Equity Refresh Negotiation

⬢ TIER 2Soft

Medium

Salary impact

1 months

Time to learn

Medium

Difficulty

Careers

At a glance

Equity dilutes over time (each funding round, new hires get grants). Your 1% from year 1 might be 0.2% by year 5 if company raised $500M and hired 500 people. Refresh equity (new grants to existing employees) counteracts dilution and retains top talent. Companies that refresh aggressively (annual grants) retain 30-40% more talent. Practitioners who negotiate refresh equity keep their upside intact. Time to learn: 2-3 weeks. The value: keeping 0.5% instead of diluting to 0.1% = 5x difference.

What is Equity Refresh Negotiation

Refresh equity is new equity grants given to existing employees as their original grants vest and dilution occurs. Without refreshes, your ownership percentage shrinks as the company raises capital and hires new employees. Companies that refresh aggressively retain more talent. Refresh negotiations are different from initial equity negotiations: you're negotiating based on company growth, your contribution, and market value, not just your role level.

🔧 TOOLS & ECOSYSTEM

Cap table trackingDilution calculatorsEquity refresh analysisVesting scenario modelingRetention strategy toolsSalary + equity comparisonCumulative equity trackingEquity spreadsheet templatesRetention analysisCareer progression models

📋 Before you start

Equity Understanding Options Equity Negotiation Vesting

💰 Salary by region

Region	Junior	Mid	Senior
USA	$45k	$85k	$145k
UK	$27k	$51k	$87k
EU	$32k	$62k	$105k
CANADA	$50k	$95k	$160k

🎓 Certifications

Carta Equity Education Stripe Equity and Retention Advanced Equity Negotiation

🎯 Careers using Equity Refresh Negotiation

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⚖ Compare with

Equity Understanding Options Equity Negotiation Vesting Salary Negotiation

❓ FAQ

Why does equity dilute?

Each funding round, company issues new shares to investors. If you own 1% and company doubles shares (2x dilution), you own 0.5%. Hiring also dilutes: each new employee gets options from the option pool. Dilution is normal and necessary (capital, growth) but reduces individual ownership.

What's a typical refresh grant?

Varies by company. Early-stage: refreshes rare. Mid-stage (Series B-C): annual refreshes, 10-20% of original grant. Late-stage (Series D+): variable refreshes, sometimes just equity adjustments to prevent dilution. Ask annually: 'What's my refresh for this year?'

How do I calculate if I'm being diluted unfairly?

Track your ownership: (your shares / total shares) = your %. Quarterly, this ratio changes. If dilution > 5-10%/year, you're being diluted faster than average. Refresh should offset dilution for high performers. Compare to peers: do they get refreshes and you don't?

Should I push for refresh equity or higher salary?

Depends on company stage and confidence. Early-stage (Series A-B), risky: push for salary (need to live if company fails). Mid-stage (Series C+), strong traction: push for refresh equity (upside is real). Late-stage: both, equity is more valuable.

What happens to my vesting on a refresh grant?

Refresh grants are new grants with new vesting schedules (typically 4-year 1-year cliff). If you get a refresh, you're earning new equity while old equity vests. Both run in parallel. Refresh timing matters: ask for it during reviews, not mid-cliff.