Create a New Option Grant

Once your option pool is set up (see Create an Employee Stock Option Plan), you can start granting options to employees and other eligible recipients. Here's how to create and send option offers.

Create an Option Grant

1. Go to Incentive plans → Options (or Stock options) and click View pool on your option plan.

2. Click + Add new or existing offer to create a new option offer.

3. Complete the grant details:

   • Option Holder: Select from the dropdown or add new employee/recipient by entering their name and email (plus optional team and level information)

   • Grant Size: Enter number of options or percentage to allocate

   • Start Date: Set when vesting begins

   • Exercise Price: Enter the strike price the option holder pays to convert options to shares

   • Vesting Schedule: Choose "Industry Standard" (4-year vest, 1-year cliff) or click Custom to create your own time-based vesting (with cliff and periodic vesting) or milestone-based vesting. You can save custom schedules as templates for future use. See How to create custom vesting schedules

     

   • Advanced Settings: Optionally configure option grant price, expiration type and date, post-termination exercise period (PTEP), trust nomination (AU only), witness signature requirement, and custom grant date

     

4. Choose Save draft to review later, or Send offer to immediately send to the employee.

What Happens Next

Employees and recipients will receive offer letters they can review and accept electronically through Cake. Once accepted, the options will be granted and appear in your cap table under Ownership → Cap table → Option holders.

You can create additional grants by repeating this process for other employees and recipients.

Still Need Help?

Contact our support team through the chat for guidance on vesting schedules, or general offer management.