Pre-Seed Advisors Receive a Median 0.24 Percent Equity

1% of my pre-seed company for advice? No thanks.

The median equity grant for pre-seed advisors in 2025 was...0.24%.

64% percent of advisors received less than 0.3% in fully-diluted equity.

And only about 1 in 10 hit that 1% level.

A quarter of 1 percent doesn't sound like much. It's not, really. But if the median equity grant for the first full-time employee is about 1.5% (which it is), then this advisory grant starts to make more sense.

Note that all percentages mentioned for advisors cover the full grant (not the annualized value).

𝗢𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀

• Top-end advisors are brand-name folks that either carry weight across the tech world or have deep industry expertise that founders can't get anywhere else.

• What exactly does an advisor commit to doing for this equity? Unclear, unfortunately. But there are advisors in this group who had performance criteria on their equity - things like "advisor receives x% for introducing founder to 2 new hires".

• The more specialized the space, the higher the advisor equity range. Specifically thinking of Biotech, Hardware, and Medical Devices.

• What's the best way to make an advisor more impactful to future investors? Turn them into strategic angels, meaning the advisor also makes an investment into the company. Even $2,000 works here.

• Many companies have 1-2 advisors. We see very few with a much larger advisory table. Be cautious as those equity grants can add up quickly.

May 2025 be a year of great advice.