Add Shareholders and Issue Shares

Add new shareholders to your cap table and issue shares with optional vesting conditions in just a few clicks.

Navigate to Ownership → Cap table in the main menu. You can issue shares from either the Overview or Shareholders tab.

Steps to create a shareholder and issue shares

1. Click the Add button and select Shareholder from the dropdown:

   • On the Overview tab: Look for the Add button under Top stakeholders

   • On the Shareholders tab: Find the Add button in the top left corner

2. Select your shareholder:

   • Choose an existing contact from the dropdown, or

   • Select Add new shareholder to create a new contact

3. Choose the shareholder type:

   • Individual - for single person ownership or trustee of a trust

   • Joint - for two or more trustees

   • Company - when a company is the trustee or shareholder

4. Complete the transaction details:

   • Share type - select the class of shares being issued

   • Issue date - when the shares are being issued

   • Number of shares - total shares for this allotment

   • Investment amount - total amount paid by the shareholder

   • Price per share - calculated automatically or enter manually

   • Amount unpaid (optional) - any unpaid amount at time of issue

5. Add vesting conditions (optional):

   • Tick "Apply vesting to shares" to enable vesting

   • Set up your vesting schedule:

     • Cliff vesting (e.g., 25% after 12 months)

     • Periodic vesting (e.g., remaining 75% vesting quarterly over 3 years)

     • Milestone-based vesting tied to specific performance targets

   • Configure timing and percentages for each vesting event

6. Finalize the transaction by clicking Issue shares

Adding shareholder details

When creating a new shareholder, provide the following information based on shareholder type:

For Individual shareholders:

• Full name (including middle names)

• Trust details (if shares held in trust)

• Email address (used for communication and account login)

• Phone number and complete address

For Joint shareholders:

• Full names separated by an ampersand (&) (e.g James Morris Hansen & Michelle Davies)

For Company shareholders:

• Complete company legal name

• Relevant company details and contact information

The new shareholder will be immediately added to your cap table with their allocated shares and any vesting schedule you've configured.

Pro tip: When vesting is applied, Cake automatically sends congratulatory notifications to stakeholders when they hit vesting milestones. You can manage these notifications in your communication settings.