Cap Table Management

Learn how to effectively manage your company's ownership structure, track equity distribution, and maintain accurate records for stakeholders.

Cap Table Overview

A cap table (capitalization table) is a comprehensive record of your company's ownership structure, showing who owns what percentage of the company and the different types of securities issued.

Key Components

  • Share classes (Common, Preferred)
  • Outstanding shares by stakeholder
  • Stock options and equity plans
  • Convertible securities (SAFEs, notes)
  • Warrants and other derivatives

Importance

  • Accurate ownership tracking
  • Fundraising preparation
  • Legal compliance requirements
  • Tax reporting and planning
  • Employee equity communication

Share Classes

Common Stock

Represents basic ownership in the company, typically issued to founders and employees.

Characteristics:

  • Voting rights (usually 1 vote per share)
  • Dividend rights (if declared)
  • Liquidation rights (after preferred)
  • Pre-emptive rights

Typical Use Cases:

  • Founder equity grants
  • Employee stock options
  • Employee stock purchase plans
  • Advisor equity

Preferred Stock

Enhanced rights compared to common stock, typically issued to investors in funding rounds.

Enhanced Rights:

  • Liquidation preference
  • Anti-dilution protection
  • Board representation
  • Conversion rights
  • Participation rights

Common Series:

  • Series Seed
  • Series A, B, C, etc.
  • Series Preferred
  • Convertible Preferred

Stakeholder Management

Adding and Managing Stakeholders

Maintain accurate records of all equity holders and their current holdings.

Individual Stakeholders

  • Founders and co-founders
  • Current and former employees
  • Advisors and consultants
  • Individual investors

Institutional Stakeholders

  • Venture capital firms
  • Private equity firms
  • Corporate investors
  • Family offices

Bulk Import

Import stakeholders efficiently using CSV templates:

Equity Grants and Options

Stock Options

Manage employee stock option plans (ESOP) and individual grants.

Grant Details

  • • Number of options
  • • Exercise price
  • • Grant date
  • • Expiration date

Vesting Schedule

  • • Vesting start date
  • • Cliff period
  • • Vesting frequency
  • • Acceleration triggers

Exercise Tracking

  • • Vested options
  • • Exercised options
  • • Remaining balance
  • • Tax implications

Direct Share Grants

Issue shares directly to stakeholders with appropriate vesting and restrictions.

83(b) Elections: Captable can help track 83(b) election deadlines and store filed elections for tax-advantaged restricted stock grants.

Vesting Schedules

Common Vesting Patterns

Captable supports flexible vesting schedules to match your equity compensation strategy.

Standard 4-Year Vesting

25% per year with 1-year cliff

Years 1-4

Monthly Vesting

1/48th per month over 4 years

Months 1-12 (Year 1)

Custom Schedules

Define milestone-based vesting, performance vesting, or other custom arrangements

Reporting and Analytics

Standard Reports

  • Cap table summary by stakeholder
  • Ownership percentage breakdown
  • Vesting schedule reports
  • Option pool availability
  • Dilution analysis
  • Waterfall analysis

Export Options

Export your cap table data in various formats for legal, accounting, or presentation purposes.

Document Management

Legal Document Storage

Securely store and organize all equity-related legal documents with version control and access management.

Document Types

  • Stock purchase agreements
  • Option grant agreements
  • Board resolutions
  • 83(b) election forms
  • Convertible note agreements
  • SAFE agreements

Features

  • Secure cloud storage
  • Version control and history
  • Granular access permissions
  • Digital signature integration
  • Audit trail maintenance
  • Automated backups

Ready to explore investment instruments?

Learn about SAFEs, convertible notes, and equity rounds to handle more complex fundraising scenarios.