# Essential resources for early-stage founders

Explore our curated collection of articles, guides, and tools to help you grow your business—from pre-seed to Series A and beyond.

## Equity management

**Author**: The Carta Team  
**Date**: November 2025  
**Featured article**: 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.

**Equity Education**  
**Date**: January 2024  
**Article**: 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**  
**Date**: August 2024  
**Article**: Fair Value (FV)  
Learn what fair value means for stock, how to determine a stock’s value, and why 409A or IFRS 13 valuations are so crucial for private companies.

**Equity Management**  
**Date**: June 2026  
**Article**: Equity management explained for founders  
As your company grows, equity management can get complex. This comprehensive guide explains the basics of equity management and why it is essential for startup success.

## Fundraising

[**How to start fundraising**](/content/sg/en/learn/startups/fundraising/index.html)

[**Simple Agreement for Future Equity (SAFE)**](/content/sg/en/learn/startups/fundraising/convertible-securities/safes/index.html)

[**Pre-money SAFEs vs post-money SAFEs**](/content/sg/en/learn/startups/fundraising/convertible-securities/pre-money-vs-post-money-safes/index.html)

[**Series A funding**](/content/sg/en/learn/startups/fundraising/series-a/index.html)

Are you ready to make the leap from seed to Series A?

Get market insights and guidance from investors on fundraising in today’s climate.

[Watch the webinar](/content/sg/en/events/seed-to-series-a/?ir=corps_founder-collections_mid1/index.html)

## Customer stories

Why Singapore-based Mito Health believes Carta is necessary for any startup  
[Learn more](/content/sg/en/customer-stories/mito-health/index.html)

Why Umami Bioworks chose Carta over Pulley for its international startup  
[Learn more](/content/sg/en/customer-stories/umami-bioworks/index.html)

How Carta helped Singapore-based iPiD fundraise with confidence while scaling  
[Learn more](/content/sg/en/customer-stories/ipid/index.html)

## Popular tools

[**Pitch deck template**](/content/sg/en/learn/startups/fundraising/pitch-deck/#startup-pitch-deck-template-examples/index.html)

[**Cap table template**](/content/sg/en/learn/resources/cap-table-template/index.html)

[**SAFE calculator**](https://safes.carta.com/)

[**Burn rate calculator**](/content/sg/en/burn-rate-calculator/index.html)

## Equity compensation

**Author**: The Carta Team  
**Date**: August 2024  
**Featured article**: Option pools  
A stock option pool’s size affects share prices, ownership dilution, and company value. Here’s what you need to know to calculate an employee option pool.

**Equity**  
**Date**: December 2025  
**Article**: How stock options work  
Learn the fundamentals of stock options, including the different types, how they are granted and vested, and the process for exercising and paying taxes.

**Compensation**  
**Date**: March 2026  
**Article**: Employee compensation: A founder's guide to compensation packages  
Learn how to build a competitive employee compensation package to attract top talent and stay compliant as you scale.

**Compensation**  
**Date**: March 2026  
**Article**: Compensation philosophy: Creating a framework for compensation  
Learn how to create your first compensation philosophy, a clear framework that will help you make consistent decisions regarding compensation as you build your team.