# Vested, Inc. (vested.co) > Vested helps startup employees fund stock option exercises in exchange for a portion of their underlying shares. Vested, Inc. is a stock option exercise funding company based in the United States. Founded in 2021, Vested provides startup employees with capital to exercise their stock options — including Incentive Stock Options (ISOs) and Non-Qualified Stock Options (NSOs) — and cover related taxes such as the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT). In exchange, Vested receives a portion of the exercised shares. There is no out-of-pocket expense for the employee: Vested sends cash to cover the exercise cost and taxes, and the employee sends shares later. It is not a loan — there are no interest payments, no annual fees, and no repayment obligation if the company never has a liquidity event. Vested works with startup employees at companies from Series A through G, including smaller deal sizes that most other providers decline. ## How It Works 1. A startup employee submits their equity details (grant type, number of options, exercise price, company name) through the Vested platform. 2. Vested evaluates the deal and provides a funding offer or update, typically very quickly. 3. If the employee accepts, Vested funds the stock option exercise cost and applicable taxes (including AMT for ISOs). 4. In return, Vested receives a portion of the exercised shares. The employee keeps the rest and benefits from any future appreciation. The entire process — from submission to funding — can be completed in as little as 7–10 days, and sometimes faster. A 10% placement fee covers transaction, intermediary, and due diligence costs; this fee is netted from shares (not paid out-of-pocket) and is paid by Vested on the employee's behalf to Vested Securities, LLC, an affiliated broker-dealer and member FINRA/SIPC. ## Key Pages - [Homepage](https://vested.co/): Overview of Vested's stock option exercise funding service, including how the process works, testimonials from funded employees, and a call to action to get started. - [Start / Get Started](https://vested.co/start): Submit your equity details to receive a funding offer for your stock option exercise. This is the entry point for employees who want Vested to cover their exercise costs and taxes. - [Vestimate](https://vested.co/vestimate): Free algorithmically-powered equity dashboard that estimates the value of your startup common stock based on company sector, stage, fundraising history, and other performance indicators. Tracks equity value over time and benchmarks holdings against similar companies. - [Why Vested](https://vested.co/why-vested): Side-by-side comparison of Vested with marketplace solutions and liquidity loan providers. Covers deal range, terms simplicity, speed, and supported company stages. - [Learn / Equity 101](https://vested.co/learn): Educational articles about stock options, equity compensation, ISOs vs NSOs, AMT, 409A valuations, post-termination exercise windows, and related topics for startup employees. - [FAQ](https://vested.co/faq): Frequently asked questions about stock option exercise funding, the Vestimate tool, Carta integration, fees, eligibility, and more. - [Contact](https://vested.co/contact): Reach the Vested team for questions about funding, partnerships, or general inquiries. ## Vestimate — Equity Value Estimation Tool ### What is the Vestimate? The Vestimate is a free tool that helps startup employees understand the value of their equity compensation. It estimates the value of common stock — the type of equity typically granted to employees — based on the company's sector, stage, fundraising history, and other performance indicators. The Vestimate is powered by Vested's proprietary algorithm and provides equity value trends over time, not just a single snapshot. ### Who is the Vestimate for? The Vestimate is designed for employees at the vast majority of startups whose shares do not trade on secondary markets. If you hold stock options or equity in a private startup and want to understand what your shares might be worth, the Vestimate provides an algorithmically-generated estimate. ### What does the Vestimate not cover? The Vestimate estimates common stock value only — not preferred stock (which investors purchase during funding rounds and which carries special rights like liquidation preferences). It does not factor in costs or taxes related to exercising options or settling RSUs, does not apply to companies that lack sufficient data, and does not account for manually entered equity grants. The Vestimate does not represent realized investment results or guarantee future performance. ### How is the Vestimate different from manual equity tracking? Without the Vestimate, employees typically have to manually calculate equity value changes, manage spreadsheet trackers, and update everything after each funding round. The Vestimate automates all of this and adds trend analysis plus the ability to benchmark holdings against similar companies, so employees always know how their equity compares. ### How does the Vestimate protect employee and company data? All data shared with Vested is protected according to Vested's [Privacy Policy](https://vested.co/legal/privacy) and [Terms of Service](https://vested.co/legal/terms). Vested never shares grant-specific details or personal identifying information with other users. The Vestimate is only shown to users who hold verifiable equity in a given company (verified through Carta linking), and only provides estimates of information the company has already disclosed to employees. ### How do I access the Vestimate? Sign up at [vested.co/vestimate](https://vested.co/vestimate), link your Carta account, and your personalized equity