Founder & Shareholder Agreements for Startups | Awelle
The founder agreement you skip in month one is the litigation in year three. Awelle generates lawyer-written startup documents in under 5 minutes — before the…
Startups · Founders
Build the structure right from Day 1. It costs nothing to fix now.
The founder agreement you skip in month one is the litigation in year three. Awelle generates lawyer-written startup documents in under 5 minutes — before the problem exists.
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Professional: $299 AUD/month · 1 user · 300 credits per month
AU lawevery clause, every state
For Startup Founders
Build the cap table and IP structure right from the start.
The founder agreement you don’t sign in month one becomes the litigation in year three. The IP assignment you forget when hiring a contractor is the Series A that falls over. Awelle covers every structural document a startup needs before it needs them.
Startup documents
Founder & IP Agreements
Co-founder agreementIncluded · under 5 min
IP assignment deedIncluded · under 5 min
SAFE noteIncluded · under 5 min
Shareholders agreementIncluded · under 5 min
What goes wrong without the right documents
The platform belonged to the contractor. The Series A went on hold. The contractor was in Portugal.
A startup founder raised a $2M Series A. During due diligence, investors asked who owned the IP. The founder said “us.” The IP lawyer disagreed. The platform was built by a contractor in 2022 under a services agreement with no IP assignment clause. Under Australian law, the contractor owned what he built.
The Series A went on hold while they tracked down the contractor — now in Portugal — to sign a retrospective IP assignment deed.
“An IP assignment clause added to the original contractor agreement would have taken 5 minutes. The retrospective fix took 3 months and $40,000 in legal fees.”
The full startup library
Document library. Usage follows your plan allowance.
- Co-founder / shareholders agreement
- IP assignment deed
- SAFE note
- Convertible note
- Subscription agreement
- Vesting deed
- ESOP / employee share plan
- NDA (investors / employees)
- SaaS / software agreement
- Privacy policy + terms
Why the documents matter
Common startup mistakes.
| What was skipped | What it cost | How to fix it in 5 min |
|---|---|---|
| IP assignment clause in contractor agreement | 3-month Series A delay. $40K in retrospective legal fees. | Contractor agreement with IP assignment |
| Co-founder / vesting agreement | Departing founder kept 30% for doing nothing. | Co-founder agreement with reverse vesting |
| Contractor vs employee distinction | ATO deemed contractor an employee. 3 years of SGC and penalties. | Contractor agreement designed for independent contractor |
Common questions
What founders ask us
What’s the difference between the SAFE note and the convertible note in Awelle?
The SAFE (Simple Agreement for Future Equity) is valuation-cap and discount-only — no interest, no maturity date, designed for early-stage AU startups. The convertible note includes an interest rate and maturity date with conversion mechanics. Both are drafted to Australian law.
Our startup has US investors — are the documents compatible?
Awelle documents are governed by Australian law. For deals involving US investors using US law instruments, you’ll need US counsel for those specific documents. Awelle handles the Australian-law side — employment, IP assignment, shareholders agreements, Australian SAFE notes.
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Professional: $299 AUD/month · 1 user · 300 credits per month. Power: $499 AUD/month · 1 user · 600 credits per month for frequent drafting. Business+: $799 AUD/month · unlimited legal support (fair use applies). Team 5: $1,299 AUD/month · up to 5 users. Team 10: $2,299 AUD/month · up to 10 users. Team 20: $4,299 AUD/month · up to 20 users. Team subscriptions have no setup fees. Optional white-label setup fees apply separately; contact Awelle to confirm availability and fees. Contact Awelle to confirm workspace credit allowances.