What will you own after Series B?

Most founders can tell you their current ownership. Very few can tell you what it becomes after two more rounds. That number determines what the company is worth to you personally.

By the VCTerminal team · Updated 2026-07-26

The benchmarks

Across the market, founding teams start at roughly 100% and land near a quarter of the company by Series B. These are recent medians, useful as a sanity check rather than a target:

Medians move with the market and vary by sector and geography. Treat them as orientation, not as a rule about your company.

Model your own path

Set your starting ownership and adjust each round. The compounding is the part founders underestimate: three rounds of "only about 18%" leaves you with roughly half of what you started with.

Straight dilution only. It ignores liquidation preferences, which can reduce what you actually receive further. See the exit calculator for that.

The mistake that costs the most

Founders negotiate hard on valuation and barely negotiate the option pool. If an investor requires a 10% post-close pool created pre-money, existing shareholders fund all of it. On a $10M pre-money, that is effectively a $1M reduction borne entirely by you and your existing holders.

Ask one question: is the pool inside or outside the pre-money? Then ask for the pool to be sized against a real 12 to 18 month hiring plan rather than a round number.

Common questions

How much equity do founders give up in a seed round?

Median seed dilution is roughly 19%, with a common range of 15% to 25% depending on round size and valuation. That figure usually includes any option pool created as part of the round.

How much do founders own after Series A?

Median founder ownership is around 36% after Series A, down from roughly 56% after seed. Median Series A dilution has recently been about 18%.

How much do founders own after Series B?

Median founder ownership falls to roughly 23% after Series B. Series B dilution has recently run at about 13%, lower than earlier rounds because valuations tend to grow faster than round sizes at that stage.

Is dilution bad?

No. Dilution is the price of capital, and owning a smaller share of a much larger company is the entire point. What matters is whether each round buys enough progress to increase the value of your remaining stake. 15% of a $500M company beats 60% of an $8M one.

What is the option pool shuffle?

When investors require a new option pool to be created before the money goes in, the pool comes out of the pre-money valuation, meaning existing shareholders absorb all of it rather than sharing the cost with the new investor. A 10% pool created pre-money can cost founders more than a meaningful valuation reduction.