Straight, practical guides on selling private shares

No jargon walls, no hype. Just clear answers to the questions founders and early employees actually ask when they're thinking about turning some private equity into cash.

Free to read · no sign-up · written from the real mechanics of the process.

Free tools

Interactive estimators — no sign-up.

Stock-option exercise & AMT calculator (US)Estimate the real cash to exercise your ISOs/NSOs — strike cost plus the AMT or ordinary tax you'd owe.Open the tool → QSBS tax-saving calculator (US)See how much federal tax you could exclude when you sell Qualified Small Business Stock (Section 1202).Open the tool → Startup dilution calculatorHow a new funding round changes your ownership percentage and the value of your stake.Open the tool → What's my stake worth?A quick discount-based estimate of a private sale, anchored to your last round.Open the tool →

Start here

New to the idea that you can sell before an exit? Begin with these.

How to get liquidity from startup equity in EuropeThe overview — your realistic options for turning private shares into cash before an IPO or sale.Read → The full guide: selling shares or vested optionsA plain-English walk-through of the whole process, from first question to a closed transfer.Read →

What are my shares worth?

Put a defensible number on your stake before you talk to any buyer.

How much are my startup shares worth?How to reason about a private valuation using your last round, share count and dilution.Read → What discount is fair when you sell?Why secondaries change hands below the last round — and what range is reasonable to accept.Read → The real cost of exercising your options (US)Strike price plus the AMT or ordinary tax exercising can trigger — and three ways to cover it.Read →

Can I even sell?

The eligibility questions almost every first-time seller asks.

Can I sell my shares before an exit?Right of first refusal, board approval, and how a sale actually clears in practice.Read → Can I still sell if I've left the company?Vested options, exercise windows and what changes once you're a former employee.Read → Stuck with shares you can't sell?A calm, four-step playbook for when there's no obvious buyer in sight.Read →

Buyers, process & tools

Who's on the other side of the table — and how to work it sensibly.

Who actually buys private startup shares?The four buyer types — and how each one thinks about price and timing.Read → Using AI to sell your shares — safelyWhere AI genuinely helps, and how to use it without leaking anything confidential.Read →

Selling by country

The rules differ by country — what you hold, how it transfers, and the tax.

Selling startup shares in GermanyReal GmbH shares vs virtual shares (VSOP), the notary requirement, and the tax on a sale.Read → Selling startup shares in the UKExercising EMI options into shares, pre-emption rights, and Capital Gains Tax (with the 10% relief).Read → Selling startup shares in the NetherlandsSTAK certificaten, the 2023 stock-option tax reform, and Box 2 substantial-interest tax.Read → Selling startup shares in SpainSL participaciones and the notary, the Startup Law option reform, and the savings-base tax.Read → Selling startup shares in ItalySrl quote and the notarial transfer, the innovative-startup regime, and the 26% capital-gains tax.Read → Selling startup shares in FranceBSPCE and other instruments, agrément and pre-emption in an SAS, and the 30% flat tax.Read →

Thinking about selling?

List the basics in a few minutes — sector, stage and ticket range, nothing that identifies your company. You stay private until an investor signs an NDA, and you only pay if a deal closes.

List your shares →

Want to do it properly, on your own terms?

The Equity Toolkit collects the templates, the valuation walk-through and the negotiation playbook in one place — a Europe and a US edition.

See the toolkit →

General information only — not financial, tax or legal advice. Every situation is different; check your own share and option agreements and take professional advice before selling. PrivateTechShares makes introductions only: it is not a broker, does not hold funds, and does not execute or advise on transactions.