Carta open forum

What if the company I hold shares in goes public? Can I sell shares directly on Carta? 

What are the steps to sell shares that are going public?

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VARD WELLS
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Hi Vard! Thanks for reaching out. It's alway important to understand how your equity works and at what point you can sell your shares. 

When a company goes public, your shares become eligible to be traded on the public stock exchange (like NASDAQ or NYSE). At that point, the process of holding and selling your shares shifts from Carta to the company's designated transfer agent or broker.

Here's what you can expect:

1. Transition of your shares – After the IPO, your private-company shares are converted into publicly tradable shares. They'll be moved from Carta into the broker or transfer agent system chosen by the company.

2. Instructions from the company – You'll receive communication (usually email) from the company or their transfer agent with details on how to set up your account and access your shares.

3. Selling your shares – Once your account is set up with the broker, you can place orders to sell your stock through their platform, just like you would with any other publicly traded company.

4. Continuing to track your equity – Carta will no longer be the system of record for those shares, but you can continue to use Carta for any other private-company equity you hold.

So while you don't sell directly through Carta after an IPO, you'll get a clear path and tools from the company to access and sell your shares on the public market.