Founders Agreement (Australian Startup Co-Founder Document)

A founders agreement (sometimes called a co-founders agreement or founder accord) is the document signed by the founders of a startup before — or shortly after — incorporation. It records the equity split, vesting schedules, decision-making rights, IP assignment, exit triggers, and what happens if a founder leaves, dies, becomes incapacitated, or wants to be bought out.

Why this document matters

Roughly 65% of startup failures are linked to founder disputes that became toxic because the underlying agreement was never documented. The 5-minute conversation in the early days that nobody wants to have — "what happens if you walk in 18 months?" — is exactly what a founders agreement forces.

How Claim Done can help

Claim Done doesn’t currently offer a flat-fee Founders Agreement product, but the closest existing service is our Heads of Agreement / Term Sheet ($79). A heads of agreement covers the same key commercial terms — equity split, vesting, decision rights, exit mechanics, IP assignment — and is structured to be either binding or non-binding depending on which clauses the founders mark up. Many Australian co-founders use a heads of agreement as the documented record of their understanding while the formal long-form constitution and shareholders agreement is being drafted by a corporate lawyer.

Start your Heads of Agreement / Term Sheet ($79) →

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