Free Founders Agreement Templates for Startup Co-Founders

Navigating the early stages of a startup can be both thrilling and challenging.

One of the most critical yet often overlooked steps for co-founders is establishing a clear, legally valid founders’ agreement.

Without one, even the most promising ventures can hit roadblocks when it comes to defining roles, managing intellectual property, or making day-to-day decisions.

The thing is, you don’t have to draft one from scratch.

There are plenty of free founders’ agreement templates out there that cover the essentials. In this blog, we’ll help you find the right founders’ agreement template to protect your partnership and keep things running smoothly in your organization.

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10 Founders Agreement Templates at a Glance

Here’s a summary table with the best founders agreement templates:

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What Are Founders Agreement Templates?

Founders’ agreement templates are pre-drafted documents designed to help startup co-founders outline their roles, responsibilities, and ownership in a new business. They help you establish clear expectations from the start and reduce the risk of conflicts as the company grows.

A founders’ agreement typically covers key areas, such as equity distribution, intellectual property ownership, decision-making processes, and dispute resolution. It also often includes a vesting schedule to outline how co-founders earn their shares over time.

Plus, the agreement may define each founder’s contributions, decision-making processes, confidentiality, IP rights, and procedures for team changes.

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What Makes a Good Founders Agreement Template?

Since founders represent the company in key decisions, the Founders’ agreement template is the perfect title for a resource that helps set clear expectations from the beginning.

Here are five key characteristics to look for when choosing a founders’ agreement template:

• Clear ownership structure: Make sure the template defines each co-founder’s ownership percentage, including founder’s shares, unvested shares, and fully vested interests
• Comprehensive clauses: Look for sections covering intellectual property rights, confidentiality, and trade secret protection to secure the company’s assets
• Decision-making processes: The template should outline how key decisions and day-to-day decisions will be made, including when mutual written consent is required
• Compensation and vesting: Select a layout that clearly outlines compensation terms, services provided, and the vesting schedule to avoid future disputes 
• Legal validity: The template should include a clause indicating that it represents the entire agreement between the parties, signed in writing, and legally binding in a competent jurisdiction

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Founder’s Agreement Templates 

For startup co-founders, avoiding these disputes starts with having a strong founders’ agreement template. Below are the top founders’ agreement templates designed to help you establish a fair ownership structure and protect intellectual property, right from the beginning.

1. ClickUp Partnership Agreement Template

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The ClickUp Partnership Agreement Template makes it easy for beginners to outline responsibilities and financial contributions. It helps you get started quickly when you’re forming an equity partnership or strategic alliance.

This ready-to-use template outlines partnership terms, including each party’s obligations and profit and loss sharing arrangements. It also covers financial contributions, dispute resolution, and daily decision-making. You can customize it to match your specific needs and build a strong ownership structure for your organization.

Here’s why you will love it:

• Stay organized by tracking tasks and partnership details in one unified place
• Minimize conflicts with clear terms for profit sharing and decision-making
• Keep everyone aligned with a structured approach to roles and responsibilities

Here’s what Marc Bonney, Head of Engagement and Business Innovation at LiveBetter Community Services, has to say about ClickUp:

2. ClickUp 50/50 Partnership Agreement Template

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The ClickUp 50/50 Partnership Agreement Template is designed to formalize your joint venture, protect the interests of both parties, and maintain a positive capital account balance. It allows you to easily outline each partner’s responsibilities and liabilities.

This template covers essential areas like decision-making processes, proportional financial contributions, and specific ownership shares. It helps build a collaborative culture among all partners while minimizing conflicts and cultivating mutual trust.

Here’s why you will love it:

• Stay organized with Custom Fields to manage partnership details
• Use ClickUp Docs to set up and store partnership terms efficiently
• Develop a clear structure for financial contributions and decision-making

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3. ClickUp 50/50 LLC Operating Agreement Template

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Split the business, not the drama. A 50/50 LLC gives both members equal power, but without a clear agreement, things can get messy fast. Enter ClickUp’s 50/50 LLC Operating Agreement Template.

It guides you through creating a legally binding document that sets clear expectations for members, protects your investment, and outlines conflict resolution methods. Additionally, the template addresses member admission and removal, ensuring your business is well-prepared to grow with a solid ownership structure.

Here’s why you will love it:

• Define profit and loss sharing fairly between equal partners
• Visualize agreement status easily with ClickUp’s Board View
• Manage workflow efficiently using comment reactions and nested subtasks

4. ClickUp Letter of Agreement Template

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ClickUp’s Letter of Agreement Template makes it simple to create a clear agreement letter that everyone involved can understand. It covers the project details, associated costs, and the obligations of each party. 

Additionally, this template simplifies the agreement process by providing customizable sections for timelines, deliverables, and signatures. The user-friendly format makes it quick and easy to adapt the document to fit any project or partnership.

Here’s why you will love it:

• Keep agreements simple and easy to follow
• Save time by using a ready-made letter format
• Track progress with ClickUp Milestones as you review the agreement 

5. ClickUp Working Agreement Template

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Team agreements help projects run smoothly by setting clear expectations and responsibilities. The ClickUp Working Agreement Template guides your team in defining its mission, roles, and shared values, ensuring that everyone working together stays aligned and accountable. 

Plus, this template clarifies roles and responsibilities to help you optimize resources. This will give you a clear picture of each member’s strengths, work styles, and contributions to shared goals.

