Upstock Help Center

A step-by-step guide to signing up

Step 1: Go to the login page and click Sign Up.

Step 2: Provide your email address and choose a strong password for your account. Afterwards, review and accept Upstock’s Terms of Services and Privacy Policy and disclaimer notice by checking off the designated boxes. Click Next.

Step 3: In the next page, provide your first name, last name, company name and your position or job title in the company.

Note that it’s important for you to be authorized to sign and execute documents and agreements on the company’s behalf. This is generally presumed if you are a director, managing member or an executive officer (C-suite) of the company. If you are not sure, please contact us at [email protected].

Otherwise, please check off the box to confirm your authorization and click Create an account.

Step 4: Choose a plan and click Next.

Full Access: Everything you need to start deploying equity plans to reward and motivate your team. Includes access to equity dashboards, projections and calculators, and pre-drafted and sophisticated equity plan agreements.

Demo: Allows you to look around and see how the inside of the Upstock app works. All the usual features are available for trial purposes but the legal documents and standardized agreements are not legally binding.

Step 5: Proceed with the Payment by securely providing your card details. If you have a coupon, enter it too. Afterwards, click Next.

Step 6: Pick whether you will be mainly utilizing RSUs or RTUs for your equity plan.

Restricted stock units (RSUs): For companies and startups looking for traditional equity rewards.

Restricted token units (RTUs): For companies looking to issue blockchain tokens as equity-like rewards.

Don’t worry, you can change this later on. Click Next.

(Note: In this example, we choose RSUs but the next steps are the same if you choose RTUs.)

Step 7: Choose an equity type.

Fixed equity: This is your usual RSU equity plan that vests over time but with a double-trigger vesting mechanism.

Dynamic equity: This is a variable equity plan wherein the amount of equity that a worker or team member gets is based on their contributions or amount of time spent providing services and value to the company. Learn more about it here.

In the example below, we chose Dynamic Equity. There will be a few more additional steps afterwards since this option requires you to set up a few more parameters as compared to a simple Fixed Equity setup.

(Note: You can add a fixed equity pool later on, so don’t worry about it.)

If you choose Dynamic Equity, you will be able to choose between two tracking types.

Time: The amount of equity that the worker or team member believes is determined by, among others, the amount of time spent working and providing services as measured by equity points.

Task: The amount of equity that the worker or team member believes is determined by, among others, the equity point value of the tasks completed.

(Note: Again, you can choose a different type of dynamic equity pool later on.)

Step 8: Provide your company’s legal address or registered address. This is usually stated in your organizational documents such as the Certificate of Incorporation, Certificate of Formation, Articles of Organization and other similar documents.

(Note: You may contact us at [email protected] if you need assistance in finding this information.)

Step 9: Select your company type or classification. If you are not sure what it is, this information is also usually found in your company’s organizational documents.

For companies in the United States, you can select from the following options which covers some of the common types of companies in the country:

Corporation: A type of legal entity that is separate from its owners, known as shareholders. It offers limited liability protection to its shareholders, meaning their personal assets are generally not at risk. Corporations issue shares of stock, which represent ownership interests in the company. They are governed by a board of directors and must adhere to certain legal and financial requirements.

Limited Liability Company (LLC): A flexible business structure that combines elements of a corporation and a partnership. It provides limited liability protection to its owners, known as members, similar to a corporation. LLCs offer flexibility in management and taxation, and they have fewer formalities and administrative requirements compared to corporations.

Public Benefit Corporation: A type of corporation that is legally required to pursue both profit and a specified public benefit. PBCs are designed to prioritize social and environmental objectives alongside financial returns. They have a duty to create a positive impact on society and are accountable to stakeholders beyond just shareholders.

Public Corporation: A public company (usually a corporation) that has issued its shares or equity to the public through an initial public offering (IPO) or is listed on a stock exchange. Public corporations have many shareholders, and their shares are traded openly on the stock market. They are subject to various regulations and reporting requirements, and their financial information is publicly available. 

(Note: If your company type or classification is not listed above, you may contact us at [email protected] for assistance.)

For companies formed or organized outside of the United States, you may indicate your company type or classification in the dedicated field shown below.

Click Done and, well, you’re done. Congrats!

(Note: You may contact us at [email protected] if you need assistance in finding information about your company type or classification.)

Next: Activating your Upstock RSU Plan

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