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 · 10-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
A day in the life of a startup founder – Zohare Haider, Co-founder & CEO of jalebi.io Co-founder and CEO of jalebi.io, Zohare Haider is on a mission to help restaurants streamline operations to increase marginal income on every order they craft. Startups Sep 23 · 6-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
A day in the life of a startup founder | Feras Jalbout, CEO and Founder of Baraka Clara user Feras Jalbout founded Baraka after a career as an investor, spotting a gap in the market to promote financial inclusion and educate, enable, and empower everyone to invest. We spoke to him about the ups and downs of building a successful startup. Startups Aug 12 · 5-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
Unlock productivity | The best organisation tools for startup success The days of the humble pen and paper are over. From expanding on that tiny seed of an idea, brainstorms with co-founders and teammates, to impressive pitches and world domination, Clara’s picked the best digital tools to help your startup succeed. Startups May 26 · 3-minute read
Must-watch | Essential TV viewing for startup founders Does life imitate art, or does art imitate life? The bingeable shows on Clara’s list tread a fine line between the two – some, like WeCrashed and The Dropout are based on real-life events, while others such as Silicon Valley draw on the trials and tribulations of startup life. Startups May 11 · 3-minute read
5 thoughts every founder will have about their startup | Expectation vs reality Sometimes there is a stark difference between what you think founding a startup might look like compared to the actual experience of the early days. In this blog Clara takes a look at five thoughts every founder has about their startup versus the reality. Startups Apr 28 · 6-minute read
Top 5 startup mistakes and how to avoid them Starting your business is exciting. The journey of taking it from an early-stage idea to a fully formed and functioning business is a wild ride, but there are a few things that you should and should not do when you’re getting started. Startups Apr 13 · 6-minute read