Equity disclaimer

1. We provide infrastructure, not advice

GetSweaty Pty Ltd operates a marketplace and a compliance engine. Nothing on this website, in the product, or in any agreement template we generate is financial, investment, legal, tax or accounting advice, and nothing is a recommendation that you offer equity, accept equity, or invest in any company.

We do not assess whether an engagement is suitable for you, whether the equity on offer is fairly priced, or whether a company is a sound investment. Those are your decisions, and you should take independent professional advice before you make them.

2. No offer of securities

Content on this website is general information about the platform. It is not an offer, invitation, inducement or recommendation to acquire, dispose of or otherwise deal in any security or financial product, and it is not a prospectus, disclosure document or offer document under any law.

Where companies publish information on the platform, that information is theirs. We do not verify, endorse or guarantee the accuracy of company metrics, projections, narratives or documents published by members.

3. Equity carries real risk

• It is illiquid. Shares and options in a private early-stage company usually cannot be sold. There may never be a market, an acquisition or a listing.
• It can become worthless. Most early-stage companies fail. Equity you earn may end up worth nothing, no matter how good the work was.
• It can be diluted. Later funding rounds, option pools and restructures can reduce the percentage you hold.
• Terms vary.The rights attached to what you receive depend on the specific instrument and the company’s constitution and shareholder arrangements. Read them.

Never contribute hours you cannot afford to give away for nothing. Treat micro-equity as an upside, not as a substitute for income.

4. Milestone vesting

Engagements are documented as an option agreement, signed before work begins and generated for the jurisdiction the company is incorporated in. The specific instrument, its strike price and its conditions are set out in that agreement, and the agreement prevails over any description of it on this website.

Vesting is milestone-based. Options vest in tranches against deliverables that are completed and verified. If an engagement ends before a milestone is met, the options attached to that milestone do not vest and lapse.

Vested options are a right to acquire shares, not shares themselves. They become shares only if and when they are exercised in accordance with the agreement, the company’s constitution and any shareholder arrangements. Exercise is a separate step, may require payment of a strike price, and may be restricted to defined windows or events. There is no guarantee that an exercise window will ever arise. Nothing about publishing an opportunity, applying for one, or being matched creates an entitlement to equity or options on its own.

5. Tax is your responsibility

Receiving equity or options in exchange for services can be a taxable event, and the treatment differs by jurisdiction, by instrument and by your personal circumstances. Grant, vesting, exercise and sale can each be taxed differently, and tax may fall due before there is any cash or market to pay it from. Employee share scheme rules, capital gains treatment and reporting obligations may all apply. Get your own tax advice before you sign.

6. Your employment and other obligations

GetSweaty is designed for people who contribute alongside a job. That does not override the commitments you already have. Before accepting an engagement, check your employment agreement and any policy covering outside work, moonlighting, conflicts of interest, intellectual property or confidentiality, and get your employer’s consent where it is required.

Founders are equally responsible for confirming that issuing equity is permitted under their constitution, shareholder agreements and any existing investor consents.

7. Company information and verification

Verification on the platform confirms specific things, such as that an email address and mobile number belong to an account holder. It is not a guarantee about a company’s prospects, financial position, governance or the accuracy of what it publishes. Earned Conviction assessments are our own commentary, published in good faith, and are not advice or a recommendation.

8. Illustrative examples

Company names, roles, equity percentages, milestone splits and deal-flow figures shown on this website are illustrative examples used to explain how the product works. They are not live listings, offers, or statements about any real company or engagement.

9. Jurisdiction

GetSweaty operates worldwide, with our largest communities in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. Laws governing equity arrangements, securities offers, employment and tax differ in every one of them. Agreements are generated for the jurisdiction the company is incorporated in, and you are responsible for compliance with the laws that apply where you are.

10. Contact

Questions about this disclaimer can be sent to legal@getsweaty.com.au. See also our terms of service and privacy policy.