Article · 12 min read

Vesting explained: schedules, cliffs, acceleration, and types

Carta Free Beginner

Carta administers cap tables for tens of thousands of startups, so this is the canonical reference on how vesting actually mechanically works: the 1-year cliff, monthly vesting after it, and acceleration provisions. Their own data shows 92% of venture-backed companies put founders on vesting, which is the number to quote when a co-founder says 'we trust each other, we don't need this.' We could not fetch it live (Carta blocks automated requests with a 403), but the URL is the durable canonical page.

• The 1-year cliff means zero equity vests until month 12, then 25% vests in one lump and the remainder vests monthly over the next 3 years.
• Acceleration clauses (single vs double trigger) decide what happens to unvested shares on an acquisition, worth understanding before you sign a term sheet.
• 92% of venture-backed startups put founders on vesting, so it is the default expectation, not an edge case you are opting into.