Data as of Sep 3, 2026 · Based on 284 AI responses from ChatGPT Search and Google AI Mode · See how Parse measures this
For verifying fully diluted share counts, start with Carta for most startups and investor teams — it offers audit-ready reports, 409A valuations, and compliance workflows. If you need hands-on import/modeling support pick
Pulley; choose Shareworks for pre-IPO, institutional needs.
Brands AI recommends here
Named in 85% of answers
Best for startups and investor teams that need comprehensive audit-ready cap tables and 409A valuations; Carta is widely used and provides automated reports and compliance workflows to verify fully diluted counts.
Named in 73% of answers
Named in 72% of answers
Best for founders and early-stage teams who want hands-on support to prepare cap tables for audits: Pulley offers managed/concierge services, fast accurate modeling, and tools for verifying fully diluted share counts.
Named in 39% of answers
Companies typically use a mix of **equity administration specialists, cap table platforms with verification services, corporate law firms, and accounting/valuation advisors** to audit a cap table and verify **fully diluted share counts** (issued shares + options + warrants + SAFEs/convertibles + other dilution…
Companies typically use a mix of equity administration specialists, cap table platforms with verification services, corporate law firms, and accounting/valuation advisors to audit a cap table and verify fully diluted share counts (issued shares + options + warrants + SAFEs/convertibles + other dilution sources).
Some providers that offer this type of work include:
| Provider | What they typically help verify |
|---|---|
| Carta | Cap table reconciliation, equity records, investor/shareholder records, option data, financing data, and diligence-ready reporting. |
| Pulley | Startup cap table management, conversion modeling, SAFEs/notes, option pools, and ownership reporting. |
| Eqvista | Cap table audits, ownership verification, cleanup, and reconciliation against legal documents and corporate records. Eqvista |
| Checkmate Equity | Cap table audits that review issuances, transaction documents, board approvals, option compliance, discrepancies, and remediation recommendations. Checkmate Equity |
| Cap Table Pro | Managed equity administration, including cap table audits, grant verification, documentation review, and cleanup work. CapTablePro |
| Sundial Equity Administration | Fractional equity administration and cap table audits/reconciliations against legal documents, financing records, board approvals, and historical transactions. Sundial Equity Administration |
| Stock & Option Solutions | Detailed cap table audits covering stock, options, warrants, convertibles, SAFEs, board approvals, shareholder consents, and equity records. SOS AllShares |
| Octelligence | Corporate records and cap table verification workflows tying ownership records, share registers, and equity instruments together. Octelligence Octelligence |
For a true fully diluted share count audit, the scope usually includes:
For a startup preparing for a fundraise, M&A transaction, IPO readiness, or investor diligence, I would generally look for a provider that is independent of the person who originally entered the data and can trace every share count back to source documents. A law firm with startup corporate expertise can also perform this kind of reconciliation, especially when there are historical issuance problems.
If you are looking specifically for a VC-backed startup cap table audit before a financing round, the shortlist is usually different than for an audit/GAAP/IPO context.
**Specialized corporate law firms, external fractional CFO consultancies, and equity management platforms** offer cap table audit services to verify fully diluted share…
Specialized corporate law firms, external fractional CFO consultancies, and equity management platforms offer cap table audit services to verify fully diluted share counts.
If you'd like, let me know:
I can help recommend the best specific type of service provider for your needs.
Verifying fully diluted share counts—which accounts for outstanding common/preferred stock, convertible notes, SAFEs, and option pool reserves—is typically handled by specialized equity administration firms, startup-focused CPA and fractional CFO firms, and corporate law…
Verifying fully diluted share counts—which accounts for outstanding common/preferred stock, convertible notes, SAFEs, and option pool reserves—is typically handled by specialized equity administration firms, startup-focused CPA and fractional CFO firms, and corporate law practices.
These firms specialize explicitly in reconciling messier cap tables (often migrating from legacy spreadsheets to platforms like Carta or Pulley) and auditing historical data against source documents.
