22 Best Founders Agreement Templates

1. Equity, vesting, and roles Define ownership percentages, vesting schedules, and each founder’s decision-making authority clearly to prevent future disputes. Include how hires, budgets, and major strategic moves are approved to keep governance orderly.

2. Intellectual property and confidentiality Specify who owns IP created before and during the venture, how IP is assigned, and granted licenses among founders. Include confidentiality obligations and post-termination IP handling to protect the startup.

3. Exit, dissolution, and valuation Outline buy-sell mechanisms, triggers for exit, and a fair valuation method. Detail how a departing founder’s share is priced, funded, and transferred to remaining or new owners.