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Legal documents for startup formation and fundraising

Access standardized legal document templates from industry-leading sources including Series Seed, Y Combinator, NVCA, and Techstars. Get your startup legally structured with confidence.

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Founder Accord
Formation documents
SAFE Agreement
Financing documents
Series Seed Docs
Investment agreements

Get started in three steps

Set up your startup with industry-standard legal documents

1

Choose your formation structure

Decide whether to form a corporation or LLC. Most venture-backed startups incorporate in Delaware as a C-corp, which provides the most flexibility for future fundraising. LLCs work well for smaller businesses or those seeking pass-through taxation.
2

File formation documents

Use the certificate of incorporation (for corporations) or operating agreement (for LLCs) templates to establish your legal entity. These documents define ownership structure, stock classes, and governance rules.
# Example: Delaware Corporation Filing
# File Certificate of Incorporation with DE Secretary of State
# Initial filing fee: $89 + $50 for certified copy
3

Execute founder agreements

Sign a Founder Accord to memorialize equity splits, vesting schedules, and each founder’s role. This prevents disputes and establishes clear expectations from day one.
A Founder Accord should cover equity allocation, vesting terms (typically 4-year vesting with 1-year cliff), roles and responsibilities, time commitment, IP assignment, and conditions for departure. See the Founder Accord guide for details.

Explore by topic

Find the right legal documents for your startup stage

Founders

Founder agreements, equity splits, and code of conduct policies to establish team structure

Formation

Incorporation documents, certificates, bylaws, and operating agreements for legal entity setup

Financing

Term sheets, SAFE agreements, convertible notes, and equity financing documents

Business essentials

NDAs, advisor agreements, patent agreements, and operational documents

Document library

Browse complete document sets from leading sources

Series Seed

Standardized seed investment documents from Cooley LLP covering equity and convertible note financing

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Y Combinator

SAFE agreements and Series AA documents designed for YC-funded startups and angel rounds

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NVCA

National Venture Capital Association model documents for institutional VC investments

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Techstars

Model Series AA documents for angel and seed financing in the 250K−250K-2M range

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