Here’s why you will love it:

• Define your team’s mission and purpose to keep everyone motivated
• Visualize progress and make quick adjustments with flexible layout options
• Create and assign tasks with deadlines to keep projects moving forward smoothly

6. ClickUp Contractor Agreement Template

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When hiring external contractors, a detailed agreement is key to protecting your business and the contractor. The ClickUp Contractor Agreement Template helps you outline job responsibilities, deadlines, payment terms, etc., without hassle. 

As a ready-to-use contract template, it covers all key aspects of outsourcing work, including the scope of work, timelines, and deliverables, so that both parties are clear on expectations. It also helps you set fair market value terms to align your contractors with your company’s goals. 

Here’s why you will love it:

• Track every detail with custom fields, like checkboxes, to avoid missed items
• Automate reminders and updates to keep projects on schedule
• Send agreements for signing directly via email integrations

7. ClickUp Contractor Management Template 

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Struggling to manage contracts? Try ClickUp’s Contractor Management Template to organize the entire process, from drafting and storing contracts to tracking deadlines and renewals.

This beginner-friendly, subcategory template makes it easy to manage stakeholders and set renewal reminders. It refines the contract management process and keeps your business compliant and contractor relationships strong.

Here’s why you will love it:

• Track contract status with custom tags like Accepted, Drafting, and Reviewing
• Use the Gantt Chart View to visualize contract timelines
• Organize contracts with tables to keep records easily accessible

8. ClickUp Termination of Contract Letter Template

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The ClickUp Termination of Contract Letter Template makes it easy to draft a professional and straightforward termination letter that outlines the decision while addressing any necessary details.

This letter template helps you define cancellation terms, address concerns from both parties, and manage any financial or legal obligations tied to the termination. It also helps ease tough conversations and ensures a clear paper trail for future reference.

Here’s why you will love it:

• Offers plug-and-play legal clauses for any termination case
• Built-in checklist to clearly outline outstanding obligations and next steps
• Auto-logs each letter for secure recordkeeping

9. Founders’ Agreement Template by Template.Net

When starting a business, simplicity can be key.

The Founders’ Agreement Template by Template.net is an ideal choice for straightforward agreements. It’s ideal for co-founders seeking to formalize their business relationship without being overwhelmed by legal jargon.

This simple, ready-to-use template is a fully editable cover page that lets you add your logo and company details. This template covers essential aspects like the scope of work, compensation, confidentiality, and liability. It makes it easy to outline the fundamental responsibilities and rights of all the founders involved. 

Here’s why you will love it:

• Outline compensation terms clearly to avoid payment disputes
• Cover unforeseen circumstances with a force majeure provision
• Define clear decision-making processes to prevent future conflicts 

10. Startup Founder Agreement Form Template by Template.Net 

The Startup Founder Agreement Form Template by Template.net is once again a founders’ agreement, but with a twist: it’s a form template. Unlike traditional, wordy agreements, it’s short, quick, and to the point. 

This form template is designed to address common startup challenges by prompting founders to clarify decision-making authority and dispute resolution methods upfront. This helps avoid potential conflicts and sets a strong foundation for the startup’s growth.

Here’s why you’ll love it:

• Quick and easy, just fill in the blanks, and you’re good to go
• Establishes roles, responsibilities, and ownership in a straightforward manner
• Built-in confidentiality clauses to protect trade secrets or other confidential information

11. Founders’ Agreement Template by PandaDoc

The Founders’ Agreement Template by PandaDoc is quite extensive and perfect for companies looking to formalize their ownership structure and legal responsibilities. You can also add a personalized cover page with your logo and contact information for a professional touch.

This legal template covers 12 detailed sections, including clauses on transfer of ownership, initial capital contributions, and equity vesting. Plus, it outlines processes for resignation, removal, and representative warranties so that your business agreement complies with the law.

Here’s why you will love it:

• Customize the PDF by adding your company details
• Establish a clear ownership structure with detailed clauses
• Keep legal terms precise with sections on amendments and waivers

12. Founder Employment Agreement Template by RazorPay

The Founder Employment Agreement Template by RazorPay is an expansive employment agreement template. It is designed to formalize the roles and responsibilities of the new employee (founder) while protecting the interests of the company.

This template defines the founder’s duties, compensation, and rights. It covers key clauses like confidentiality, non-compete, termination, IPR, third-party payments, and miscellaneous terms for full legal clarity.

Here’s why you will love it:

• Set probation periods and performance review milestones for founders
• Include detailed exit procedures for voluntary or involuntary founder departures
• Outline the founder’s obligations regarding company fundraising and investor relations

13. Founders Agreement Template by Business Setup

Starting a business with multiple founders? Try the Founders’ Agreement Template by Business Setup for a strong start. It clearly defines each founder’s rights and duties to ensure smooth teamwork.

This agreement template encompasses all aspects, from vesting periods and exit formalities to ownership structure and dispute resolution. It’s essentially a one-stop solution for startups seeking to formalize their internal agreements.

Here’s why you will love it:

• Define founder time commitments and minimum involvement requirements
• Simplify the process for share transfer and dispute resolution
• Structure the dissolution process in case of company closure

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Keep Your Agreements on Point With ClickUp

Having structured agreement templates is vital for building strong and transparent business relationships.

ClickUp, the all-in-one app for work, offers a comprehensive range of templates that make it effortless to create, manage, and track all your agreements, whether it’s a contractor deal, a founder’s commitment, or a termination letter.

These templates save time while also ensuring that every detail is accounted for, substantially reducing the risk of misunderstandings. Don’t let documentation slow you down.

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