Secondary Sale

The sale of existing shares (e.g. by founders or early investors) rather than new shares issued by the company.

In a secondary, existing shareholders sell their shares to a buyer, providing liquidity without raising money for the company. Founders sometimes take partial secondaries at later rounds to de-risk personally, subject to investor agreement.

Examples

A founder sells a small secondary stake at Series B. — An early angel exits via a secondary to a new investor.

How it relates to The Startup Foundry

Understanding liquidity options helps founders plan their long-term journey, which starts with becoming investable through the Foundry.

Related terms

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