The Problem: Too Many Separate Services
Building an early-stage startup in the UK or Australia means you're paying across a fragmented stack of tools and services — each solving one piece of the puzzle, none talking to each other.
Equity management
Carta · Vestd · Cake Equity · Pulley
Co-founder matching
CoFoundersLab · Entrepreneur First · YC Co-Founder Matching
Legal documents
SeedLegals · Clerky · Law firm retainer
Talent acquisition
AngelList · LinkedIn Recruiter · Upwork · Toptal
Freelance equity work
No dedicated platform exists
All of the above
Sweaquity ✓
The Cost Comparison
Annual cost of running a UK early-stage startup using separate services vs. Sweaquity:
| Service category | Typical tools | Annual cost (separate) |
|---|---|---|
| Freelance talent & co-founder recruitment | Upwork / Toptal commissions + AngelList Recruiter + LinkedIn Recruiter | £26,000 – £55,000 |
| Equity management | Carta Enterprise + alternative equity platform | £12,000 – £23,000 |
| Legal: equity docs, NDAs, contracts | Law firm drafting + NDA/contract templates | £3,000 – £8,000 |
| Legal: compliance | SeedLegals / Clerky + privacy & terms | £3,000 – £8,000 |
| Marketing & customer acquisition | Paid ads + B2B marketing | £18,000 – £120,000 |
| PR services | Monthly retainer | £3,000 – £10,000 |
| Accounting & tax | Accountancy + Xero/QuickBooks | £2,700 – £6,720 |
| Total (separate services) | £72,000 – £233,000/year | |
| Sweaquity (free tier + premium) | £0 – £1,200/year | |
* Cost estimates based on published pricing for UK startup tier plans as of 2025–2026. Marketing costs excluded from Sweaquity total as the platform handles talent discovery natively.
What Sweaquity Replaces — Feature by Feature
Carta / Vestd / Cake Equity
Task-level equity allocation, vesting schedules, and cap table tracking built into every project on the platform.
CoFoundersLab / Entrepreneur First / YC Co-Founder Matching
Browse and apply for co-founder roles with equity terms visible upfront. No subscription required to apply.
SeedLegals / law firm retainer
Automated NDA generation on application acceptance. Equity work agreements created and signed digitally — legally structured for UK and Australian jurisdictions.
LinkedIn Recruiter / AngelList / Upwork
Post equity-based roles to a targeted pool of skilled contributors who specifically seek equity compensation — not just cash.
No existing platform
A dedicated marketplace for freelance equity work — skilled professionals contributing to projects in exchange for a defined equity stake.
Built for UK and Australian Startups
Most equity platforms are built for US Delaware C-Corps. Sweaquity is designed from the ground up for UK and Australian startup structures.
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- ✓EMI (Enterprise Management Incentive) scheme support
- ✓EIS / SEIS awareness for investor-ready equity
- ✓IR35 guidance for contractor vs. employee equity arrangements
- ✓HMRC-aligned equity valuation principles
- ✓UK GDPR compliant data handling
🇦🇺 Australia
- ✓Employee Share Scheme (ESS) framework
- ✓Startup concession for tax deferral on equity
- ✓ASIC-compliant equity documentation
- ✓Australian Privacy Act compliant data handling
- ✓APAC-based project listings and talent pool
Pricing: Free to Start
Sweaquity is free to use for founders posting projects and contributors applying. No credit card required to get started.
Free
£0/month
- ✓Post unlimited projects
- ✓Receive applications
- ✓NDA generation on acceptance
- ✓Basic equity work agreement
- ✓Contributor profile and CV upload
Premium
£10/month
- ✓Everything in Free
- ✓Full equity work agreement suite
- ✓Advanced vesting schedules
- ✓Priority matching and visibility
- ✓Document storage and audit trail
- ✓Multiple projects simultaneously
Compare: Carta Enterprise starts at £8,000/year. Vestd from £1,200/year (equity management only).
Replace 15 Services with One Platform
Start for free. Post your first project, find a co-founder, and get your NDAs and equity agreements generated automatically — all without touching Carta, SeedLegals, or LinkedIn Recruiter.
No credit card required · Free tier always available