Ask HN: Can I get a loan based on my US startup equity?

4 points

4 years ago

I was an early employee at a US startup that is now a unicorn. I vested and exercised some shares before leaving and they are now worth 7 figures. I'm hoping that the company will go public whenever the next IPO window opens.

I would really like to get access to some of this capital to diversify my assets and reduce risk, pay off some debts, and maybe put a down payment on a house.

The main problem is that I'm from New Zealand, and I am not a US citizen. I lived in the US for a few years on an O-1 visa. I live in New Zealand now, and I am no longer a US resident.

I tried to use EquityZen [1] a few years ago, but unfortunately the company blocked the sale. I also talked to ESO Fund [2], but they weren't able to work with me since I wasn't a US citizen or resident. I've just sent an application to Quid [3] and have requested a call, so I'm waiting to see if that might be an option.

I'm wondering if there are any other options where I don't need to sell any shares? I'm looking for around $150k USD.

I would also be interested to hear from any individuals who might be interested in setting up a loan arrangement similar to Quid. Please send me an email if you're interested: [email protected]

I have a Shareworks [4] account that shows the number of vested common shares, and a recent 409a update with the current price.

I found this HN post from a few months ago [5]. Please let me know if there are any other posts I should take a look at on HN, Reddit, etc.

[1] https://equityzen.com

[2] https://esofund.com

[3] https://www.getquid.com

[4] https://www.shareworks.com

[5] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30274024

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