Private Company Compensation Reports
Private Life Science Compensation Report
Private Tech Compensation Report
Startup CEO Compensation Report
How does total cash for Tech CEOs shift by revenue? Generally speaking, the more revenue a company generates, the higher the CEOs median total cash compensation. As far as total founder equity goes, the typical dilution still occurs. Read the full report here.
Startup Equity & Option Pool Report
Compensation Planning for Startups
You might think the more a private company continues to raise capital, the more they pay their team. After all, more money could mean bigger paychecks, right?
That’s not always the case for every position.
Full report here.
Option Pool Allocation Startup
Whether you’re setting one up for the first time, preparing for your next round of fundraising or rethinking your equity strategy as you scale, getting the option pool right has the long-term implications for founders, employees, investors and non-investor board members.An option pool consists of shares reserved for executives and employees of a private company. It’s the equity budget you’ll use to attract, retain, incentivize and align the team. Full report here.
Gender Pay Gap at Startups
Across industries, women CEOs are making measurable progress not only in cash compensation but also in equity participation. In many sectors, the ownership gap is narrowing alongside improvements in salary.
But in life sciences—one of the most capital-intensive and high-stakes areas of venture-backed innovation—the picture looks very different. Full report here.
Founder Equity Compensation Guide
What’s the difference between founder shares and equity granted for current job?
When you’re benchmarking a founder-CEO’s equity, you want to separate what they earned at the founding table from what they’re receiving as an executive. This metric is the apples-to-apples comparison to non-founder executive equity. More here.
How to Design an Option Pool
How to design an option pool for your startup, plus, what those different option pool sizes actually mean in dollar terms. Full report.
Private Company Severance Report
Severance at Startups
Thelander data shows that the majority of private companies offer severance to most executives, whether or not there is a change of control. Read more here.
Non-Investor Board Compensation Report
How Much to Compensate Non-Investor Board Members at a Startup?
Non-investor board members contribute to private company boards because they typically have industry knowledge and valuable contacts that can help the company succeed. By appointing an independent member, the board can also expand past founders and investors, and have a neutral party to help make decisions on behalf of the company.
So, how do non-investor board members get compensated? Full report here.
Startup Salary Increases
Who Got Raises for 2026?
Thelander data reveals some shifts in who’s getting raises at startups – and exactly how much – as well as what companies are planning for hiring in 2026. Most notable, the percentage of companies giving raises increased with companies who have raised more capital, especially among C-Suite and VP-Level roles. More here.
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