Carta Startup Deals & Discounts

Carta runs an application-based program for early-stage companies that lowers the cost of getting equity onto a proper system from day one. The headline benefit is a meaningful first-year discount on a paid equity-management plan, often paired with waived implementation fees - the setup charges that normally accompany onboarding onto cap-table software. For the youngest companies, the entry point is effectively free: businesses under the stakeholder and funding thresholds can manage their cap table, close SAFEs, and issue equity at no cost, then graduate into a discounted paid tier as they grow.

Who qualifies leans toward startups still early in their fundraising journey, the exact group for whom a clean cap table pays off most at diligence time. The reason the program exists is straightforward: equity gets messy fast, and companies that adopt structured tooling early avoid expensive cleanups later, so the discount removes the budget objection during the stage when cash is tightest. Eligibility is confirmed at application based on company stage and size rather than promised to everyone.

• Pre-seed and seed founders setting up a clean cap table, closing SAFEs, and issuing the first employee option grants.
• Companies raising a priced round modeling dilution and waterfall outcomes before agreeing to a term sheet.
• Startups hiring that need 409A valuations to grant stock options at a defensible strike price.
• Finance and legal teams preparing audit-ready equity expense and tax reporting (ASC 718, 83(b)).
• Fund managers and angels administering funds, SPVs, and LP reporting alongside their portfolio cap tables.

Carta's equity-management pricing is structured in tiers, priced per stakeholder with a minimum annual fee, so total cost scales with the size of your cap table.

• Launch (free): for the earliest companies under set stakeholder and funding limits - cap table, SAFEs, and basic equity issuance at no cost.
• Build: the entry paid tier, adding guided onboarding and premier support on top of Launch.
• Grow: adds 409A valuations and tax support such as 83(b) handling.
• Scale: adds advanced compliance and financial reporting (GAAP / ASC 718 and IFRS) for later-stage, complex cap tables.

Paid tiers above Launch are quote-based and rise with stakeholder count; published reference points start in the low thousands per year and climb for growth and late-stage companies. The startup program applies a first-year discount and waived implementation fees to these paid plans for eligible applicants.