Issued ownership
Record each shareholder, share class, number of shares, issue date, consideration and relevant transaction documents.
Cap table management · startup equity
Cap Table Management for UK Startups and Scaleups
Maintain accurate founder, investor and employee ownership across share issues, option pools, SEIS/EIS, EMI schemes, fundraising rounds and exit scenarios.
Ownership records
Know who owns the company on both an issued and fully diluted basis
A cap table should reconcile legal share records with commercial ownership analysis. It must distinguish issued shares, options, warrants, convertibles and shares reserved for future awards.
Fully diluted ownership
Model options, warrants, convertibles and proposed pools so founders understand potential dilution.
Share classes
Track voting, dividend, liquidation and conversion rights instead of treating every share as economically identical.
Fundraising
Model dilution before agreeing investment terms
Cap-table scenarios help founders understand how valuation, round size, option-pool increases and convertible instruments affect ownership and control.
Pre- and post-money
Show how investment value and new shares translate into post-round percentages.
Option-pool shuffle
Make clear whether a pool increase occurs before or after the investment and who bears the dilution.
Convertible instruments
Model valuation caps, discounts, interest and conversion mechanics under more than one outcome.
Compliance alignment
Reconcile the cap table to statutory and tax records
The Companies Act requires companies to maintain a register of members. The cap table does not replace statutory registers, board minutes, share certificates or Companies House filings.
Register of members
Confirm member names, dates, holdings, share classes and amounts paid agree with the legal register.
Companies House
Reconcile statements of capital, confirmation statements and allotment filings to internal records.
Tax relief records
Keep SEIS/EIS compliance and EMI option information aligned with the underlying share transactions.
Transaction controls
Create an approval trail for every equity movement
Share issues, transfers, option grants, exercises, cancellations and conversions should be supported by authorised documents and updated promptly across all records.
Board approvals
Keep signed resolutions and transaction dates with the cap-table entry.
Data-room readiness
Store articles, investment agreements, certificates, option documents and filings in a consistent structure.
Scenario reporting
Provide founders and directors with ownership summaries before financing, hiring or exit decisions.
Cap table FAQs
Frequently asked questions
What is a cap table?
It is a structured record and model of company ownership showing shares, shareholders and potentially dilutive instruments such as options and convertibles.
Is a cap table the same as the register of members?
No. The statutory register of members is a legal company record. A cap table is a broader commercial model and should reconcile to that register.
What does fully diluted ownership mean?
It generally models ownership as if specified options, warrants and convertible instruments had become shares, using clearly stated assumptions.
When should a startup update its cap table?
Update it immediately after every authorised equity transaction and review it before fundraising, option grants, Companies House filings and due diligence.
Price & Accountants
Keep ownership data ready for investors, employees and directors.
Price & Accountants helps founders reconcile financial, tax and ownership data across SEIS/EIS, EMI options, fundraising models and investor due diligence, working alongside legal advisers.