Startup Legal | Notion

Tony Davis is a Director at Avid.legal, a Wellington law firm focused on supporting New Zealand’s high-tech and high-growth ventures. With deep experience helping founders navigate equity, funding structures, and investor negotiations, Tony has worked alongside some of Aotearoa’s most ambitious startups as they scale globally.

This guide distills those lessons into a clear roadmap for Kiwi founders to manage legal essentials without draining time or cash. From understanding founder equity to making sense of SAFEs, CLAs, and ESOPs, Tony shares practical, founder-focused insights to help startups avoid pitfalls, accelerate progress, and stay investor-ready.

Tony Davis | Avid.legal

builds The Kiwi Startup Founder’s Guide to Managing Legal Before the First Dollar In

A practical playbook for early-stage founders to cut through the legal noise, understand the essentials, and make smarter decisions on the road to their first investment or customer.

Startup Legal

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Part 1: Company Formation

Part 2: Founder Equity

Part 3: The First Capital Raise

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Bonus! Downloadable NZ Startup Legal Templates

Part 1: Company Formation

You’ve got the idea. You’ve started building. Now it’s time to make it real.

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Part 2: Founder Equity

How founder equity works, why dilution happens, and how to fairly split, issue, and vest shares to protect co-founders, motivate teams, and attract investors.

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Part 3: The First Capital Raise

A NZ founder’s guide to raising capital, comparing priced vs unpriced rounds (SAFE/notes), post-money SAFEs, and legal investor rules.

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Tony’s What Founders Want Startup Legal Glossary