When to fund your option execise with ESO Fund
Owning private company shares can leave you “wealthy on paper,” but real payouts often take years while life expenses don’t wait. Traditional pre-IPO liquidity usually means selling outright, giving up future upside, and navigating company approvals. With ESO Fund’s fully non-recourse Share Liquidity, you can access cash today while still keeping your shares and long-term growth potential.
For employees who want to take some money off the table without walking away from their company’s future, ESO Fund offers a proven alternative.
Common situations include:
- Buy a home, cover life expenses, or diversify investments.
- Access cash today without giving up 100% of your upside.
- Flexibility without waiting for IPO or acquisition.
How ESO Fund Helps
ESO Fund provides non-recourse funding against your private company shares, giving you access to cash today in exchange for a share of your upside only if the company exits successfully.
- Non-recourse: If your company never IPOs or exits, you owe nothing
- Ownership retained: Your shares remain in your name; we don’t take transfers.
- Personal Partnership: Work with an experienced ESO Fund Partner who knows your situation, not just a portal.
- Algined incentives: No interest, no fees. We only get paid if your company exits successfully, so our goals are fully aligned with yours.
Why ESO Fund vs a Secondary Sale
When employees need liquidity, the challenge isn’t just finding cash, it’s often being forced to give up ownership. Secondary sales require approvals, buyers, and usually mean giving up all of your future upside. ESO Fund provides a simpler path: we offer non-recourse funding so you can access cash today while keeping your shares and growth potential.
Here’s how ESO Fund compares to a secondary sale:
• Access liquidity without selling your shares.
• Immediate liquidity by selling shares outright.
• Keep meaningful upside in your company’s future.
• Best option if you want to fully exit your equity.
• No company approval or buyer needed. Private, direct process.
• Typically requires company approval and a qualified buyer.
• Flexible sizing, no minimums.
• Often limited to large blocks or select investors.
"Friendly people who worked VERY quickly to make a deal in the last days of a possible stock exercise."
Engineering Team
Series D Company, Silicon Valley
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reviews are anonymous. We respect the privacy of our clients. Find more testimonials like the one below on
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How Pricing Works
ESO Fund’s funding is non-recourse, meaning if your company doesn’t reach liquidity, you owe nothing. We structure each offer based on your company, your equity, and the funding amount.
Instead of charging interest or fees, we share in a percentage of your equity plus our money back only if there’s a successful exit.
Simple 3-Step Process
- Intro Call with an ESO Partner (15 mins).
- Receive a personalized non-recourse funding offer.
- Close and fund.
👉 See our full process here →
No. With ESO Fund, your shares stay in your name, we provide funding against them, so you get liquidity without giving up ownership.
No. Unlike a secondary sale, our process does not require board or company approval because your shares remain in your name.
It’s completely up to you. Many employees use ESO Fund liquidity for housing, diversification, family expenses, or simply to de-risk while staying invested in their company’s future.
Yes. In addition to private shares, we also provide funding solutions for vested RSUs. See Liquidity for RSUs →
Just your company name and equity details. We handle most of the research and due diligence ourselves.
Every client is paired with an ESO Fund Partner who guides you from intro call to closing, not just an automated portal.
