consult legal and financial advisors to ensure that the equity agreement is in line with all applicable laws and regulations.
Different ways to split equity among cofounders Equal splits. Weighted contributions. Dynamic or adjustable equity. Performance-based vesting. Role-based splits. Hybrid models. Points-based system. Prenegotiated buy/sell agreements.
An equity agreement is like a partnership agreement between at least two people to run a venture jointly. An equity agreement binds each partner to each other and makes them personally liable for business debts.
Equity agreements allow entrepreneurs to secure funding for their start-up by giving up a portion of ownership of their company to investors. In short, these arrangements typically involve investors providing capital in exchange for shares of stock which they will hold and potentially sell in the future for a profit.
A company provides you with a lump sum in exchange for partial ownership of your home, and/or a share of its future appreciation. You don't make monthly repayments of principal or interest; instead, you settle up when you sell the home or at the end of a multi-year agreement period (typically between 10 and 30 years).
As a rule of thumb, a non-founder CEO joining an early-stage startup (that has been running less than a year) would receive 7-10% equity. Other C-level execs would receive 1-5% equity that vests over time (usually 4 years).
In summary, while there's no one-size-fits-all answer, early employees should aim for equity that reflects their contribution and the stage of the company, typically ranging from 0.1% to 5% depending on various factors.
It includes shares that represent a percentage of that ownership, and the amount of stock that each shareholder owns can vary. For example, if your company has a total of 100 shares, each share is worth one percent ownership in the business.
Angel and venture capital investors are great, but they must not take more shares than you're willing to give up. On average, founders offer 10-20% of their equity during a seed round. You should always avoid offering over 25% during this stage. As you progress beyond this stage, you will have less equity to offer.