PrivateTechSharesKnow what your startup equity is really worth — and what to do with it.
Got tech startup shares or options? Understand and value your stake, see exercise cost, dilution and tax, and prepare to sell — free tools and plain-English guides that take you from a rough number to a plan you can act on. For founders, employees and RSU holders in the US and Europe. No jargon, no sales pitch.
Open your company’s page — 200+ US and 50+ European companies — for its value, how a sale works and what’s changing. Hold equity elsewhere? The tools and guides still work for you. If interested, see our Private Tech Equity & Liquidity Report 2026 → — and see the Liquidity Heat Index → for which companies actually run programmes that let employees sell, or the Pre-IPO Liquidity & Secondary Tracker → for the latest dated deals and recent valuations →. Company names are for reference only — no affiliation or endorsement.
Make sense of the private-company part of your net worth
Most people with startup equity have no clear picture of what they hold, what it’s worth, or what to do before a liquidity event. These tools and guides give you that — in plain English, with the sources shown.
What you hold — and what it’s worth
- ✓Value your stake — a realistic range from your last round and share count, adjusted for common vs preferred, dilution, and how a sale is taxed in your country.
- ✓Prepare a sale properly — ROFR, board approval and the paperwork, step by step.
What you can do — and how to prepare
- ✓What it costs to exercise — strike, tax and the AMT trap, plus your post-departure exercise deadline.
- ✓Can you even sell? — vesting, ROFR and board approval, in plain English.
Already public or holding RSUs? See the free RSU tools →
Estimate your position — and use the free tools to your advantage
A rough guide in ten seconds — it prices off your last round, adjusts for what you actually hold and how liquid the company is, and gives you a realistic range, not a single number. Alongside it, each free tool answers one more question, one at a time.
Hold virtual or phantom units (e.g. German VSOP, some ESOPs)? Those are usually cash-settled and can't be sold on a secondary — see the country guides.
An estimate only — not a valuation, offer or advice. Real price depends on the company, the round, demand and any restrictions on your shares. Tax on the sale (and on exercising options) isn't included.
Want tax, dilution and the exit waterfall worked out on your own numbers? Build the full report →
The assessment to do before you exercise, hold or sell
Before a costly, hard-to-reverse equity decision, do the assessment first — what you hold, what it’s worth, the restrictions and the tax.
The toolkit is that assessment, structured: an A–Z deal map with clear STOP boxes where a lawyer, tax adviser or notary takes over — built from lived experience, not definitions you could look up.
Using AI safely to sell shares → · RSUs & public stock → · How to find a buyer →
Three steps, one path — understand → act → done with you
Starter Kit
“Right of first refusal.” The company can match any buyer and take your sale — the kit shows you where to find it, and how it changes your plan. One of 40+ terms explained in plain English.
- ✓Private-sale journeyPDF
- ✓Equity glossaryPDF
- ✓2026 liquidity dataPDF
What’s inside
- The private-sale journey, start to finish
- What really decides what your equity is worth
- A plain-English equity glossary
- The 2026 data on who can actually get liquidity
- ✓A–Z sale guidePDF
- ✓Deal Room + calculatorXLSX
- ✓Editable workbookDOCX
What’s inside
- Know exactly what to do next. An 8-phase A–Z deal map with clear STOP points for lawyer, tax or notary help.
- Know what the sale could actually put in your pocket. A live calculator for net proceeds, offer comparison and the target sale price.
- Run the deal without starting from scratch. The ready-to-send “request your documents” letter, a Deal Room control panel, readiness audit, company-side consent drafts and 11 ready-to-send messages.
- Handle the US-specific traps. ISO/NSO, AMT, QSBS and the exercise & tax questions to take to your adviser.
- Know exactly what to do next. An 8-phase A–Z process with clear professional STOP points.
- Know what you may actually net. Model discount, exercise cost, fees, tax assumptions and competing offers.
- Run the sale from one place. The ready-to-send “request your documents” letter, a Deal Room control panel, readiness checks, editable documents and ready-to-send messages.
- Navigate the country-specific mechanics. Transfer & tax playbooks for Germany, UK, France, Spain, Italy, Netherlands and Poland.
8,000 common shares, Series C. Realistically $44–56k before tax — gated by a right of first refusal and the AMT bill on exercise. The blockers are process, not value.
- ✓Position at a glanceNew
- ✓What it may be worth
- ✓Cost to exerciseincl. AMT
- ✓Dilution
- ✓Exit waterfall
- ✓Tax by country
What’s inside
Already own RSUs, or did your company IPO?
A separate, free toolkit for public-company equity — the tax-withholding gap on your RSUs, whether your ESPP is worth it, your single-stock concentration risk, and the 83(b) decision. Same plain-English, sourced approach.
What’s inside the $19 Prep Pack
- Plain-English guide (PDF) + editable Excel workbook (6 tabs)
- The RSU withholding gap — a worked example and three ways to close it before the bill lands
- ESPP: sell or hold — whether the discount is actually worth it
- Single-stock concentration risk — how exposed you really are
- The 83(b) decision — with a ready-to-edit election letter and the hard 30-day clock
- An equity pay audit — run it at every vest or new offer
- Written for US RSUs, ESPPs & 83(b) · cross-checked against IRS & SEC
An AI prompt can give you an answer. Preparation gives you a position.
