Cap Table Template
A free spreadsheet to model founder equity, your option pool, stacked SAFEs and seed dilution, with the formulas already built. Plus a three-page guide that explains every number investors will check.
Get the free template
What is a cap table?
A cap table (capitalization table) lists who owns your company, how many shares each holder has, and how those stakes change when you raise. Investors open it early in due diligence. This template lets you see your ownership at incorporation, after your SAFEs convert and after a seed round, before you sign anything. See the cap table definition, read Cap Table 101, or test scenarios in the equity dilution calculator.
What's inside the template
- 1. FoundersCommon shares, ownership split and vesting per shareholder.
- 2. Option poolShares reserved for your team, as a share of the company.
- 3. SAFEsEach post-money SAFE, its cap, and the stake it converts into.
- 4. Priced roundPre-money, new money and pool target give price per share.
- 5. SummaryOwnership at incorporation, after SAFEs and after seed.
- Quick-start guideThree-page PDF with a worked example and common mistakes.
How to use it
- 1Open the spreadsheet in Excel or Google Sheets and read the Start here tab.
- 2Replace the blue cells with your real shareholders and share counts.
- 3Add every SAFE you have signed, with its amount and post-money cap.
- 4Enter the round you expect: pre-money valuation, new money and target pool.
- 5Check the Summary tab and know your ownership before the term sheet arrives.
Frequently asked questions
How many shares should a startup start with?+
Many founders incorporate with 10,000,000 shares so percentages are easy to read and employee grants can be in round numbers. The share count does not change anyone's value; ownership percentage and price per share do.
How do post-money SAFEs dilute founders?+
A post-money SAFE buys roughly its amount divided by its valuation cap. $250k at a $5M cap is 5%. Every SAFE stacks on top, and all of it comes out of founders and the existing pool before the priced round.
What is the option pool shuffle?+
Seed investors usually ask for the pool to be topped up before their money comes in. That top-up dilutes founders and SAFE holders, not the new investor, so a bigger pool works like a lower valuation for you.
Do unexercised options count in a cap table?+
Yes. Investors look at fully diluted ownership, which counts granted options and the unallocated pool as if they were shares. The template works on a fully diluted basis.
When should I move to cap table software?+
A spreadsheet works while you have founders, a pool and a few SAFEs. Once you issue employee options or close a priced round, move to dedicated equity software and let your lawyer keep it in sync. solvee does not manage cap tables.
Is the template really free?+
Yes. Enter your email and we send the spreadsheet and guide, no credit card. It is an educational model, not legal or tax advice.
A clean cap table gets you into the room. solvee gets the rest of your business investor-ready.
Investors also judge your customer, market, traction and pitch. solvee shows you where you are not yet ready and helps you close those gaps before you pitch.
Get investor-ready free