Carta has acquired Capdesk — the UK and Europe’s leading equity management platform.
Capdesk is trusted by hundreds of companies to simplify equity management, with more than £90B worth of assets on the platform. The company has had enormous success thanks to its nimble team, simple architecture, and ability to tackle complex, country-specific compliance and equity needs for its customers and their stakeholders.
Over time, Capdesk customers across the UK and European venture ecosystems will benefit from Carta’s depth of experience serving private companies with an expansive product suite including equity management, compensation, and liquidity. In the near term, Capdesk customers will have access to Carta’s 409A valuation service. This means they’ll be able to compliantly and efficiently issue equity to U.S. employees while being backed by the security of one of the largest 409A providers in the country. We’re excited to serve the needs of this growing ecosystem.
Capdesk’s founders—Christian, Martin, and Mikkel—built one of the first-ever multi-jurisdictional equity management platforms. They led an equity revolution in the UK.
Before Capdesk, employers had to manage equity schemes manually with legal counsel in each country. With Capdesk, employers can simply onboard and trust the company to manage all the detailed requirements of multiple jurisdictions.
In the UK, Capdesk offers filings for HMRC and Companies House and support for EMI, CSOP, EIS, and deed signing. In Germany, Capdesk offers secure VSOP management and share number handling, as well as electronic signing compliant with Bundesdruckerei. In France, Capdesk offers support for BSPCE, including a fully customizable vesting schedule engine. The company also supports customers with unique needs in Sweden, Denmark, and across the EU.
When we met with the Capdesk team, we saw a lot of the same values that we hold here at Carta. They are on a mission to make it easier for startups to do business in the UK and around Europe. They are on a mission to create more equity owners. We are grateful to have Christian, Martin, and Mikkel stay on as key leaders within Carta, and are excited to welcome the rest of their outstanding team as we build our presence in the UK.
Thank you to the entire Capdesk team. We’re grateful to your customers and early investors. We can’t wait for what we accomplish together in the UK.