409A Valuation
Get audit-ready 409A valuations.
409A included in your cap table plan, done by certified valuation experts, ready for review within 3 business days.
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Your cap table and option data flow into your 409A request, so there is nothing to re-type.
Answer a few questions, upload your financials, and leave the rest to our valuation experts.
Your valuation specialist works on your report and walks you through it in a 1:1 consultation.
Your cap table is already in Cake, so you don't need to re-type data. You can get a draft within 3 business days of submitting complete information.
Generate the information you need for your 409A directly from your cap table. It only takes a few clicks! Sign up hereif you haven't already, and follow the prompts for a simple upload.
Complex cap table? Our CS team is happy to help!
Start the 409A process within your Cake account, submit your cap table info along with other necessary financial docs, and expect a draft of your 409A valuation within 3 business days.
A valuation expert will send you the draft and set up a 1-on-1 consultation to cover any questions or comments that you may have. And that's it, your 409A is ready for use!
You need one before you offer stock options. A 409A sets the fair market value of your common stock, which becomes your option strike price, and an independent valuation gives that price IRS safe harbor.
Every 12 months, or sooner after a material event such as a new priced round or signed term sheet. Get your first one before your first option grant.
If options are granted below fair market value, employees can owe income tax as the options vest, plus a 20% additional federal tax. An independent valuation helps you avoid that.
Done by an integrated valuation specialist. Cake provides your cap table data, so nothing is re-typed. The specialist does the 409A analysis and report, sends a draft within 3 business days of complete information, and walks you through it 1:1 before anything is signed.
Yes. A 409A obtained through Cake is an independent appraisal by a valuation firm whose team includes CFAs, CPAs and CVAs and has collectively completed over 10,000 valuations. That independence gives the 409A IRS safe harbor, which lasts 12 months or until a material event. Audit-ready, built for IRS safe harbor.
Two 409A valuation reports are included in Team and Pro annual plans. Unused credits expire at the end of the billing cycle and reset at renewal. See pricing page to know more.
Standalone 409As typically cost $1,500 to $5,000 for startups. With Cake, 409A is included in Team and Pro annual plans. See pricing page to know more.
Your cap table, options register and share classes are already in Cake, so you can download them in one click. Our integrated valuation experts work from your cap table data from there. Once you approve the draft, you apply the new fair market value to your option pools. New grants price off it, and grants already issued keep their value.
