Early-Stage Founders Collection | Carta
Our curated collection for early-stage founders
Get inspired and level-up with articles, guides, and tools to help you go from pre-seed to Series B—and everything in between.
Getting started
Author: The Carta Team
Date: January 2026
Featured article:
How to start a startup: A clear path for founders
Learn the foundational steps to start your startup, from finding a problem and building a team to setting up your legal structure and raising your first funds.
Founder Education
Date: February 2024
Building your founding team:
In this article, we’ll cover the various startup positions, when to bring on which type of founding team member, and general guidelines to help you build your founding team.
Founder Education
Date: January 2024
Startup metrics and KPIs:
This glossary covers the basic startup metrics and startup KPIs to know and when to use them to help grow your business.
Founder Education
Date: September 2024
Startup accelerators:
Joining an accelerator can be a game-changer, providing startups with mentorship, resources, and funding at a key moment in their development.
Popular tools
Cap table template
Option pool calculator
QSBS calculator
Pitch deck template
Building a team
How to find a co-founder for your startup
A founder’s guide to selecting a startup law firm
How to find a startup advisor
Board of directors (BoD): What founders need to know
Video courses
VIDEO COURSE
Learn about the ins and outs of startup fundraising.
VIDEO COURSE
Understand cap tables from the founder’s chair—from incorporation to the exit of a fictional company.
VIDEO COURSE
Ready to create your first cap table? Begin the journey of a fictional company as we build a cap table from scratch...
Fundraising
Interact with Carta data using the Round Benchmarking Tool: Discover real-time insights on round sizes, valuations, and dilution with Carta's Round Benchmarking Tool.
In a slow fundraising environment, investors spy an opportunity for emerging managers
In the midst of a relatively stagnant fundraising environment, emerging fund managers may have an appealing value proposition to present to LPs.
How PE firms are investing in AI amid a once-in-a-generation boom
PE firms typically don't invest in the sort of high-growth startups that dominate the AI market today. But that doesn't mean PE is sitting out the AI revolution.
State of Private Markets: Q1 2026
Venture capital is making a comeback, with $30.4 billion raised in Q1 2026...
Equity management
Cap tables
This guide explains everything you need to know about cap tables, from building your first one to managing company ownership as you prepare for fundraising and growth.
409A Valuations: Learn everything you need to know about 409A valuations including what they are, when you need a valuation...
Equity management explained for founders
As your company grows, equity management can get complex. This comprehensive guide explains...
Fair market value (FMV)
Learn about fair market value, what it means for stock, how to determine...
Co-founder equity split
Finding an equity split that all co-founders are comfortable with is complicated.
Equity glossary
Carta's ever-growing glossary of financial and private equity terms will help you understand the jargon that frequently comes up in the industry.
Equity in business: A founder's perspective
Learn the fundamentals of company equity, including the different types you will issue...
Taxes
Fund tax complexity: What your fund structure actually requires
Share tax estimates with your LPs every quarter
IFRS 2 Share-based Payment: Preparing your ESOP for audit in Singapore
What Hong Kong’s “big bang” tax cuts mean for your fund
Founder stories
Mivien Labs
Dapple Security
Coffee Resurrect
Heylist
Try Carta Launch: Issue equity and SAFEs, track ownership, and manage your cap table...
Valuations
Interact with Carta data using the Round Benchmarking Tool
As PE’s exit math changes, investors are finding new ways to drive portfolio growth
How PE firms are investing in AI amid a once-in-a-generation boom
Portfolio holdings, now interactive in Claude
Compensation planning
Compensation philosophy: Creating a framework for compensation
Learn how to create your first compensation philosophy, a clear framework...
Understanding salary benchmarking for startups
Learn how salary benchmarking helps startups attract and retain talent...
Salary bands: A startup founder’s guide
Learn how salary bands provide fair, consistent pay tied to responsibility...
How stock options work
Learn the fundamentals of stock options, including the different types...