Employee Capital Partners (ECP) is a firm that provides flexible capital to employees to cover the costs associated with exercising stock options. We partner with people like you: current and former employees of venture-backed companies, so you benefit from the gains on your stock options without having to invest your own capital. We have already partnered with 100+ with current and former employees at 40+ high-quality venture-backed companies and we’re ready to partner with you next.
By having us cover your exercise and taxes, you are free to spend your hard-earned money on what is most important to you.
You're a true partner throughout this process. Upon an exit of the company, we share in the good: we keep a small percentage of the profits, while you take the majority (you earned it after all).
We own the downside. In the event your shares end up worthless, we assume the loss with no recourse to you. We will never hold your personal assets liable.
Have a lot of options? Don't worry, you can't shock us. We have no limit on the amount we are able to finance, though we typically deal with amounts > $10,000.
Exercising your options creates a tax liability (sometimes, it’s substantial). But you don’t have to let that stop you. We're able to cover a portion or all of the taxes associated with your exercise: you decide. Our experts can also help you save on future taxes by helping you qualify for long term capital gains.
We get it - options are risky. Investing in a private company with no promise of return can be scary. That's why we assume a substantial amount of your financial risk through our financing solution. It doesn't stop there: we also take on your holding period risk- sometimes, an acquisition or IPO can take many years.
We want to give you options on how you spend your money. If that means fronting your exercise cost, then what do you need us for? But if you had other plans for your money, like buying your first home, paying off debt, or going on a dream vacation, we are here to help.
1. Intro Call & Info Request
We will hop on a quick, 10-15 minute call for ECP to get a better understand of your unique situation.
What you’ll need: For this call, all you need is some basic information about your options including your vested option amount, strike price, expiration, etc.
2. Receive Offer
After the intro call, we will pull together an offer to finance your option exercise and walk you through it over the phone or email.
Rest assured: Our offer will always be based on our belief in good faith partnerships - we hold ourselves to a higher-than-industry standard. This is why our financing solution is straightforward and transparent - there's no need for us to explain away hidden fees or interest payments – they simply aren’t there.
3. Due Diligence & Background Check
You know all about us. As our prospective future partner, we want to get to know you too. While we know we like you already, we kindly request all prospective partners complete a basic background and credit check to do our due diligence.
4. Wire Transfer, Exercise, & Enjoy
After you pass your background screening, we'll wire the money straight to your bank account and ask for confirmation of your exercise.
Now - enjoy. Celebrate your equity participation with significantly reduced downside risk.
Zach is the Founder and Managing Partner at ECP. Prior to ECP, Zach was on the investment team at TVC Capital where he focused on investments in and acquisitions of growth stage B2B and enterprise software companies. While working with growth stage companies at TVC, Zach saw multiple occasions where employees let their stock options expire because – at the end of the day – they simply could not cover the out-of-pocket upfront costs or bear the uncertainty risk. Recognizing the need for a solution to help employees keep and benefit from what they’ve earned, Zach started ECP.
Zach has also ensured that ECP is funded by investors who are equally passionate about helping you convert your hard-earned options into real equity ownership.
We take pride in our financing solution’s simplicity and transparency. When we started ECP, we wanted to offer a product that we would use ourselves and recommend to colleagues. That’s why our solution doesn’t have hidden fees, “gotcha” terms, or monthly interest payments. We don’t believe in profiting off confusion—it’s simple: what you see is what you get.
An ECP partnership is a long-term commitment and can involve large amounts of capital. Due to the nature of our relationship, our partner-first approach is not a selling point, it’s an obligation. We listen, deliver speedy responses to questions and inquiries, and walk side-by-side throughout the process to prioritize your comfort. That’s our commitment to you.
Our business model is predicated on partnership— your success means our success. You created the value behind the options by working long nights and tough days at your startup company, so it’s only fair that you receive the majority of the reward in the case of an exit. We recognize this, and structure our terms accordingly.
We’re a small firm by design. We’re selective, but not afraid to make bold commitments in the companies we believe in. As a result, we have the flexibility to offer fair, competitive financing packages: amounts and terms that you have a say in.
