Mantle Starter

Product Introduction

1. Mantle Starter is a free cap table management platform designed for early-stage startups to track ownership structures and equity distribution with professional-grade tools. It replaces error-prone spreadsheets with automated equity recording, real-time updates, and scenario modeling for fundraising preparation.
2. The product’s core value lies in providing startups with institutional-quality equity management infrastructure at zero cost, eliminating financial and operational barriers to proper cap table governance. It prioritizes accuracy, scalability, and investor readiness through standardized data formats and collaborative workflows.

Main Features

1. AI-Powered Document Processing: Automatically extracts key terms from SAFEs, stock purchase agreements, and option grants using machine learning, reducing manual data entry errors by 90% during initial setup. This feature supports PDF, DocuSign, and scanned document uploads with audit trails.
2. OCF-Compliant Exports: Generates cap table snapshots in the Open Cap Table Format (OCF), the industry-standard schema endorsed by investors and legal advisors, ensuring compatibility with third-party due diligence tools and regulatory requirements.
3. Unlimited Stakeholder Collaboration: Allows unrestricted user seats for founders, legal counsel, and investors with role-based permissions, enabling real-time edits, comments, and version control without per-user fees or tiered pricing.

Problems Solved

1. Manual Equity Tracking: Eliminates spreadsheet-based cap table management, which causes version conflicts and calculation errors during fundraising rounds or liquidation events. The platform enforces automated waterfall calculations and dilution modeling.
2. Early-Stage Resource Constraints: Targets pre-seed to Series A startups that lack budget for enterprise tools like Carta, offering free access to audit-ready equity records and 409A valuation integrations.
3. Investor Transparency Gaps: Solves delayed stakeholder communication by providing secure, permissioned access to cap table visualizations, scenario analyses, and historical equity transactions via encrypted sharing links.

Unique Advantages

1. Carta Alternative: Unlike Carta’s per-seat pricing and complex interface, Mantle Starter offers unlimited users and a simplified workflow optimized for sub-50 stakeholder companies, with no mandatory upsells for basic features.
2. Native OCF Integration: First free-tier platform to support Open Cap Table Format exports natively, enabling direct data portability to Nasdaq Private Market and other liquidity platforms without third-party converters.
3. Pre-Priced Round Focus: Exclusively designed for companies before their first priced round, with automated upgrade paths to paid plans that retain historical data continuity and compliance certifications.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. Is Mantle Starter truly free for companies with pre-priced rounds? Yes, the free tier includes all core features indefinitely for startups that haven’t completed a priced equity round, with optional paid upgrades for 409A valuations or advanced scenario modeling.
2. How does migration from Carta work? Mantle provides automated import tools that convert Carta CSV/PDF reports into OCF-compliant datasets, preserving vesting schedules, equity types, and stakeholder contact details without manual reconciliation.
3. What is the OCF format, and why does it matter? The Open Cap Table Format is an open-source data standard that ensures cap table portability across legal, financial, and investor platforms, reducing friction during audits, acquisitions, or IPOs.
4. Are there limits on stakeholder collaboration? No, Mantle Starter allows unlimited stakeholders and users with granular permissions (viewer/editor/admin), including bulk invite options via email or Slack integration for rapid onboarding.
5. How accurate is the AI Extract feature? The AI achieves 99.6% accuracy on U.S.-based equity documents by training on 50,000+ legal agreements, with human-in-the-loop validation available through paid white-glove onboarding services.