Welcome to the world of Carta! We're excited to help you seamlessly navigate the onboarding process. To kick start this journey, let's delve into a critical aspect: the essential company documents you need to ensure a smooth onboarding experience. In this blog post, we'll break down each required document, explaining their significance and why they're fundamental to your Carta journey.
A Fully Updated Cap Table/Ledger: The Blueprint of Ownership
Imagine the cap table as a blueprint outlining the ownership structure of your company. It's like a financial map that shows who holds how much equity. When providing this document, ensure it's fully updated with historical data, capturing all equity issuances, transfers, conversions, and cancellations. We need actual numerical quantities of shares, not just percentages, to accurately translate your ownership into the Carta system. If you are coming from another equity management provider, downloading your cap table report will be very helpful as we go through this process.
While an Excel cap table ledger spreadsheet is preferred due to its clarity, if that's not available, stock purchase agreements will suffice. Just make sure it clearly presents numerical quantities of shares for each stakeholder.
Original State-Stamped Certificate of Incorporation and Amendments: Your Company's Identity
The Certificate of Incorporation is the very foundation of your company's identity. This legal document outlines essential details such as the company name, jurisdiction, and authorized shares. Any amendments to this document are equally important. Remember, only the actual state-stamped originals or certified copies will do; copies won't cut it.
Stakeholder Contact List: Your Communication Lifeline
A stakeholder contact list is your communication lifeline. This list should contain the names, email addresses, and relationships of all current stakeholders—employees, investors, advisors, and more. This ensures everyone stays in the loop and connected as your Carta journey unfolds.
Why These Documents Matter
These documents are the pillars upon which your Carta experience stands:
- Clarity and Accuracy: A comprehensive cap table and related documents ensure accuracy, clarity, and transparency in your equity management.
- Regulatory Compliance: Proper legal documentation, like the Certificate of Incorporation, keeps you compliant with regulations.
- Efficient Collaboration: A stakeholder contact list fosters efficient communication, while equity-related documents enable smooth operations.
- Seamless Onboarding: Blank forms and clear documentation expedite employee onboarding and equity exercises.
With these documents in hand, you're well on your way to a seamless Carta onboarding experience. As always, feel free to reach out to the community or your Implementations Manager if you have any questions or need assistance. Your Carta journey is about to take off, and we're here to support you every step of the way.