Raise the round. Not the legal risk.
From first incorporation to term sheet to close, Recta is the legal team behind founders raising in Egypt, the Gulf and beyond. Plain answers. Investor-ready paperwork.
Simplified model: the option pool is created before the investment, so it comes out of existing holders only. Not legal or financial advice.
Tell us your stage. We will tell you what is coming.
“Which company do we set up, and where?”
What investors look at
- Clean ownership and a committed founding team
- Founders on vesting, not a handshake split
- IP held by the company, not individuals
Where founders get hurt
- Equity split in a chat message, then a co-founder leaves
- Code written by a freelancer who still owns it
- The wrong structure, forcing a costly restructure at the first raise
What we do
- Entity choice: Egypt, Delaware or a Gulf entity
- Founders’ agreement with vesting and leaver terms
- IP assignments and NDAs from day one
“We have a first cheque. What do we sign?”
What investors look at
- A clear cap table and understandable instruments
- Records that match what you say
- The basics: contracts, IP, compliance
Where founders get hurt
- Stacking SAFEs without modelling the dilution
- The option pool taken out of your side, not shared
- Messy records that stall the closing
What we do
- SAFE and convertible note drafting and review
- A check of your dilution before you sign
- A DD folder built before investors ask for it
“The term sheet is on the table. What is negotiable?”
What investors look at
- A full data room and a clean history
- Governance that works without the founders
- Reps and warranties you can stand behind
Where founders get hurt
- Liquidation and anti-dilution terms accepted unread
- Warranties given that you cannot back up
- Old gaps found in diligence, then used to reduce the price
What we do
- Term sheet review in plain language
- Shareholders’ agreement and investor rights negotiation
- Running diligence and closing the round
“We are going regional. How do we structure it?”
What investors look at
- A group structure that makes sense
- A regulatory footprint they can map
- Contracts that scale with the business
Where founders get hurt
- A new ad hoc entity for every country
- Contract templates that do not travel
- Exit readiness left until a buyer appears
What we do
- Holding structures and new-market entities
- Commercial contract playbooks
- M&A, secondary sales and exits
Two jobs. Done properly.
Funding rounds
We act for the founder, so you close faster and keep more of what you built.
- Pre-round clean-up, so diligence does not stall your close
- Term sheet review: what each clause costs you
- SAFE, convertible note and priced-round documents
- Holding structures when investors ask, such as Delaware
- DD folder preparation and an investment readiness rating
- Closing, signatures and post-closing filings
Getting your startup legal
Set up properly and stay compliant, without slowing the product down.
- Company incorporation and commercial registration
- Licences and regulator approvals for your activity
- Employment, contractor and IP agreements
- Terms of service, privacy policy and data protection
- Tax registration and ongoing corporate housekeeping
Is your data room ready for an investor’s lawyer?
Open each folder and tick the documents you already have, signed and current. Your readiness score updates as you go.
01Corporate documents0/3
02Cap table and financing0/3
03Founders and governance0/3
04Intellectual property0/3
05People and equity incentives0/3
06Customers and suppliers0/3
07Regulatory and compliance0/3
08Tax, finance and disputes0/3
- 01
Share your folder
Upload what you have, securely, through your Recta client portal.
- 02
We find the gaps
Checked against what investors and their counsel typically request.
- 03
We fill what is missing
Under your engagement we draft, correct and regularise documents.
- 04
Rated, then shared
You get a readiness rating and an indexed folder, ready for investors.
Founder templates. Free.
Starting points prepared by our lawyers, on Recta letterhead. Choose the ones you need, tell us where to send them, and we email them to you straight away.
- 1Pick your templates
- 2Add your name and email
- 3They arrive in your inbox
Templates are general starting points, not legal advice, and using them does not create a lawyer-client relationship with Recta. Have a lawyer review any document before you sign it.
A free 20-minute call with a Recta lawyer.
Bring the question: a term sheet on your desk, a co-founder issue, where to incorporate, or what investors will ask for. A member of our team will reply within one business day.