ComplyKart Services
Founders Agreement Drafting
Every co-founder dispute we've seen started with 'we'll figure it out later.' Equity splits, vesting, who decides what, what happens when someone leaves — a founders agreement settles these while everyone still likes each other. Later is always more expensive.
CA/CS-guided review
Your documents and structure are checked before anything is filed.
Written scope first
Inclusions and payable charges are explained before work begins.
Support till it’s done
One team owns your filing, from the first call to the final handover.
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Experience behind every engagement
A quick snapshot of the work so far.
Fees
Fees and packages for Founders Agreement
Every requirement is a little different, so we quote after a short discussion — the consultation itself is free.
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Founders Agreement
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Founders' Agreement Package Inclusions
- Equity split and vesting schedule drafting
- Roles, decision-making and deadlock clauses
- IP assignment to the company
- Exit, buyback and drag/tag-along provisions
- Execution-ready draft with founder briefing call
Overview
What this agreement actually covers
A founders agreement is the contract between co-founders, recording equity split, roles and responsibilities, and decision-making authority.
Core clauses include vesting schedules (so equity is earned over time), IP assignment to the company, and confidentiality.
It defines what happens on founder exit — voluntary, for cause, or on death/disability — including share buyback mechanics.
It sets the rules for future fundraising: dilution, anti-dilution expectations, and founder consent rights.
Unlike a shareholders agreement (which comes at investment), the founders agreement governs the pre-investment phase — though its terms usually flow into later documents.
Benefits
Why founders get this drafted through us
Open each benefit to see what it means for you.
Vesting that protects the committed
We structure vesting with cliffs so a founder who leaves in month three doesn't walk away with a third of the company.
Exit mechanics decided calmly
Buyback price, payment terms, and IP handover on exit are agreed now — not negotiated during a falling-out.
IP locked to the company
Every founder assigns all IP to the company. Investors will ask for this; having it done early speeds up fundraising.
Decision deadlocks prevented
We define who decides what, and what happens when founders disagree — so a 50-50 split doesn't become a 50-50 stalemate.
Documents
What documents do you need for a Founders Agreement?
Clear, current documents matter more than a long checklist. Names, dates of birth and addresses should match across every record — that's what the authorities check first. Tick what you already have below.
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Founder identity and company basics
Verified against official requirements
Commercial terms to lock in
Verified against official requirements
Not sure if your documents are ready?
Send us what you have. A ComplyKart expert will review them for free and tell you exactly what's missing — no obligation.
Get Free Document ReviewQuestions about documents
We already have a dispute. Can this help?
If you're already in conflict, you need dispute resolution, not a fresh agreement — though we can help document a settlement. Talk to us about where things stand.
Process
Founders Agreement process — step by step
You’ll see each stage, what’s pending and what we need from you — so filings don’t bounce back.
Step 1 of 5
Founders' alignment call
We speak with all founders together to surface the hard questions early — equity split, vesting, roles, decision-making, and what happens if someone exits. Most founder disputes start as unspoken assumptions.
We draft the agreement
Our lawyers draft the agreement under the Indian Contract Act, 1872 and Companies Act, 2013, covering equity and vesting, roles, IP assignment to the company, confidentiality, non-compete, board rights, deadlock resolution, and exit mechanics. First draft typically takes 3-4 working days.
Joint review and revisions
All founders review the draft together. We revise until every founder signs off — a founders' agreement only works when nobody feels railroaded.
Stamp duty and execution
The agreement is executed on stamp paper of adequate value — stamp duty varies by state. Digital signatures under the IT Act, 2000 are valid.
File with company records
We help you keep the signed agreement with the company's statutory records. If the company later raises funding, investors will ask for it during due diligence.
Why ComplyKart
Why ComplyKart for this
You should know who’s doing what. Open a stage to see how the work is shared.
We've seen the disputes
Our drafting is informed by real co-founder fallouts — the clauses exist because we've seen what happens without them.
Startup-practical
We don't draft 80-page documents for a two-founder startup. The agreement is thorough but proportionate.
Investor-ready thinking
Terms are structured so they transition cleanly into your shareholders agreement at fundraising.
We've seen the disputes: Our drafting is informed by real co-founder fallouts — the clauses exist because we've seen what happens without them.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Search all 7 answers, or filter by the stage you’re thinking about.
Showing 7 of 7 answers
Yes — and you should. The agreement can be signed pre-incorporation and then adopted or mirrored by the company once formed.
Four years with a one-year cliff is the most common — nothing vests in year one, then vesting accrues monthly or quarterly. We tailor it to your situation.
The agreement distinguishes sweat equity from capital contribution, with different vesting and exit treatment for each. We structure it explicitly.
Whatever your agreement says — which is the point of having one. Typically: unvested shares return to the company, vested shares are bought back at a pre-agreed formula.
No. The founders agreement is between founders, pre-investment. The shareholders agreement comes at fundraising and includes investors. The former's terms usually feed into the latter.
Typically 3–5 working days for the first draft, plus review rounds with all founders.
If you're already in conflict, you need dispute resolution, not a fresh agreement — though we can help document a settlement. Talk to us about where things stand.
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What clients say about working with us
Real stories from businesses we've worked with.
Our Trademark was applied in all the classes with a short span of time by Complykart Trademark Experts and I can say the level of expertise and commitment they carry is remarkable. It's an A+ from my side. We are now sticking to ComplyKart only.
I found the professionalism of the staff at complykart.com, a pleasure to work with. As a foreigner to India, they took the time to explain the documentation and assisted in every question I raised. I was pleased that complykart.com made it easy for my Business.
Trust, Commitment, Dedication and responsiveness are the best things with ComplyKart. Thanks for handling our Merger assignment with so much care. After my business disputes, complykart handles all things with own sense of understanding.
Learning center
Guides on Founders Agreement
Deeper reading from our articles — the same rules, explained in plain words.
Trust & transparency
Sources & how we keep this page accurate
Primary sources we refer to:
- Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA)
- GST Portal
- Income Tax Department
- IP India (Trademark / Patent / Copyright)
Last updated: 3 October 2026
Compliance rules change. If something on this page looks outdated, tell us on WhatsApp and we'll fix it — and your filing will always follow the current rules, not just what's written here.
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