Analysis

December 4, 2023

I’m an early startup employee with equity — how do I get my money out?

Owning equity as an early employee can be a lucrative endeavour for startup staff


Triin Hertmann, one of the first employees at Wise, standing in front of an autumnal tree.

A scrappy startup with a tiny budget and eagled-eyed investors can’t usually offer its early employees a salary to match bigger and more established businesses, nor the same stability and security. But without the right talent in place, that scrappy startup isn’t going anywhere. 

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Naël El Berkani, cofounder of equity management startup Easop.
Naël El Berkani
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Yoko Spirig, cofounder of employee equity management platform, Ledgy.
Yoko Spirig
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Easop's senior tax and legal counsel, Cyrille De Baerdemaeker.
Cyrille De Baerdemaeker
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Triin Hertmann, one of the first employees at Wise.
Triin Hertmann / credit: Jake Farra
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Michaela Jefferson

Michaela is a freelance business writer and former news editor based in London. Follow her on LinkedIn.

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