Treelife Resources

Compulsorily Convertible Preference Shares (CCPS) are the legal backbone of almost every SAFE-like investment made into an Indian startup today. The iSAFE note, the 100X.VC template, and most angel-fund term sheets all arrive at the same destination: CCPS allotted at a notional valuation, with conversion into equity triggered by a…

The co-founder agreement is the easy part. The hard part is making sure the AOA, the shareholders’ agreement, and the cap table can actually deliver the outcome the agreement promises, particularly when a co-founder leaves. A co-founder equity structure India founders often inherit from templates or peer advice tends to…

Most founders who lose control of their companies, or walk away from exits with far less than expected, do not point to a single dramatic clause. They trace the problem back to a term sheet they did not push back on hard enough, usually because they were told the economics…

When a co-founder dispute surfaces in an Indian startup, the outcome is rarely decided in a boardroom or a court. It is decided by whatever was written into the shareholders’ agreement six months or two years before the relationship broke down. Founders who go into a dispute with a well-drafted…

Every founder who has been through a funding round remembers the moment the investor’s lawyer sends the DD checklist. It lands in your inbox as a forty-item spreadsheet and your first instinct is to start pulling documents. That instinct is correct, but it is only half the picture. Legal due…

The co-founder agreement is the easy part. The hard part is making sure the AOA, the shareholders’ agreement, and the cap table can actually deliver the outcome the agreement promises, particularly when a co-founder leaves. A co-founder equity structure India founders often inherit from templates or peer advice tends to…

When a co-founder dispute surfaces in an Indian startup, the outcome is rarely decided in a boardroom or a court. It is decided by whatever was written into the shareholders’ agreement six months or two years before the relationship broke down. Founders who go into a dispute with a well-drafted…

You have received a term sheet. The valuation looks right, the investor seems aligned, and there is pressure to move quickly. Most founders sign within 48 hours of receiving it, having spent all their attention on the headline number and almost none on the 20 clauses underneath it. That is…

Sweat equity shares are one of the most misused instruments in the Indian equity toolkit. Companies reach for them when cash is tight and a founder, co-founder, or key technical hire has contributed intellectual property, know-how, or value that cannot be adequately priced in a salary. The legal framework under…

After multiple funding rounds, the average Indian Series B founder holds somewhere between 25% and 40% of their company on a fully diluted basis. That number is rarely a conscious choice. It is the accumulated result of each round’s dilution, and founders often discover it only when the cap table…

The Reserve Bank of India held its benchmark repo rate steady at 5.25% at the June 2026 Monetary Policy Committee meeting, unanimously, under Governor Sanjay Malhotra. This is the third meeting in a row that the rate has stayed put, following a run of 150 basis point cuts between February…

India’s Cabinet approved an amendment to Press Note 3 (PN3) of 2020 in March 2026, and it is generating significant attention across the investment and startup community. Headlines have rushed to label it a sweeping FDI liberalisation. The reality is considerably more targeted. This report breaks down exactly what changed,…

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) recently announced a major overhaul to the regulatory framework for Angel Funds under the Alternative Investment Funds (AIF) Regulations, 2012. This new framework, introduced in 2025, aims to enhance transparency, improve operational clarity, and encourage investor participation. In this article, we’ll explore…

In a significant move to invigorate India’s startup ecosystem, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), during its board meeting on June 19, 2025, approved substantial changes to the Angel Fund Framework. These revisions are designed to unlock more capital for early-stage companies while simultaneously ensuring enhanced investor suitability…

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has officially unveiled revised certification requirements for key investment personnel of Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) managers. This crucial update, detailed in SEBI circular F. No. SEBI/LAD-NRO/GN/2025/249 dated June 25, 2025, aims to enhance professional standards and ensure a higher level of expertise…