We got an exclusive look at the pitch deck cash-for-stock startup EquityBee used to raise a $20 million Series A


EquityBee team

  • EquityBee is a service that matches startup employees who have stock options with investors.
  • Investors advance the cash the employees need to buy their shares, for a cut of the future gains.
  • In February, Equitybee raised $20 million in Series A funding to grow the team and product.

Before starting his company EquityBee, Oren Barzilai sold his first startup to GrubHub for $150 million. The deal could have made some employees into millionaires, but most of them missed out on big payouts, he said. That’s because they didn’t have the cash to buy their stock options, so they could then sell their shares at a higher price.

Barzilai tells Insider he decided then to start a company for helping startup workers exercise their stock options.

“They need to get their share of the pie to participate in the success of the company they helped build,” Barzilai said.

EquityBee is a service that matches startup employees who have stock options with investors who want to get in at private companies. The investors — mostly family offices, funds, and high net-worth-individuals — agree to advance the employees the cash to buy their shares and take a cut of the gains when the company goes public or has an exit.

The employee doesn’t need to start paying back the money until their company has a liquidity event, Barzilai said.

On February 23, EquityBee said it closed on $20 million in Series A funding, bringing the total amount it’s raised to $28 million. Group 11, a fintech-focused, early-stage venture firm based in Los Angeles, led the round, with participation from Battery Ventures, Zeev Ventures, and Icon Continuity Fund. The valuation was not disclosed.

Barzilai says the company will use the funds to grow its product offerings and hire across departments, doubling its staff from 34 employees in 2021. The company is spread across offices in Tel Aviv and Palo Alto, California.

Here’s the pitch deck that EquityBee used to attract investors.



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