A guide to Founders Agreements In the excitement and enthusiasm of starting a new business, formalising agreements are often overlooked. Startup founders are often friends or acquaintances, and it is easy to fall into the trap of only discussing roles, responsibilities, ownership structures and other important matters verbally. This can be dangerous. Education Dec 21 · 11-minute read
SAFEs explained | The founders’ quick guide A SAFE (which stands for Simple Agreement for Future Equity) is the most popular type of convertible for early-stage startups. It was originally created by Y Combinator in 2013. Clara Nov 24 · 7-minute read
An essential guide to ESOPs An ESOP is a way for you to set aside a pool of shares in your startup that you can allocate to various team members (e.g. employees, consultants or advisors – that’s right, it’s not just for employees, notwithstanding the name). The ESOP sets out the rules for granting shares. Clara Oct 25 · 8-minute read
ADGM SPV – Your essential guide Setting up a company in ADGM, and specifically a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), is attractive for founders and investors. Founders benefit from the speed and simplicity that ADGM’s fully digitised incorporation process achieves, while investors are attracted by the investment flexibility and legal protections that ADGM’s strong regulatory environment provides. Clara Sep 19 · 8-minute read
New feature | Introducing Cayman exempted companies on Clara! Setting up a company in the Cayman Islands is quick, cost-effective, attractive to foreign investors and easy for founders to maintain. Creating an offshore company for your startup might seem daunting if you don’t know where to start, which is where Clara comes in. Clara Aug 17 · 4-minute read
Competing with corporate salaries | How Share Incentive Plans help attract top talent A Share Incentive Plan (also known as a SIP or an Employee Share Option Plan or ‘ESOP’), sets aside a pool of your company’s shares that you can allocate in the future to employees, directors, advisors and consultants, incentivising them to contribute to your startup’s success and growth. Startups Jul 07 · 4-minute read