Key Takeaways Pre-money valuation is what your company is worth before the new money goes in. Post-money is pre-money plus the new investment. Post-money is the number that decides how much of your company you…
Key Takeaways In India, ESOPs are taxed at two separate moments, not one: when you exercise the options, and later when you sell the shares. At exercise, the difference between the fair market value of…
Co-founder vesting is the single cheapest insurance policy a startup can buy, and the one founders skip most often. Two people split the equity 50-50 on day one, shake hands, and start building. Eighteen months…
Most founders treat their ESOP as a single decision. They carve out a pool when an investor asks for one, hand out a few grants, and move on. Then, two rounds later, the pool is…
Key Takeaways A cap table that reconciles in Excel is not the same as a cap table that survives due diligence. Six structural issues commonly hide inside what founders describe as "clean". The most expensive…
Key Takeaways ESOPs in India are not taxed at the time of grant. The tax event happens later. At exercise, the difference between Fair Market Value (FMV) and exercise price is taxed as perquisite (salary…
"Can you share your data room?" This is the first thing every serious investor says after the pitch. And most founders scramble. After reviewing 40+ data rooms in the last year, one pattern is clear:…
"How much equity should I give my CTO?" This is the single most common question founders ask us at A S Banka Advisors Private Limited. After structuring ESOP plans for 50+ Indian startups, we compiled…
Your cap table is the single most important financial document in your startup. It determines who owns what, how much you dilute at each round, and whether your company passes due diligence when you actually…
You want to retain your best people. You've heard about ESOPs. Maybe someone mentioned Phantom Stock. Your CA says "just do ESOPs" because that's what everyone does. Here's the problem: "what everyone does" is exactly…
