Publications
Publications
- November 2022 (Revised September 2023)
- HBS Case Collection
SAFE Notes: An Introduction
By: Álvaro Rodríguez Arregui and Jo Tango
Abstract
A SAFE ("Simple Agreement for Future Equity") is a security increasingly used in seed financings. Not equity or debt, SAFEs allow founders to "get capital now and sell equity later." This Technical Note covers: 1. What is a SAFE and why use one?, 2. The key concepts involved when calculating a SAFE's future ownership in a start-up, 3. Calculating a "fully-diluted" capitalization table with multiple SAFEs, and 4. Some not-so-safe wrinkles to the security.
Keywords
Citation
Rodríguez Arregui, Álvaro, and Jo Tango. "SAFE Notes: An Introduction." Harvard Business School Technical Note 823-026, November 2022. (Revised September 2023.)