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Clara
Cap tables explained
Whether you are looking to attract more investors or make key appointments for your start-up, you need a strong, up-to-date cap table. An accurate cap table gives potential investors the information they need to decide whether they will invest in your venture. It also helps stakeholders to keep track of their interests and shows potential employees what you can offer as stock options.
Clara’s latest product updates
Your journey on Clara just got a whole lot easier now thanks to our brand new dashboard. Our all-new dashboard is designed to make it easier to get to the parts of the Clara platform that matter to you, plus gives you also visibility and progress across a variety of tasks.
Education
Founders Agreement vs Shareholders Agreement
The key elements of both Founders Agreements and Shareholders Agreements may vary depending on the specific circumstances and needs of the company. There might be overlaps between the two documents, but the difference can be found in the main elements of each.
Press
Startups
Funding rounds; what you need, when and why
The initial funding rounds of a start-up are often referred to as seed funding. At this stage, investors invest in the founder, the idea, and the company's potential. That money is usually used for product development and market research. Many start-ups don't make it to the next round of funding.
A day in the life of a startup founder | Feras Jalbout, CEO and Founder of Baraka
Clara user Feras Jalbout founded Baraka after a career as an investor, spotting a gap in the market to promote financial inclusion and educate, enable, and empower everyone to invest. We spoke to him about the ups and downs of building a successful startup.
Webinars
UAE Corporate Tax for ADGM Entities [PAST]
This webinar offers a clear, practical breakdown of corporate tax for ADGM businesses, from registration and relief rules to filing requirements and real-world examples. It’s an accessible guide designed to help founders understand their obligations and learn how Clara and TLB can support them.
Setting up your holding company -Tips & Strategies [PAST]
This webinar walks you through the essentials of setting up your startup from scratch, from choosing the right holding company to budgeting and navigating banking challenges. It’s a practical, clear guide designed to help you launch confidently and make your company investor-ready.
Clara
Cap tables explained
Whether you are looking to attract more investors or make key appointments for your start-up, you need a strong, up-to-date cap table. An accurate cap table gives potential investors the information they need to decide whether they will invest in your venture. It also helps stakeholders to keep track of their interests and shows potential employees what you can offer as stock options.
Clara’s latest product updates
Your journey on Clara just got a whole lot easier now thanks to our brand new dashboard. Our all-new dashboard is designed to make it easier to get to the parts of the Clara platform that matter to you, plus gives you also visibility and progress across a variety of tasks.
The anatomy of a Term Sheet
A term sheet is a relatively short document setting out the key terms of the investment agreed upon between the company and the investor in user-friendly language. It is also referred to as a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). It includes the business and finance terms and could include legal terms regarding confidentiality and dispute resolution.
Essential documents for establishing a startup
Founders are often risk-takers with lots of energy and great business ideas. And that is fantastic, as long as you remember to set up the correct legal foundation for your venture. Not having the proper legal basis for your startup might be too big a risk. Having the correct legal documents in place is essential for the future success of your startup.
An essential guide to ESOPs
An ESOP is a way for you to set aside a pool of shares in your startup that you can allocate to various team members (e.g. employees, consultants or advisors – that’s right, it’s not just for employees, notwithstanding the name). The ESOP sets out the rules for granting shares.
ADGM SPV – Your essential guide
Setting up a company in ADGM, and specifically a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), is attractive for founders and investors. Founders benefit from the speed and simplicity that ADGM’s fully digitised incorporation process achieves, while investors are attracted by the investment flexibility and legal protections that ADGM’s strong regulatory environment provides.
New feature | Introducing Cayman exempted companies on Clara!
Setting up a company in the Cayman Islands is quick, cost-effective, attractive to foreign investors and easy for founders to maintain. Creating an offshore company for your startup might seem daunting if you don’t know where to start, which is where Clara comes in.
Education
Founders Agreement vs Shareholders Agreement
The key elements of both Founders Agreements and Shareholders Agreements may vary depending on the specific circumstances and needs of the company. There might be overlaps between the two documents, but the difference can be found in the main elements of each.
SAFE, KISS, Convertible Loan – What’s the difference
Raising money for a start-up can take many different forms. One way is to use convertible instruments such as convertible notes, SAFEs and KISSs. When using a convertible, the start-up receives the investment but does not issue shares at that stage. The agreement can 'convert' into shares in the future.
