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Refreshed data on Founder ownership trends in 2026.
How Much Equity Do Founders Keep? New Carta Data Has Answers.
Equity is among a startup’s most precious resources — and founders spend it faster than many realize.
By the time a company raises a seed round, the median founding team retains about 56% of their fully diluted equity, based on Carta data on rounds raised from 2021 through 2025. By Series A, that number drops to 36%.
Today we’re releasing our Founder Ownership Report, a new benchmark for founders, investors, and operators who want to understand how equity evolves across funding stages — and what’s typical at each one.
Whether you’re heading into your first raise or your fourth, knowing where you stand relative to your peers matters. The data is in. See how you compare.