Employee Equity Pool Calculator: Pool Size as a Share of Post-Money
Work out an employee equity pool as a percentage of post-money valuation — the figure that decides how much equity is available for future hires and how much of that comes out of the founders' stake.
Adjust the inputs and select Calculate for a full breakdown.
Compare Common Scenarios
How the numbers shift across typical situations for this calculator:
| Scenario | Equity pool size | Founders + investors share |
|---|---|---|
| $1.5M / $15M (10%) | 10.00% | 90.00% |
| $3M / $20M (15% Series A) | 15.00% | 85.00% |
| $500k / $10M (5% small pool) | 5.00% | 95.00% |
| $50M / $250M (20% later stage) | 20.00% | 80.00% |
How This Calculator Works
Enter the equity pool value (or share count reserved) and the post-money valuation (or fully diluted share count). The calculator divides one by the other and multiplies by 100 to give the pool percentage, with the founders + investors share shown alongside.
The Formula
Part as a Percentage of a Whole
Part is the portion, Whole is the total it belongs to
Worked Example
A $1.5M pool on a $15M post-money company is a 10% equity pool, with 90% held by founders and investors. Standard new-pool sizing at Series A: 10% to 15% of post-money to support 12 to 24 months of hiring. Bigger pools dilute founders more aggressively if the pool comes from the pre-money cap table (as most term sheets require).
Key Insight
The hidden cost of the option pool is that most term sheets require it to come from the pre-money cap table — meaning founders absorb the dilution before investors arrive. A 'clean' 20% Series A round at a $20M post-money with a 15% post-money pool actually dilutes founders 30%+ when the pool top-up is included. Read the term sheet carefully and model the pool's effect on founder ownership explicitly — many founders are surprised by the math.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is the equity pool calculated?
Divide pool size by post-money valuation, multiply by 100. A $1.5M pool on a $15M post-money company is 10%.
What is a typical pool size?
Seed: 10% to 15%. Series A: 10% to 20%. Series B and later: 5% to 10% top-ups. Larger pools support more aggressive hiring; smaller pools require more frequent top-ups.
Pre-money vs post-money pool?
Pre-money pools come from the existing cap table (founders bear all dilution). Post-money pools are added after the investment (all shareholders dilute proportionally). Most term sheets require pre-money treatment — which is more dilutive to founders.
How quickly does the pool deplete?
Standard rule of thumb: 60% to 80% of the pool is consumed by hires made in the first 12 to 24 months after the round. The remaining 20% to 40% covers existing-team refresher grants and any unexpected hires.
Can the pool be increased without a new round?
Yes — but it requires board approval and dilutes all existing shareholders equally (no founder-only dilution like at a new round). Pool top-ups between rounds are normal during fast hiring phases.
Related Calculators
Methodology & Review
Pool percentage is the option pool value (or share count) divided by total post-money valuation (or share count), multiplied by 100. The complement is the founders + investors share. Pre-money vs post-money pool treatment dramatically affects founder dilution — most term sheets require the pool to come from the pre-money cap table.
Written by Ugo Candido · Last updated May 17, 2026.