When preparing for a formal financial audit, an M&A transaction, or a priced funding round, boutique startup accounting firms frequently audit and clean up cap tables.
Law firms that routinely handle venture financing (such as Gunderson Dettmer, Fenwick & West, Cooley, or Wilson Sonsini, as well as tech-focused boutique firms) perform legal cap table audits. They review the corporate minute book, charter documents, stock purchase agreements, and option plans to verify that the fully diluted count reflects legally valid issuances.
If you're looking for help with a specific situation, let me know:
I can point you toward the most appropriate type of provider for your stage.
Companies that provide **cap table audit services** to verify **fully diluted share counts** generally fall into three categories: specialized equity administrators, cap table platforms with audit teams, and corporate/legal advisors. Here are some providers to consider: Provider | What they typically audit/verify
Companies that provide cap table audit services to verify fully diluted share counts generally fall into three categories: specialized equity administrators, cap table platforms with audit teams, and corporate/legal advisors.
Here are some providers to consider:
| Provider | What they typically audit/verify |
|---|---|
| Pulley | End-to-end cap table reviews, error remediation, historical cleanup, and preparation for financings, 409A valuations, and exits. Pulley |
| Carta | Cap table management, equity records, investor reporting, and related audit-readiness services (often through its managed services offerings). |
| Checkmate Equity | Dedicated cap table audits: reconciling cap table data against transaction documents, board approvals, issuances, and equity award compliance; provides discrepancy reports and remediation recommendations. Checkmate Equity |
| Sundial Equity | Outsourced equity administration, cap table reconciliations, audits against legal documents and financing records, and cleanup work. Sundial Equity Administration |
| Eqvista | Cap table audits and verification services, including validating ownership stakes, share counts, rights, legal documents, and board approvals. Eqvista |
| Stock & Option Solutions | Specialized audits covering stock, options, warrants, convertibles, SAFEs, equity plans, board approvals, and reconciliation to corporate records. Stock & Option Solutions |
A proper fully diluted share count audit should usually verify:
For a financing, M&A transaction, IPO preparation, or investor diligence, I would generally look for a provider that produces a written reconciliation report showing:
If you need an independent audit opinion rather than a cleanup service, a corporate law firm, Big Four accounting firm, or equity compensation advisory firm may be a better fit than a cap table software vendor.
Verifying a fully diluted share count requires a **cap table audit** (sometimes referred to as a cap table cleanup, reconciliation, or equity due diligence review). This process ensures that all common stock, preferred stock, SAFEs, convertible notes, warrants, and option pools match underlying legal agreements and…
Verifying a fully diluted share count requires a cap table audit (sometimes referred to as a cap table cleanup, reconciliation, or equity due diligence review). This process ensures that all common stock, preferred stock, SAFEs, convertible notes, warrants, and option pools match underlying legal agreements and board approvals.
The primary providers of cap table audit and verification services fall into four main categories:
These boutique firms focus specifically on startup equity mechanics, ledger reconciliation, and remediation:
Startup-focused law firms are traditionally the ultimate authority on verifying fully diluted counts because they own the underlying corporate minute books and legal issuances.
If you are undergoing a formal financial audit (such as a PCAOB or GAAP compliance audit), specialized accounting firms will audit your equity accounts.
If your cap table is hosted on a major equity management platform, their internal professional services or customer success teams can assist with cleanup, though they usually expect you to supply the historical source documents.
If you'd like to narrow this down, let me know:
I can help you decide whether a boutique equity firm or a corporate attorney is the best fit.
Yes. If your goal is **an independent or semi-independent check that the fully diluted share count is actually correct**, there are several types of providers worth considering: - **[pulley.com](https://pulley.com/managed-services/equity-managed-services?utm_source=chatgpt.com)** — explicitly offers an end-to-end cap…
Yes. If your goal is an independent or semi-independent check that the fully diluted share count is actually correct, there are several types of providers worth considering:
For a fully diluted share count, I would specifically ask for a reconciliation of:
That's important because “fully diluted” isn't necessarily one universal number. For example, Pulley describes it as assuming all potentially dilutive securities convert or exercise—including options, notes, SAFEs, and warrants.
