For employees & shareholders of private companies

Take some cash off the table and keep your upside on the rest.

You've earned equity in a private, venture-backed company. You don't have to wait years for an IPO, and you don't have to sell it all. Sell part of your position to ESO for cash now, and keep the rest for the exit.

See how it works
Request an offer
No obligation. Takes about a minute.
Leave a best estimate. It's just a starting point.
Your details are kept confidential and used only to prepare your offer.
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How it works

A straightforward secondary sale, on your terms. Sell part of your position and hold the rest.

1

Tell us what you hold and how much you'd sell

Share your company, your share count, how much you'd like to part with, and the price you're looking for.

2

We make an offer

You get a clear breakdown of the purchase price, any exercise or tax costs, and your net proceeds.

3

You get paid and keep the balance

We handle the paperwork and close. Cash in hand now, and you hold on to the shares you didn't sell.

Two ways ESO can help

We run two distinct funds. The right one depends on whether you want to sell your equity now or keep it while ESO covers the cost of exercising.

Secondary Fund

Sell your shares

You want cash today and are ready to part with some or all of your equity.

  • ESO buys your shares outright for cash
  • You give up future upside on the shares you sell
  • No repayment, no strings. The cash is yours
  • ESO holds the position and carries all the risk
Hold RSUs instead of shares? No problem. ESO buys them for cash. Same simple sale, money in your pocket.
Request an offer
Option Fund

Keep your shares. We fund the exercise

You want to own your equity but can't afford the exercise cost and taxes.

  • ESO funds your exercise cost and taxes
  • You keep your equity and its upside
  • ESO shares in the gains only at a liquidity event
  • Non-recourse: if it goes to zero, you owe nothing
Learn about the Option Fund →

Frequently asked questions

Straight answers about selling your private-company shares to ESO.

What is the ESO Secondary Fund?
We buy vested shares in leading private companies directly from the people who hold them: employees, founders, and early shareholders. That turns your equity into cash now, instead of waiting for an IPO or acquisition.
What does it cost to get an offer?
Nothing. Requesting an offer is free and comes with no obligation, and it takes about a minute. You only move forward if the numbers work for you.
Do I have to sell all of my shares?
No. You can sell part of your position and keep the rest. If we're only able to take part of what you hold, we'll tell you exactly how much up front.
What happens when I request an offer?
Share a few details about your grant and we'll send you a no-obligation offer. If it works for you, we lay out the full breakdown, what you'd receive, any exercise cost or taxes, and your net proceeds, so there are no surprises.
Is this a loan? Do I owe anything back?
No. Selling shares to us is a sale, not a loan, so there is nothing to repay. Once your sale is complete, the proceeds are yours to keep. Separately, if we finance an option exercise for you through our Option Fund, that financing is non-recourse: if the shares end up worthless, you owe nothing.
What happens if the company never goes public, or goes to zero?
Once your sale is complete, the proceeds are yours to keep regardless of how the company performs afterward. We hold the position and carry that risk.
Can I sell if I hold options or RSUs instead of shares?
Yes. For vested RSUs, once your units settle into shares we can buy them for cash. For options, we can fund the exercise cost and taxes and buy the resulting shares, so you still walk away with cash and none of the upfront cost.
What about taxes?
Selling shares or exercising options can have tax consequences. For option exercises we estimate the tax withholding conservatively and share a tax primer, but we're not tax advisors, and we always recommend confirming your situation with your own accountant.
What do you need from me to make an offer?
After a short NDA and equity-information step, we typically ask for view-only access to your equity records so we can verify your holdings from a trusted source, plus, for option deals, a quick confirmation of your estimated exercise taxes.
How long does the process take?
It depends on diligence and your company's own processing, so we won't quote a fixed date, but most deals move in a matter of weeks once we have what we need.
Is my information kept confidential?
Yes. Everything is covered by a mutual NDA, and we use your details only to prepare your offer.