Founders’ guides to equity, valuations, and company growth.
Investing through the qualified small business stock (QSBS) route allows investors to exclude capital gains of up to $15 million or 10x the investment basis, whichever is greater. These benefits are limited to certain businesses with gross asset values up to $75 million. This makes QSBS attestation particularly important to raise funds as an early-stage …
In December, the number of companies raising Pre-Seed, Seed, and Series A funding declined by 6% compared to the previous year. Meanwhile, the number of AI companies being raised has grown by 7% in the same time frame. The overall slowdown is in line with what we have been witnessing in the last quarter. AI’s …
Dr. Chiranjeevi, formerly ISRO’s Deputy Project Director for the Gaganyaan mission and Head of Anthropometry, Biomechanics, and Human Performance, shares how a pivotal realization at the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee inspired him to found Cosmoserve Space in Hyderabad. The startup’s breakthrough Venus flytrap-inspired soft robotic arms enable capture of any space debris without needing …
Modern equity structures evolve quickly. A startup might begin with four founders and end its first year with 30 angel investors, a growing option pool, and several SAFE notes. As the company scales, the cap table becomes a living system that must instantly reflect new grants, vesting schedules, funding rounds, and conversions. Manually performing these …
Last Updated: Feb 2026 There is no quick or easy way to get equity capital for a business. If you’re successful, however, you’ll have the means to see your business through to its full potential. Series A fundraising rounds are very important to a startup’s development and eventual success. The Series A funding rounds follow …
The complexity of 409A valuations increases exponentially as companies gear up for public listings. For companies that must recruit key leadership talent ahead of an IPO, these growing complexities become a significant obstacle. In the run-up to an IPO, material events multiply, valuation inputs evolve, and the spotlight on valuation defensibility intensifies. Getting your 409A …
In this exclusive interview for Eqvista, Manuel Romero, Co-Founder and Chief Science Officer of MAISA, shares his insights on building trustworthy AI for enterprise automation. A leading Hugging Face contributor with over 700 open-source models garnering 15 million monthly downloads, Romero draws from his extensive AI expertise to discuss MAISA’s innovative KPU framework. Founded in …
M&A activity in the United States is regaining momentum. Through the first three quarters of 2025, total global deal value grew 10% compared to 2024, with the Americas experiencing 26% growth. 62% of all acquisition targets were from North America, with US companies acquiring most of them. Such activity suggests an inclination towards cross-border revenue …
In July 2025, Chevron completed its $53 billion acquisition of Hess, marking the end of a nearly two-year journey that began with the initial announcement on October 23, 2023. The timeline for this acquisition got extended because of an arbitration case brought by rivals Exxon Mobil and the China National Offshore Oil Corporation. This goes …
In a world where smartphones, smartwatches, and AR headsets dominate our daily routines, one startup is asking a provocative question: What if all of that technology could disappear into something as simple and natural as a contact lens? XPANCEO, a Dubai-based deep-tech company, recently achieved unicorn status with a $250 million Series A funding round, …
Purchase price allocation (PPA) is the method for allocating the acquisition cost to assets acquired and liabilities assumed, with any residual amount recognized as goodwill or a bargain purchase gain. While the underlying objective of PPA is broadly consistent across accounting frameworks, the application can differ meaningfully between US Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and …
AI companies are now trading at multiples that are several times higher than traditional SaaS companies, despite operating in a funding environment defined by liquidity constraints and heightened investor caution. In public markets, the median AI market cap-to-revenue multiple exceeds 10x, while that of SaaS companies is below 5x. This widening valuation gap raises two …
In an industry often caught between impersonal online booking platforms and exclusive but slow-moving concierge services, Holiwise is carving out a distinctive path. The AI-powered travel platform promises to deliver the white-glove service of luxury travel planning with the speed and efficiency of modern technology—a combination that co-founder and CEO Albin Eriksson Lippe believes has …
Public companies pursuing inorganic growth face two major compliance burdens. They must balance ongoing financial reporting obligations under GAAP with the requirement to provide adequate transparency to stakeholders when acquiring private sector companies. As M&A competition intensifies, the need to meet these already onerous requirements with speed and defensibility has grown sharply. Global M&A deal …
As private companies scale from early-stage startups to venture-backed enterprises, their compliance obligations evolve dramatically. What begins as informal updates to angel investors can quickly transform into rigorous reporting requirements that rival those of public companies. Understanding these requirements early helps founders avoid costly mistakes, maintain investor confidence, and position their companies for successful funding …
For two analyses that support completely different purposes, fairness opinions and valuation reports have a lot of common elements. They use the same inputs, such as financial histories, projections, capital structures, and market trends. Even methodologies such as comparable company analysis and the discounted cash flow (DCF) method are common between the two. So, what’s …
From backing category-defining consumer brands to navigating the complexities of today’s AI-driven investment landscape, Lerer Hippeau has established itself as one of New York’s most influential early-stage venture capital firms. What sets them apart isn’t just their track record; it’s their philosophy of being a founder’s “first and most aligned institutional partner.” In this interview, …
Rule 701 allows companies to issue stock-based compensation without triggering the need to register with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) under the Securities Act of 1933. This is a very important exemption since the US regulatory framework places immense reporting responsibilities on registered companies. As an ESOP administrator, to qualify for Rule 701 benefits, …
Traditional 409A valuation reports have been the cornerstone of equity compensation compliance in the USA. These reports have shielded businesses from hefty IRS penalties for many years. But here’s the problem. Traditional 409A valuations can no longer keep up with the pace of modern businesses. The traditional 409A PDF report is a valuation snapshot you …
In an exclusive Eqvista interview, Frederik Sally, Co-Founder and COO of Interhuman AI, reveals how his Copenhagen-based startup is pioneering a social intelligence layer for AI to decode non-verbal cues like tone, body language, and pauses, elements comprising up to 93% of human communication. Frederick credits co-founder Paula Petcu’s decade in brain health tech for …
Over 23,000 companies use Eqvista to simplify equity, stay compliant, and scale—whether hiring their first employee or closing their next round.