A “Cap Table” (short for “Capitalization Table) is a document, typically in the form of a spreadsheet or table, that offers a snapshot of a company’s equity capitalization and total market value.
While commonly used by startups and early-stage businesses, cap tables have utility for all types of companies. In the case of a new startup, the founders are typically the only ones represented on the cap table. This is because they’re the sole equity holders. But as a company matures, the volume of cap table entries expand pursuant to growth in the number of investors as well as company ownership changes.
These documents aim to capture shareholder equity and other sorts of information including common equity shares, preferred equity shares, warrants, and convertible equity. With this, cap tables become a vital decision-making tool for assessing equity ownership, market capitalization, and market value.
Given the financial significance of this information and the fact that companies are constantly evolving, it is paramount for a cap table to be accurate, tailored, and kept current and up-to-date.
One of the common pitfalls with cap tables is that a manually updated Excel spreadsheet can morph into more than one version.
By way of example, the company chief financial officer might manage one copy while outside legal council holds another version. So if a staff member exercises their option and the company forgets to provide an update of this to the lawyer (or vice versa), the two records become inconsistent. It’s here where the reconciliation of these records can become time-consuming and costly
There are many factors and emerging trends that impact capitalization. Therefore accurate and up-to-date cap table provides are paramount for fostering strategic direction and business growth.
To learn more about Equa and sign up for a free trial, please visit us at www.equa.global
