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Shareholders’ agreement for your startup.

Last updated: 22 May 2026

Details

Why have a shareholders’ agreement?

Alongside the articles of association, an SHA helps co-founders agree on:

  • how equity is earned/kept (vesting)
  • governance and what happens in case of conflict
  • how to handle new investors/funding rounds
  • what happens when a founder leaves (good/bad leaver)

Template sections (as per the source)

  • Definitions
  • Vesting: 4 years, 12-month cliff (25% after cliff, then monthly)
  • Good leaver / bad leaver
  • Tag-along / drag-along
  • Decision-making & deadlock
  • Capital increases & financing
  • IP: creations in scope belong to the company + IP assignment annex
  • Role allocation, compensation, confidentiality, non-compete, and other clauses

Word draft

The source page includes a Word draft to start from:

https://startium-prod-belgium.s3.amazonaws.com/user-content/1756480634-4994668305.docx

Note

This is a base model—have it reviewed legally, especially when investors are involved.

Want to know more?

This article was written with AI and may contain inaccuracies. Visit the source website to consult the original information.

View source website

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