Startup Funding Espresso -- Drawbacks to Convertible Notes

Drawbacks to Convertible Notes

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

Convertible notes are often used by startups in the early stages of fundraising as they are fairly simple to use and need little legal work compared to equity agreements.

There are drawbacks one should know. 

Here’s a short list to consider:

Convertible notes are not equity agreements and do not qualify for tax deductions such as Section 1202.

Most investors prefer equity over convertible notes and will be more willing to sign up for an equity deal structure.

The note is a form of debt that could be used to reclaim the funds in case of default.

The interest that accumulates from the note should be reported on the investor's tax return and taxes paid, even though the interest was never paid out.

Convertible notes without valuation caps can be a problem for investors down the road as the conversion will be set by the follow-on equity funding.

Finally, most convertible notes don’t define all the terms as a standard equity agreement which includes board seats, voting rights, and more. 

Convertible notes are often used as a placeholder for fundraising ‘til the lead investor is secured, at which point the convertible note for investors convert to equity.


Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding.

Let’s go startup something today.
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