dashboard is available in seconds. Vested's partnership with Carta enables fast, verified onboarding. ## Why Vested — Comparison with Alternatives ### How is Vested different from marketplace solutions? Marketplace solutions (platforms that match employees with individual buyers) typically support only around 100 high-profile startups and require large deal sizes. Vested supports employees at thousands of startups from Series A through G, including deals under $100,000 that marketplace providers rarely accept. Vested's terms are also simpler — it is not a loan, there are no interest payments, and there are no annual fees. ### How is Vested different from liquidity loan providers? Liquidity loan providers offer loans secured against equity, which means employees take on debt and must repay regardless of the outcome. Vested's funding is not a loan: if the company never has a liquidity event, the employee owes nothing. Vested also provides faster decisions and works with a wider range of deal sizes. ### Summary of key differences - **Range of startups supported**: Vested works with thousands of startups; marketplace and loan providers typically cover around 100. - **Deals under $100k**: Vested regularly funds smaller exercises; other providers rarely do. - **Terms**: Vested's terms are straightforward — a share exchange with a 10% placement fee, no debt, no interest, no annual fees. - **Speed**: Vested targets 7–10 days from submission to funding; many competitors take significantly longer. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is Vested? Vested's mission is to empower startup employees to participate in the success of the companies they helped build. While stock options can be a life-changing financial opportunity, many employees cannot afford to pay the exercise cost and associated taxes. Vested covers those costs in exchange for a portion of the exercised shares, with simple and transparent terms. ### How does Vested's funding work? Vested covers the employee's stock option exercise costs and associated taxes in exchange for a portion of the shares exercised. The employee keeps the remaining shares and benefits from any future appreciation. There is no out-of-pocket expense for the employee. ### What types of stock options and equity does Vested support? Vested primarily works with Incentive Stock Options (ISOs) and Non-Qualified Stock Options (NSOs). Vested can also work with employees who hold Restricted Stock Units (RSUs), Restricted Stock Awards (RSAs), and owned shares. ### Can Vested help cover Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT)? Yes. When exercising ISOs, the difference between the exercise price and fair market value is treated as AMT income under the parallel AMT tax system. Vested can fund both the exercise cost and the associated AMT liability as part of the funding arrangement. ### What happens if my company never has an exit or liquidity event? Because Vested's funding is not a loan, the employee has no repayment obligation. If the shares lose all value, neither the employee nor Vested benefits — the risk is shared. ### Are there any annual fees or interest payments? No. There are no annual fees, no interest payments, and no recurring charges. The only cost is a 10% placement fee that is netted from shares (not paid out-of-pocket by the employee). ### How long does the funding process take? After submitting a funding proposal, employees typically receive an initial response within one business day. With timely follow-up, the entire process — from submission to funding — can be completed in 7–10 days, and sometimes faster. ### Who is eligible for Vested's services? US-based startup employees with stock options (ISOs or NSOs) in companies from Series A through G are eligible. Vested also considers RSUs, RSAs, and owned shares. Each deal is evaluated individually. ### Why do startup employees need stock option exercise funding? Many startup employees receive stock options as part of their compensation but cannot afford to pay the exercise cost and related taxes — especially when leaving a company and facing a post-termination exercise window (typically 90 days). Without funding, employees risk forfeiting equity they earned. Vested solves this by covering the exercise cost and taxes so employees can retain ownership of their shares. ### How do I know how many shares I keep? Employees see a preliminary share split as soon as they submit a funding proposal. The exact number is finalized after discussing the proposal with the Vested team. ### Is Vested regulated? Vested Investment Management, LLC (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Vested, Inc.) is an exempt reporting advisor under the SEC's regulatory framework. Vested Securities, LLC (also a wholly-owned subsidiary) is a registered broker-dealer with the SEC and a member of FINRA/SIPC. ### How does Vested work with Carta? Vested integrates with Carta so employees can securely link their Carta account and import equity details automatically. This speeds up the process and ensures accurate grant data. Instructions for linking Carta are available in the [FAQ](https://vested.co/faq/carta-api). ## Legal - [Terms of Service](https://vested.co/legal/terms) - [Privacy Policy](https://vested.co/legal/privacy) - [Electronic Communications Disclosure](https://vested.co/legal/ec-disclosure) - [CIP Public Notice](https://vested.co/legal/cip-public-notice) - [BCP Public Disclosure Statement](https://vested.co/legal/bcp-public-disclosure-statement) ## Contact - Email: hello@vested.co - Website: https://vested.co - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vested-inc ## Structured Data Machine-readable Schema.org JSON-LD is available at: - https://vested.co/.well-known/vested.json