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From issuing early equity to IPO, build and scale your business on one platform
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Issue, track, and manage your company's equity securely
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Generate and issue SAFEs with real-time tracking securely from one platform
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Generate your stock-based compensation reports in a few clicks
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Execute secondary transactions that fully integrate with your cap table
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Simplify your equity management by consolidating into a single SPV
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Get end-to-end guidance on secondary transactions
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Fund Management
All Fund Management
Run funds at every stage from formation to close
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Automate your back office with solutions from scenario modeling to closings
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Form your fund, administer closings and execute capital calls
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Track tasks, message fund admins, and make approvals - from anywhere
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Preparing to raise funds? Read our guide to fundraising with SAFEs
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Fund Formation
A comprehensive guide for emerging VCs didn't exist, so we built one.
Starting a VC firm is a complex process. Leverage our resources as you build your first fund.
Getting started
VC 101
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Getting started
Author:
Rita Astoor
Date:
October 2023
featured article
How to start a venture capital firm
Learn how to launch your firm, how to start a VC fund, and what it means to transition to the founding GP role. What it means to be the founding GP and what investors expect of you in this role.
Investors
August 2022
Venture capital fund structures
Thinking of starting your own venture capital fund? Learn the legal vocabulary of VC fund structures, including LPs,...
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Fund Administration
June 2023
Fund administration
Fund administration is a third-party service that handles venture fund accounting, LP reporting, asset valuation,...
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Investors
September 2023
Investment thesis
An investment thesis clarifies how you’ll make money for your fund’s LPs. Learn how to write a great thesis so you can...
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The Venture Playbook: Starting a fund
Learn the ins and outs of venture — from launching your firm to supporting your portfolio companies.
Download
VC 101 video course
VIDEO COURSE
Venture Capital 101
Learn the fundamentals of starting a venture capital fund.
VIDEO COURSE
VC regulations
Get familiar with the regulatory landscape by knowing its areas of focus, registration requirements, and exemptions.
VIDEO COURSE
Limited partnerships & management companies
Understand the limited partnership agreement (LPA) and the big role management companies play in VC.
VIDEO COURSE
Venture Capital 101
Learn the fundamentals of starting a venture capital fund.
VC regulations
Get familiar with the regulatory landscape by knowing its areas of focus, registration requirements, and exemptions.
Limited partnerships & management companies
Understand the limited partnership agreement (LPA) and the big role management companies play in VC.
Popular tools
LP pitch deck template
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IRR calculator
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VC regulatory playbook
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Investor update template
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Portfolio management
How to write an investment memo
What is a tear sheet?
How to write an investment thesis
What is a fund closing?
The venture capital regulatory playbook
Discover your end-to-end resource for understanding the basics in venture capital regulation.
Download
Fund structures
Venture capital fund structures overview
Limited partner (LP)
General partner (GP)
Limited partnership agreement (LPA)
Fund management
Author:
The Carta Team
Date:
June 2023
featured article
Fund administration
Fund administration is a third-party service that handles venture fund accounting, LP reporting, asset valuation, capital calls, and capital distributions.
Investors
April 2024
Carried interest
Carried interest is how venture capital firms compensate and incentivize their general partners. In this article, we'll...
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Investors
February 2024
Capital calls
When venture capitalists are ready to invest in a private company, they usually have to make a capital call first....
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Investors
August 2020
ASC 820
ASC 820 is an accounting standard that requires investments to be reported at fair value. Learn more about how to stay...
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Learn more
Fund performance
How VCs measure fund performance
Sharing your track record as an emerging VC
Internal Rate of Return: How to calculate IRR
Regulations
Author:
Holli Heiles Pandol
Date:
December 2022
featured article
Venture capital regulations
The SEC regulates most aspects of venture capital funds and fund managers. Learn more about private fund regulation requirements to remain compliant.
Investors
October 2023
AML & KYC
Know your customer (KYC) checks help companies and financial institutions comply with anti-money laundering (AML)...
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Equity Education
July 2023
Accredited investors
Learn what an accredited investor is, requirements and qualifications, why the requirement exists, and how the...
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Investors
August 2022
Regulation D
Regulation D outlines some of the rules private funds and companies can follow to raise money by selling securities...
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Learn more
Taxes
Author:
Jeffrey Johnson, CPA
Date:
September 2022
featured article
Venture capital tax treatment
Learn about venture capital tax treatment—and what LPs expect from your fund during tax season.
Carta
February 2023
Schedule K-1 tax form
In this article, we cover important due dates, filing information, and what to include in a Schedule K-1 form, a key...
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Educational Essentials
August 2023
Qualified small business stock (QSBS)
Understand the qualified small business requirements and how to take advantage of QSBS tax treatment for eligible stock...
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Investors
April 2024
Carried interest
Carried interest is how venture capital firms compensate and incentivize their general partners. In this article, we'll...
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Latest articles
Featured
August 2024
State of Private Markets: Q2 2024
In Q2 2024, the venture ecosystem showed modest signs of improvement.
View
Featured
July 2024
State of startup compensation, H1 2024
Carta data shows that companies have become leaner and salary benchmarks have remained flat across much of the...
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Data & Research
July 2024
Amid a battle for deals, VCs are hunting for early-stage value
With competition fierce among VCs for premium startup deals, some are turning their attention to earlier stages,...
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Data & Research
July 2024
Seed valuations climbed to near-record heights in Q2
After holding steady in 2023, the median seed valuation has now jumped in two straight quarters, a sign that VCs are...
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Data & Research
July 2024
Startup shutdowns continued to accelerate in Q1
The number of startup shutdowns on Carta hit a new high in Q1, with 254 company closures—a 58% increase compared to...
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Liquidity
July 2024
Secondary markets
Understand the function of the private secondary market and how companies can benefit from secondary liquidity and...
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Data & Research
July 2024
How a decline in dilution is reshaping the fundraising landscape
Over the past five years, dilution levels have declined at every stage of startup life. This can have compounding...
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Featured
July 2024
First Cut—State of Private Markets: Q2 2024
Initial data from Q2 2024 shows modest increases in median valuation and round size across much of the U.S. venture...
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Data & Research
July 2024
The startup industry’s boom in bridge rounds isn’t slowing down yet
In a tight market for primary venture fundraising, a historically high number of startups are turning to bridge rounds....
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View more