We work through the documents, tax detail and process so you understand what you own, what it may be worth and what comes next. We don't introduce buyers or hold funds — we get you prepared to act.
These are educational guides and starting-point drafts, not legal or tax advice. Every document is written in plain English to adapt and have reviewed by a qualified lawyer before anyone relies on it. Laws and taxes vary by country — always confirm your own position locally.
Straight, sourced, and on your side
PrivateTechShares is an information and tools resource for people who hold private-company equity. We help you understand and prepare — we don't hold your shares, and we don't sell them for you.
Education & tools — not advice
Plain-English guides and estimates to help you think clearly. Nothing here is investment, legal or tax advice; take professional advice before you act.
Sources shown
Tax rates, valuations and rules are cited and dated. Things change — we show where a number came from so you can check the current position. See how we research & source →
Free where it matters
The estimator, the calculators and the country guides are free, with no sign-up. The toolkit is there when you want the full, prepared version.
You stay in control
Whatever you decide — exercise, hold, or sell later — is yours. ROFR, board approval, price and paperwork stay entirely with you.
Your data, minimised
GDPR from day one. We don't sell your data, and we only ask for what a tool actually needs. Privacy.
Thinking of selling? Start here.
For founders, co-founders and employees with options (ESOP) — whether you're leaving, exercising just some options, or simply want to understand what you hold. Everything here helps you decide and prepare; the choices stay yours.
★ The field guide: what every founder & employee should know about their equity →
A secondary simply means selling shares you already own to a buyer — the cash goes to you, not the company. You don't have to sell everything: most people sell a small slice for some liquidity now, instead of waiting years for an exit.
- Check you can sell. Vested, and any ROFR / approval cleared.
- Work out a fair price. Usually the last round's value, at a discount for a private sale — the estimator gives you a range.
- Find your buyer. Existing shareholders, an incoming round's investor, or a private buyer — see who actually buys private shares and where to find them.
- Deal & transfer. Agree terms, clear ROFR, sign the transfer (often via a notary), and the buyer pays you directly.
General information, not legal or tax advice — rules differ by company and country.
Read the full guide — how to sell your startup shares or options →
Hold shares in a European unicorn? See the EU Unicorns list →
Where the big platforms fit — and where they don't
Forge, EquityZen and Nasdaq Private Market are built for large, late-stage deals and institutions — high minimums, a late-stage focus, an institutional process. If you hold a small stake, in a US or a European company, they're often not built for you — which is exactly why understanding your own position, first, is worth the ten minutes.
What will it cost to exercise your options?
Left a startup with vested options? Before you can sell, you usually have to exercise them — pay to turn them into real shares. Here's the rough cost and the paper gain, in ten seconds.
Open the exercise & AMT calculator → How exercising works — US & Europe →
Can I sell my shares?
Four quick questions. Nothing is stored — this just points you in the right direction.
General information, not legal or tax advice.
A small, honest way to get liquid
PrivateTechShares started from a simple frustration. People who help build early-stage companies often end up with something valuable on paper — shares, options, or a small stake they’ve worked hard to earn. But when life happens and they want access to a little cash, there’s rarely an easy path.
The larger secondary platforms usually aren’t interested in a €30k, €50k, or even €100k transaction. And trying to sell privately can feel uncomfortable — you’re not sure who to speak to, how much your shares are worth, or how to have those conversations without drawing attention.
That frustration is personal. Having spent years building a company toward the next financing round, I often found myself wondering the same things many founders and employees do: what is this equity actually worth? Is there a sensible way to get some liquidity without selling everything? Who do you even ask?
The reality is that most of the knowledge around private-company equity sits with VCs, angels and professional advisers. For the people who earned the equity in the first place, the process can feel opaque and out of reach. PrivateTechShares is a small attempt to change that — by putting clear, honest information and practical tools in your hands.
So the model is deliberately simple. No fund, no marketplace, no broker. Just plain-English guides, free calculators, and a toolkit that helps you understand what you hold, what it’s worth, and how to prepare — so you can make your own decisions with confidence.
Built from experience by a founder who spent years researching startup transactions.
That’s it — a practical resource for people who have built real value and want to understand the private-company part of their net worth.
Questions go straight to us at hello@privatetechshares.com
FAQ — Good to know
Is my equity worth anything before an exit?
What does it cost to exercise my options?
How is selling startup shares taxed?
Do I need the company's permission to sell?
Do you sell my shares or find me a buyer?
Who is this for?
Are these numbers a guess, or how are they worked out?
What happens to the figures I enter?
Launch coverage distributed via newswire. PrivateTechShares is an independent education & tools resource.
Questions about your equity?
Email us at hello@privatetechshares.com — we read every message and reply personally.
We can't give personal financial, legal or tax advice, but we're glad to point you to the right guide, calculator or toolkit for your situation — or to hear what would help you most.