Certent Equity Management vs Fidelity Private Shares

Certent Equity Management is a paid web product for managing employee equity from early funding through IPO. It handles live cap tables, grant administration, participant access, reporting, and compliance for private companies, public companies, and brokers or partners. Teams can model exits and future funding rounds, including payout waterfalls by security class. Grant workflows cover creation, approvals, vesting, and communications across more than 15 award types, with digital signatures and audit trails. Employees, founders, and shareholders can view holdings, model exercises, set tax elections, and sign documents in a participant portal. Prebuilt reports cover SEC, FASB, and IFRS, with Section 16 filing directly to the SEC. Payroll and broker connectors exchange data with HRIS, payroll systems, and major brokerages. Optional modules include Sandbox, ESPP Management, Cap Table Analytics, Document Management and Section 16, and Tax Rates. Pricing is on request.

Fidelity Private Shares is a web-based equity management platform for private companies, covering ownership, governance and fundraising from early rounds through IPO. Its cap table tracks grants, SAFEs, notes and preferred shares, with entries linked to supporting legal documents in a data room. Files are organized there, and missing documents are flagged. Scenario tools model dilution and possible financing or exit outcomes; a next-round planner can export pro forma results. Custom permissions let employees, lawyers, auditors and investors access relevant equity information and diligence materials. Reports include grant history, transfers, option overhang, 83(b) and ASC 718. The free Launch plan includes cap table management, equity plan generation, a data room, board consents, scenario modeling, standard reporting, 83(b) generation, Rule 701 exemption checks and electronic securities. Launch is limited to up to 25 stakeholders and companies that have raised less than $1M. Growth and Scale subscriptions include HRIS integration, and Gusto is listed for syncing equity, HR and payroll information. The maker describes the platform as serving founders and operators, legal teams, investors and boards.