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Founder equity dilution calculator

See what you keep after every round.

Enter your starting ownership and each funding round. Watch how much of the company founders keep, what that stake is worth, and how dilution compounds from seed to Series C.

The cap table

%
Funding rounds

For each round enter how much is raised and the pre-money valuation. Investor share and dilution are worked out for you.

Founder ownership after all rounds
0%
of the company still held by founders

What the dilution means

    Founder ownership across rounds

    Percentage held after each round

    Ownership scorecard

    Round-by-round breakdown

    Post-money is pre-money plus the new investment. Investor share is the new money divided by post-money. Founder ownership is your starting stake multiplied by every dilution factor so far.

    RoundRaisedPre-money Post-moneyInvestor shareFounder after

    Founder dilution, explained

    Dilution Math

    New investment divides existing shares. Pre-money + new investment = post-money. Investor's share = investment / post-money. Existing owners (including founders) split the remainder.

    Option Pool Dilution

    Investors typically require option pool refresh BEFORE their investment closes. This dilutes existing shareholders only, the pool is created from pre-money shares, hurting founders more than investors.

    Typical Seed Round

    $1-3M raise. $5-15M pre-money. Investor takes 15-25%. Option pool 10-15%. Founder dilution: typically 30-40% off prior ownership.

    Multi-Round Dilution

    Each round dilutes again. 60% founder going Seed (20% dilution) → A (25%) → B (20%) → C (15%) = 60% × 0.8 × 0.75 × 0.8 × 0.85 = ~24% by Series C. Anti-dilution provisions affect this.

    Common questions

    Why does option pool dilute founders more?

    Pool comes from pre-money (existing shares). Investors negotiate it before their investment, so investor stake stays at agreed percentage while founders absorb the pool dilution.

    What's a typical option pool?

    10-15% at seed, 15-20% at Series A. Larger if pre-revenue (need more options to attract talent).

    Can I negotiate against the option pool?

    Yes, try to push some to post-money (dilutes everyone proportionally). Common compromise.

    Does founder equity include all founders?

    Yes, usually combined. Internal split among founders is separate matter.

    What about secondary sales?

    Selling existing shares (not new issuance) doesn't dilute remaining holders. Different from primary investment.

    Estimates for planning only. Real cap tables include option pools, convertible notes, SAFEs, anti-dilution provisions, liquidation preferences and per-founder splits. Model each term with your lawyer before you sign.