Full Ratchet Anti-Dilution Protection: Understanding Its Importance in Venture Capital Term Sheets

Michał Kowalewskiby Michał Kowalewski • 7 min readpublished April 28, 2023 updated December 4, 2023
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As a startup founder, you've likely spent countless hours brainstorming ideas, building a team, and developing a product or service.

When it comes time to secure funding, understanding equity protection mechanisms like full ratchet anti-dilution protection is crucial.

This article will provide you with a comprehensive understanding of full ratchet anti-dilution protection, its impact on startup valuation, and how it can help you maintain your percentage ownership during follow-on funding rounds.

Key Takeaways

Full ratchet anti-dilution protection is a mechanism that helps founders and early investors maintain their percentage ownership in a startup during follow-on funding rounds, particularly in the event of a down round.

While full ratchet anti-dilution protection can be beneficial for founders, it may have drawbacks for other shareholders and can decrease a startup's overall valuation, potentially making it more difficult to secure follow-on funding.

Weighted average anti-dilution protection is an alternative approach that spreads the dilutive effects more evenly among all shareholders, offering a more balanced solution that may be more attractive to potential investors.

Understanding Dilution and Anti-Dilution Provisions

Dilution occurs when a company issues new shares, resulting in a decrease in the percentage ownership of existing shareholders. This can happen during funding rounds when new investors come on board. As a founder, dilution can reduce your control over the company, making it crucial to consider anti-dilution provisions in your investment agreements.

Anti-dilution provisions are contractual clauses that protect existing shareholders from the dilutive effects of issuing new shares. There are two main types of anti-dilution protections: full ratchet and weighted average.

Full Ratchet Anti-Dilution Protection Explained

Full ratchet anti-dilution protection is a mechanism that adjusts the conversion price of preferred stock held by investors in the event of a down round (a round where shares are issued at a lower price than the previous round). This adjustment allows existing investors to maintain their percentage ownership in the company, minimizing the dilutive effects of new share issuances.

To better illustrate this concept, let's consider an example.

Suppose your startup issues Series A preferred stock at $1 per share, and an investor buys 1 million shares, giving them a 10% ownership stake.If a subsequent down round issues new shares at $0.50 per share, full ratchet anti-dilution protection would allow the Series A investor to convert their preferred shares into common shares at the new lower price of $0.50, effectively doubling their number of shares and maintaining their 10% ownership stake.

While full ratchet anti-dilution protection can be beneficial for founders by preserving their equity, it can also have some drawbacks for investors and other shareholders. As the conversion price is adjusted to match the lowest price in subsequent funding rounds, it can lead to a significant increase in the number of shares held by protected investors, diluting the ownership stakes of other shareholders, including common stockholders and employees with stock options.

The Impact of Full Ratchet Anti-Dilution Protection on Startup Valuation

The use of full ratchet anti-dilution protection can have a significant impact on a startup's valuation. Since the conversion price is adjusted to match the lowest price in subsequent funding rounds, protected investors can acquire a larger share of the company without investing additional capital. This can lead to a decrease in the company's overall valuation, as the value of existing shares is effectively reduced.

Furthermore, the presence of full ratchet anti-dilution protection can make it more difficult for a startup to secure follow-on funding. Investors in later rounds may be hesitant to invest if they know that earlier investors are protected from dilution, as this can limit their potential return on investment.

This can result in more challenging fundraising prospects for the company and may even discourage some investors from participating in future rounds altogether.

Weighing Your Options: Full Ratchet vs. Weighted Average Anti-Dilution Protection

Before deciding on the right anti-dilution protection for your startup, it's essential to understand the differences between full ratchet and weighted average provisions.

Full ratchet anti-dilution protection, as described earlier, adjusts the conversion price of preferred shares to the lowest price in subsequent funding rounds, allowing existing investors to maintain their percentage ownership.

On the other hand, weighted average anti-dilution protection takes into account both the price and the number of shares issued in subsequent rounds to calculate an adjusted conversion price. This method is generally seen as a more equitable approach, as it spreads the dilutive effects more evenly among all shareholders.

