Eqvista Review

Eqvista is an equity management and 409A valuation platform built for private companies, from pre-seed startups all the way through to pre-IPO.

The company positions itself as an all-in-one solution for cap table management, company valuations, and compliance, and it has backed that claim up with a #1 ranking on G2 for equity management software.

With over 23,000 companies using the platform and $300 billion in assets under administration, it has clearly found real traction in a market that was once dominated by law firm spreadsheets and expensive valuation consultants.

Eqvista is a U.S.-based company registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission as a Transfer Agent.

It serves founders, startups, law firms, and financial institutions that need help managing equity ownership structures and obtaining IRS-compliant valuations for stock option pricing.

The platform combines software tools with a hands-on professional services team, which is a meaningful distinction from pure SaaS competitors that leave clients to figure out the compliance side on their own.

Eqvista describes its approach as "AI-powered, human-delivered," meaning the technology does a lot of the heavy lifting on data and modeling, but credentialed professionals review and deliver the actual reports.

The cap table product is the foundation of what Eqvista offers.

Companies can get started at no cost, and the free tier covers the basics well: cap table and ESOP management, vesting schedules, shareholder accounts, and a data room.

For early-stage companies with fewer than 20 shareholders, this is a fully functional solution at zero cost.

Once a company grows beyond that, the Premium tier adds features that become increasingly necessary as equity structures get more complicated.

Those include e-signing for share certificates, board resolutions and voting, waterfall and exit modeling, funding round modeling, Form 3921 filing support, and Rule 701 compliance.

Premium pricing is based on the number of shareholders at $2 per shareholder per month, with custom pricing kicking in above 50 shareholders.

The platform also handles cap table migration from other providers or from spreadsheets, which is worth noting for companies that have outgrown their current setup.

Eqvista describes this as "white-glove onboarding," and users on Clutch and G2 have specifically mentioned the team's responsiveness and support during that process.

One verified review from a VP of Sales and Marketing noted that the employee dashboard gave staff visibility into their equity that they hadn't had before, consolidating everything into a single place rather than scattering it across emails and PDFs.

This is where Eqvista differentiates itself most clearly from generic equity platforms.

The 409A valuation is a federal requirement for private companies that issue stock options to employees: it establishes the fair market value of common stock, which determines the strike price on options and protects both the company and employees from adverse IRS treatment under Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code.

Eqvista's team has completed over 5,000 valuations. The credentials on staff include NACVA certification, CFA and CVA designations, and an Enrolled Agent with the IRS.

That last credential is specifically relevant because an Enrolled Agent is licensed to represent clients before the IRS, which matters if a valuation ever gets challenged in an audit.

Pricing for the 409A tier is bundled with the Premium cap table and broken out by funding stage:

All 409A plans include unlimited updates and renewals, lifetime audit support, and the Eqvista Real-Time Company Valuation tool.

An expedited option is available starting at $490 for companies that need a faster turnaround.

The Enterprise tier adds QSBS attestation, 83(b) election filing (including mail-in to the IRS), and ASC 718 stock-based compensation accounting, starting at $1,990 per year for startups and scaling up from there.

The Real-Time Company Valuation product is notable.

Traditional 409A reports are static documents: they reflect a company's value at a specific point in time and become stale as market conditions and company financials change.

Eqvista's real-time approach gives companies an ongoing app-based view of their common stock value that remains audit-defensible.

This is useful for boards and founders who make decisions between formal valuation cycles and want current data rather than a report that's already six months old.

Beyond the standard 409A, Eqvista offers a wider range of valuation and compliance services:

• Fair Market Valuation (FMV): Used for ESOPs and capital raises, built on actual financials and market comparables.
• Software and IP Valuation: Uses income, market, and cost (asset-based) methods to value software products and intellectual property.
• Gift and Estate Tax Valuation: IRS-compliant assessments for business and real estate assets in estate planning situations.
• Portfolio/ASC 820 Valuation: Designed for venture capital funds and investors that need fair value reporting for LP communications and audits.
• QSBS Attestation Letters: Documents confirming a company's eligibility under the Qualified Small Business Stock rules, which can allow shareholders to exclude significant capital gains from federal tax.

These services extend Eqvista's reach beyond early-stage startups into more complex use cases handled by law firms and institutional investors.

The company's client list includes the legal clients of firms like Cooley, DLA Piper, Orrick, Goodwin, and Wilson Sonsini, which suggests that outside counsel is regularly referring clients to the platform.

The platform works across a fairly wide band of company types, but the core use case is a VC-backed or bootstrapped private company that needs to manage equity and stay compliant with IRS rules around stock option pricing. 

The free cap table makes it genuinely accessible at the idea-stage, and the tiered valuation pricing follows funding milestones in a way that keeps costs proportional to company stage.

Law firms and accounting practices that advise startups represent another clear segment.

Eqvista has a formal partnership program, and the connections to major startup-focused law firms suggest these relationships are active rather than just listed for credibility.

Public companies are also mentioned in the product lineup through a service called Public DealShield, and there is a controlled tender offer service for secondary market transactions, though these features appear to be secondary to the core startup equity and valuation business.

Verified reviews across G2, Capterra, and Clutch point to a few consistent themes. Clients mention the team's responsiveness and domain expertise, the ability to simplify complex valuation concepts, and the platform's ease of use.

CEO Merete Hverven noted in a published Clutch review that the platform reduced cap table management time by 40% and improved internal reporting accuracy.

Co-founder Justin R. described the valuation team as "highly responsive" and said the company felt confident entrusting them with a critical compliance requirement. The platform holds a 5/5 rating on G2.

The tone across reviews is consistent: users are generally satisfied with both the software and the human support behind it.

That combination is what separates Eqvista from tools that offer cap table software without professional services, or valuation firms that deliver reports without integrated software.

Eqvista is a credible, well-reviewed option for private companies that need cap table management and IRS-compliant 409A valuations in one place, with professional credentials behind the reports.

The free cap table entry point and the stage-based pricing make it practical for companies from day one through Series A and beyond.