How much equity do founders in CEE sell at pre-seed and seed?
Usually 10% to 20% of the company. CEE founders raising pre-seed who applied to BADideas in 2025 and 2026 so far and stated terms planned to sell a median of 10%, with half between 9% and 20%. At seed the median was 15%.
The figures
| Equity sold in the round, CEE, 2025 to 2026 (to date) | Bottom quarter up to | Median | Top quarter from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-seed | 9% | 10% | 20% |
| Seed | 11% | 15% | 20% |
In BADideas application data, few founders give up more than a fifth at pre-seed: 14% planned to sell more than 20%.
What is changing
| CEE founders raising pre-seed | 2025 | 2026 (to date) |
|---|---|---|
| Median equity sold | 15% | 10% |
Few founders state the valuation and the round together, so the figures pool 2025 and 2026 and are not shown by quarter.
Across CEE
CEE founders who applied in 2025 and 2026 so far, and each country with enough applicants to show. Pre-seed and seed together. Countries with fewer applicants are still counted in the CEE row.
| Where the founder is based | Median equity sold |
|---|---|
| All of CEE | 14% |
| Baltics | 13% |
| Latvia | 14% |
What it means for you
- Plan for 10% to 20% per round. Above that, the next rounds leave founders with too little.
- Work back from two rounds. Selling 15% at pre-seed and 20% at seed leaves founders with about two thirds before any option pool.
- Negotiate the amount and the price together. A bigger round at the same price sells more of the company.
- Leave room for an option pool. Investors often ask for one before or at seed; plan for it in the same calculation.
Also answers
Is giving up more than 20% at pre-seed too much?
It is above the norm: 14% of CEE founders raising pre-seed who stated terms planned to sell more than 20%.
How much equity do founders sell at seed in CEE?
A median of 15%, with half between 11% and 20%. Seed rounds sell a larger share than pre-seed rounds at the median.
How we measured it
- Source: applications founders sent to BADideas, enriched with publicly available information where applicable.
- Limits: these are CEE only and early-stage companies.
- On this page: Equity sold is the round size divided by the post-money valuation, where the founder states both, or the share the founder says they offer. Few founders state terms, so the figures pool two years and are not broken down by country.
- Updated: 27 September 2026.
BADideas.fund, "How much equity do founders in CEE sell at pre-seed and seed?", updated 27 September 2026. https://badideas.fund/answers/equity-sold-pre-seed-cee
Read next
- Equity, SAFE or convertible loan: how do founders in CEE raise pre-seed?
- What pre-money valuation do founders in CEE ask for?
- What valuation cap do founders in CEE ask for at pre-seed?
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