To help you decide which option is best suited for your startup, consider the following pros and cons of each method:

Full Ratchet Anti-Dilution Protection

Pros:

  1. Strong Equity Preservation: Full ratchet anti-dilution protection helps founders and early investors maintain their percentage ownership in the startup, shielding them from dilution in down rounds.
  2. Negotiation Leverage: The presence of full ratchet anti-dilution protection in investment agreements can serve as a powerful bargaining tool for founders during negotiations with investors.
  3. Attractive for Early Investors: Offering full ratchet protection can make a startup more appealing to early investors, as it safeguards their investment against future dilutive events.
  4. Founder Control: By minimizing the dilution of founder shares, full ratchet protection helps founders maintain greater control over the company's decision-making processes and strategic direction.

Cons:

  1. Negative Perception: Some investors may perceive full ratchet anti-dilution protection as overly aggressive, which can make it more challenging to secure funding.
  2. Impact on Valuation: Full ratchet protection can lead to a decrease in the company's valuation, as existing shares' value may be reduced to match the lowest price in subsequent funding rounds.
  3. Dilution for Other Shareholders: Full ratchet protection can result in significant dilution for other shareholders, such as employees with stock options or common stockholders, as protected investors' shares are adjusted to maintain their percentage ownership.
  4. Follow-on Funding Challenges: The presence of full ratchet anti-dilution protection can make it more difficult for startups to secure follow-on funding, as later-stage investors may be hesitant to invest if they know that earlier investors are protected from dilution, limiting their potential returns.
  5. Potential for Conflict: The use of full ratchet anti-dilution protection may create tension or conflict among shareholders, as it can be seen as favoring certain investors over others.

Weighted Average Anti-Dilution Protection

Pros:

  1. Balanced Dilution Approach: Weighted average anti-dilution protection spreads the dilutive effects more evenly among all shareholders, resulting in a fairer distribution of ownership.
  2. Investor-Friendly: This type of anti-dilution protection is often seen as more attractive to potential investors, as it demonstrates a commitment to fairness and collaboration among shareholders.
  3. Less Impact on Valuation: Weighted average protection tends to have a less significant impact on the company's valuation compared to full ratchet protection, as it takes into account the price and number of shares issued in subsequent rounds.
  4. Easier Follow-on Funding: Startups with weighted average anti-dilution protection may find it easier to secure follow-on funding, as investors may view this provision as more equitable and less aggressive than full ratchet protection.

Cons:

  1. Less Protection for Founders: Weighted average anti-dilution protection does not offer the same level of protection as full ratchet provisions, which can result in dilution for founders and early investors, albeit to a lesser degree.
  2. Complexity: Calculating the adjusted conversion price using the weighted average method can be more complex than the full ratchet approach, requiring additional time and resources to determine the appropriate adjustments.

Incorporating Full Ratchet Anti-Dilution Protection in Investment Agreements

When it comes to negotiating anti-dilution provisions with investors, consider these tips and best practices:

  1. Research and understand the implications of both full ratchet and weighted average anti-dilution provisions, so you can make informed decisions during negotiations.
  2. Be prepared to explain your rationale for preferring one method over the other and how it aligns with your startup's long-term goals.
  3. Use bullet points and numbered lists to clearly outline your proposed anti-dilution provisions in investment agreements.
  4. Remember that negotiations are a two-way street. Be open to hearing investors' concerns and be willing to compromise if necessary.
  5. Always seek legal advice from an experienced attorney who specializes in startup financing and investment agreements.

Conclusion

Understanding full ratchet anti-dilution protection is essential for startup founders looking to secure their equity and maintain control over their company.

By carefully considering the pros and cons of full ratchet and weighted average anti-dilution provisions, you can make informed decisions about which approach best serves your startup's needs.

As you navigate the fundraising process, be sure to seek legal advice and approach negotiations with investors in a well-prepared and open-minded manner. With the right equity protection strategies in place, you'll be well-positioned to achieve your startup's growth and success.

Michał Kowalewski

Written by Michał Kowalewski

Writer and content manager at Capbase. Passionate about startups, tech and multimedia. Based in Warsaw, Poland.

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