Fundraising & valuation hub: pre/post-money, SAFEs, notes, and liquidation prefs

A practical hub for startup fundraising and valuation basics: pre/post-money, pro rata, option pool shuffle, SAFE/note conversion, and liquidation preference outcomes.

Updated 2026-01-28

Try it in a calculator

How to use this hub

Use the Related calculators sidebar to open each tool. Fundraising math can look simple in headlines, but ownership outcomes depend on option pools, convertibles, and preference terms-so always sanity-check with scenarios.

The fundraising stack (what changes ownership)

  • Pre vs post-money sets the basic ownership math for a priced round.
  • Option pool shuffle changes effective dilution for existing holders.
  • SAFEs and notes convert into shares (cap/discount/interest mechanics).
  • Pro rata participation can maintain ownership (if allocation allows).
  • Liquidation preference changes exit proceeds even if ownership is unchanged.

Tools in this cluster

ToolBest forKey input
Pre vs post-moneyBasic ownership mathPre-money + investment
Pro rata investmentMaintaining ownershipCurrent % + round size
Option pool shuffleFounder dilution reality checkPool % pre and target post
SAFE conversionCap vs discount intuitionSAFE amount + cap/discount
Note conversionInterest + cap/discountPrincipal + interest + terms
Liquidation preferenceExit proceeds scenariosExit value + investment + %

Common mistakes

  • Mixing fully diluted and issued-share bases.
  • Ignoring multiple convertibles and pool increases (dilution stacks).
  • Treating liquidation preference as a single number (real deals have seniority/waterfalls).

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