Guide to investor rights
When we refer to investors' rights, we refer to the legal and financial protection granted to investors when receiving shares in a start-up. It can also refer to certain privileges. In the early stages, a start-up can raise funds through convertibles. The founder will receive the money but does not need to issue shares at that stage.
A guide to Founders Agreements
In the excitement and enthusiasm of starting a new business, formalising agreements are often overlooked. Startup founders are often friends or acquaintances, and it is easy to fall into the trap of only discussing roles, responsibilities, ownership structures and other important matters verbally. This can be dangerous.
Press
Clara partners with VMS to empower Mena entrepreneurs
VMS and Clara have signed a new partnership to support MENA startups by combining Clara’s legal simplification tools with VMS’s resources and innovation network. The collaboration aims to help founders reduce risk, streamline growth, and move more confidently from idea to successful venture.
Clara launches new office in Saudi Arabia
Clara has opened a new office in Riyadh, strengthening its support for Saudi founders with its legal automation platform and deepening its commitment to the region’s fast-growing startup ecosystem. The move, led by newly appointed KSA Country Manager Abdullah Alnashwan, signals accelerated growth and fresh opportunities for innovation and collaboration in the Kingdom.
Startups
Funding rounds; what you need, when and why
The initial funding rounds of a start-up are often referred to as seed funding. At this stage, investors invest in the founder, the idea, and the company's potential. That money is usually used for product development and market research. Many start-ups don't make it to the next round of funding.
A day in the life of a startup founder | Feras Jalbout, CEO and Founder of Baraka
Clara user Feras Jalbout founded Baraka after a career as an investor, spotting a gap in the market to promote financial inclusion and educate, enable, and empower everyone to invest. We spoke to him about the ups and downs of building a successful startup.
Competing with corporate salaries | How Share Incentive Plans help attract top talent
A Share Incentive Plan (also known as a SIP or an Employee Share Option Plan or ‘ESOP’), sets aside a pool of your company’s shares that you can allocate in the future to employees, directors, advisors and consultants, incentivising them to contribute to your startup’s success and growth.
Unlock productivity | The best organisation tools for startup success
The days of the humble pen and paper are over. From expanding on that tiny seed of an idea, brainstorms with co-founders and teammates, to impressive pitches and world domination, Clara’s picked the best digital tools to help your startup succeed.
Must-watch | Essential TV viewing for startup founders
Does life imitate art, or does art imitate life? The bingeable shows on Clara’s list tread a fine line between the two – some, like WeCrashed and The Dropout are based on real-life events, while others such as Silicon Valley draw on the trials and tribulations of startup life.
5 thoughts every founder will have about their startup | Expectation vs reality
Sometimes there is a stark difference between what you think founding a startup might look like compared to the actual experience of the early days. In this blog Clara takes a look at five thoughts every founder has about their startup versus the reality.
Inspiring female founders | Female founders scaling up for success
We’ve rounded up a selection of inspiring female founders from around the globe. From BioTech and Fashion to Tech, Venture Capital and Fitness, these ladies have taken their businesses to the next level and are achieving inspiring levels of success in their fields.
The startup reading list | Books that motivate, educate and inspire
Whether you’re looking for inspiration, information or education, Clara’s pick of essential reads has it covered. These books by thought leaders and industry experts cover top startup issues, innovative management methods, techniques to foster creativity and much more.
Webinars
UAE Corporate Tax for ADGM Entities [PAST]
This webinar offers a clear, practical breakdown of corporate tax for ADGM businesses, from registration and relief rules to filing requirements and real-world examples. It’s an accessible guide designed to help founders understand their obligations and learn how Clara and TLB can support them.
Setting up your holding company -Tips & Strategies [PAST]
This webinar walks you through the essentials of setting up your startup from scratch, from choosing the right holding company to budgeting and navigating banking challenges. It’s a practical, clear guide designed to help you launch confidently and make your company investor-ready.
Managing your cap table – 101 [PAST]
This webinar breaks down the essentials of cap tables, from avoiding common pitfalls to understanding valuations and managing equity with confidence. You’ll also get a hands-on walkthrough of Clara’s platform, giving you practical tools to navigate fundraising and ownership decisions more effectively.
What are you waiting for?