With several entrepreneurs in our ranks, we understand what goes into building a business. It’s much more than turning an idea into revenues. It takes preparation, planning, sacrifice, and adaptability. And once you’ve given everything you have, occasionally the tide changes and you have to re-think your entire strategy. With hundreds of successful startups as clients, we thrive on turning an initial consultation into a successful, long-term relationship.

The Vela Wood legal staff is Carta Certified at the Proficient through Expert levels and is able to assist with your cap table needs.

Select Transactions
  • Have facilitated over 700 venture transactions ranging from $250k pre-Seed rounds through Series C financings, representing over $1.2B in transaction value
  • In 2023, facilitated over 40 venture financings ranging from pre-seed Safe rounds through Series B equity financings 
  • In 2023, facilitated over $300M in exits

VW Resources
Resources
Venture Deals Reports

To provide analysis on early-stage venture financing in Texas, we have reviewed our venture transactions on a year-by-year basis.

EXPLORE REPORTS

Resources
Equity Incentive Plan & Incentive Unit Plan FAQs

Equity Incentive Plans (EIP), used in corporations, and Incentive Unit Plans (IUP), used in LLCs, are plans that allocate shares or membership units, respectively, for issuance to service providers as equity compensation. If you’re considering setting up an EIP or IUP for your company, check out the FAQs below!

VIEW EIP FAQS

VIEW IUP FAQS


Resources
Venture Glossary

Welcome to Venture Glossary™, where we arm you with the venture startup terminology tools you need.

Visit the Glossary

Resources
Select Offering Exemptions Chart

Here is a guide identifying some of the requirements, limitations, and advantages of a few federal exemptions available to small businesses raising capital.

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Resources
Early Stage Lifecycle

Wondering if your startup is where it should be? This infographic will walk you through the five stages a startup goes through and give you an idea of where you should be when it comes to your startup’s product, funding, marketing, revenues, legal work, and more.

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External Resources
Podcasts
Texas Angel Networks
Tools
Other Resources
Recent Related Blog Posts
Funding & Capital Raising
Understanding 83(b) Elections: A Crucial Step for Startup Founders and Employees

If you’re a founder or an early employee at a startup, equity compensation is likely a significant part of your financial upside. However, the promise of equity can come with a maze of tax implications. Enter the 83(b) election: a relatively simple IRS filing that can save you thousands (or even millions) in taxes down the road. Despite its importance, many people overlook it—sometimes to their detriment.


Corporate Governance
Stockholders’ Rights of Venture Investors After Moelis

This blog explores the tension between Delaware corporate law’s board management principle and investor demands for control, highlighting legal challenges and potential legislative changes to the Delaware General Corporation Law after the Moelis decision.


Funding & Capital Raising
What Is A Search Fund & Why Should You Start One?

Starting a search fund offers a direct path to leading a profitable business. This blog covers the history, mechanics, and life cycle of a search fund, as well as the characteristics of companies targeted by search funds.


How We’ve Helped Our Clients
NoiseAware Inc.

NoiseAware offers state of the art noise monitoring solutions for the short-term rental industry. NoiseAware has evolved over the past several years into a global leader in hardware and software solutions for individual and professional property managers alike. Vela Wood […]

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SignEasy

SignEasy is a global leader in the electronic signature space and is trusted by over 35,000 companies worldwide and processes millions of signatures each year. SignEasy has been a Vela Wood client for over 10 years, and during that time […]

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Build With Robots

Build With Robots is a New Mexico-based tech company that designs and builds robotics to perform dangerous, repetitive tasks. Build With Robots’ technology is not designed to replace people’s jobs – their goals are to make workers lives easier and […]

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Apptopia

Boston based Apptopia is a data intelligence platform that enables brands to analyze critical competitive signals and gain insights across mobile apps and connected devices. Apptopia customers include some of the best known brands in the world, including Zoom, Target, […]

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Telos Health Solution

Telos provides technology solutions that deliver real-time patient measure updates and intuitive care coordination workflows that enhance community care providers’ ability to make timely value-based care decisions.  Telos came to VW after a year of operations and VW helped Telos […]

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Podcasts
Podcast Channel
Office Hours

Office Hours is our podcast covering general issues related to small businesses and startups.

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Podcast Channel
Preparing for Funding

Preparing For Funding is a series of Office Hours episodes about getting your company’s legal house in order before taking on funding.

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Podcast Channel
Venture Deals Review

Venture Deals Review is a series of Office Hours episodes discussing the seminal book in the venture world, Venture Deals: Be Smarter Than Your Lawyer and Venture Capitalist.

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Podcast Channel
Three Things
In Three Things, we ask leaders in the startup and small business community three questions related to their experience with entrepreneurship.
View Channel
Podcast Channel
Silicon Valley Review

In Silicon Valley Review, we review each episode of HBO’s Silicon Valley and discuss how it applies to real startups.

View Channel
Lead Attorneys

“Vela, stop shooting so much.”

– Coach Cranfill

Kevin Vela Partner

“The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.”

— Marcus Aurelius

Radney Wood Partner

“For there is always light, if only we’re brave enough to see it. If only we’re brave enough to be it.”

– Amanda Gorman

Alyson Rubio Partner

“For there is always light, if only we’re brave enough to see it. If only we’re brave enough to be it.”

– Amanda Gorman

Matt Shandy Senior Attorney

“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.”

– Arthur Ashe

Myra Dioquino Senior Attorney

“Do or do not, there is no try.”

– Jedi Master Yoda

Trevor LaBarge Senior Attorney

“Trust yourself. You know more than you think you do.”

– Benjamin Spock

Brian Kim Senior Attorney