SAFEs are by far the most commonly used funding mechanism for early-stage founders: In the first half of 2023, four out of five pre-seed investments were SAFEs.
But as SAFEs have increased in popularity, they’ve become more nuanced. Investors and founders sometimes agree to modify standard SAFE templates to include specific provisions in their deals.
That’s why we’ve added a new feature to our SAFE financing tool: Now you can upload a customized SAFE and customized side letters directly on Carta.
Here’s how it will benefit you:
Greater flexibility: Carta already offers standardized templates for SAFE deals and pro-rata side letters. Now founders can issue customized SAFEs: If you and your investor want to create a SAFE with unique language governing discount, valuation cap, pro rata rights, or other provisions, you can upload your own bespoke SAFE agreement and side letter and finish the deal on Carta.
Save time: Prior to the update, startup founders had to manage the issuance process for custom SAFEs and side letters off-platform. Now you can get both signed, issued, and funded through the Carta platform, helping you fundraise faster. We’ll update your cap table automatically regardless of how complex the terms end up.
Simple workflow: When you’re ready to issue a SAFE, you upload your custom SAFE document and side letter. We’ll generate a signature page for you and your investor to complete. Once the issuance process is complete, we log your custom SAFE agreement and update your cap table while you get back to running your startup.
Interested in issuing a custom SAFE? Get started today.