Not incorporated yetPRE
Negotiate before the company exists
Agree on equity, roles, vesting, and how you will work together now. The future company can join the agreement after formation.
Co-founder agreements
Make the big decisions together, then put them in writing.
Formalize equity, roles, expectations, and what happens when things change, so the decisions shaping your company get discussed now instead of becoming disputes later.
Co-founder agreement
Atlas Labs, Inc.
5.1
Equity allocation50 / 50
2.1
Roles and responsibilitiesIn review
5.2
Vesting4 years / 1 year cliff
7.1
Major decisionsAll founders
AMJ
Negotiating
1 of 3 approved
Wherever you are
Have you incorporated yet?
Either way works. Choose the agreement that reflects where the company is today, so existing formation decisions remain intact.
Already incorporatedPOST
Put the working relationship in writing
Set expectations for roles, decisions, performance, departures, and founder transfers without reopening your formation documents.
The foundation
Alignment is easier before there is a disagreement.
What it is
The handshake, written down
Roles, time commitment, vesting, decision-making, and what happens if someone leaves: the assumptions between founders, made explicit and signed.
Why it matters
Ask the difficult questions early
Founder conflict often starts with expectations nobody discussed. Work through those questions while the team is aligned and the stakes are still manageable.
How it works
Negotiated together in Soxton
Invite your co-founders, revise the agreement clause by clause, and move to signature only after every founder approves the same terms.
How it works
One agreement. Every founder heard.
Choose where you are
Start with the pre- or post-incorporation agreement so the document fits the company you are building today.
Work through the terms
Invite two or three founders. Anyone can propose revisions, and each version keeps the discussion clear and auditable.
Approve and sign together
Every founder approves the same version before signing begins. Each founder receives their own secure signing link.
FAQ
Common questions
The agreement is designed to make the hard conversations easier, not avoid them.
Do we need to incorporate before doing this?+
No. Discussing and documenting key terms before the company exists is often the best time to do it. Use the pre-incorporation agreement now, and the company can join it after formation.
We have already incorporated. Does this still work?+
Yes. The post-incorporation agreement focuses on how the founders will work together from here, including roles, decisions, performance, transfers, and departures.
Can we adjust the agreement terms?+
Yes. Founders can revise the available clause choices and propose new versions. A revision clears prior approvals so everyone ultimately signs the same terms.
Is a co-founder agreement legally required?+
No. It is not legally required, but it is a valuable way to surface expectations and reduce the risk that disagreements over equity, authority, or commitment become company-threatening disputes later.
Does Soxton represent me or the company?+
Soxton represents the company, not any founder individually. Each founder may separately consult independent counsel about their personal interests before signing.
Build the company on terms you all understand.
Start the conversation, agree on the terms, and sign together.