If this is for a financing, acquisition, or investor diligence, I'd favor CapTablePro, Equity Admin, or Parikh Financial for a true document-to-cap-table reconciliation rather than simply relying on the number produced by Carta/Pulley. A cap-table platform can generate an accurate report, but that's different from an independent verification of the underlying legal records.
If you tell me your company stage (e.g. Seed/Series A/C), approximate number of shareholders, and whether you're on Carta/Pulley/Shareworks, I can narrow this to the 3 best providers and compare likely scope/pricing.
Verifying fully diluted share counts—which factors in common stock, preferred stock, outstanding stock options, warrants, SAFEs, and convertible notes —typically requires a comprehensive **cap table audit, reconciliation, or "cleanup"**. [1][2][3] Providers of these services generally fall into three categories: 1.…
Verifying fully diluted share counts—which factors in common stock, preferred stock, outstanding stock options, warrants, SAFEs, and convertible notes —typically requires a comprehensive cap table audit, reconciliation, or "cleanup". [1][2][3]
Providers of these services generally fall into three categories:
Tech-enabled equity platforms provide built-in tools, automated calculations, and professional services or partner networks to audit and reconcile messy cap tables:
Because fully diluted counts depend heavily on legal documentation (board consents, stock purchase agreements, option plan rules, and complex convertible security language), corporate boutique law firms specializing in venture capital and emerging companies are frequently hired to perform formal legal cap table audits: [1]
Venture-backed financial consultants and fractional CFO service providers specialize in untangling messy historical Excel models and reconciling them against platform data:
If you are preparing for a specific milestone, let me know:
I can help you outline a step-by-step checklist to get it audit-ready.
Yes. If your goal is **an independent verification of the fully diluted share count—not merely cap-table software that calculates it**, there are a few different types of providers worth considering. ### Strongest fit: dedicated cap-table audit / remediation firms -…
Yes. If your goal is an independent verification of the fully diluted share count—not merely cap-table software that calculates it, there are a few different types of providers worth considering.
Important distinction: Pulley's 2026 cap-table import service explicitly says it does not independently verify approvals, issuances, transactions, or legal sufficiency. So I would treat it as a cap-table administration/reconciliation tool rather than an independent audit.
For a genuine fully diluted share-count audit, I'd want the engagement to reconcile at least:
The key is to distinguish “the software says the FD count is X” from “an independent party traced the underlying legal documents and determined that X is the correct FD count.” Those are materially different levels of assurance.
If this is for a fundraise, M&A transaction, 409A, audit, or dispute, tell me which one and roughly how many shareholders/securities you have. I can identify 5–10 firms that specifically perform this type of cap-table audit and compare likely cost, independence, and scope.
Several types of providers offer **cap table audit / capitalization reconciliation services** to verify **fully diluted share counts** (including issued shares, options, warrants, SAFEs, convertible notes, and other dilution sources). The right choice depends on whether you need a finance cleanup, legal validation,…
Several types of providers offer cap table audit / capitalization reconciliation services to verify fully diluted share counts (including issued shares, options, warrants, SAFEs, convertible notes, and other dilution sources). The right choice depends on whether you need a finance cleanup, legal validation, investor diligence support, or ongoing equity administration.
A good audit should reconcile:
The deliverable is usually a reconciled fully diluted capitalization table, a list of discrepancies, and remediation steps.
If this is for a fundraise, acquisition, 409A valuation, audit, or investor diligence, the best provider type differs:
I can also provide a shortlist of providers by startup stage (seed/Series A/growth), budget, or geography.
Verifying fully diluted share counts and auditing capitalization tables requires specialized knowledge spanning corporate law, equity accounting, and securities history . Several types of providers offer cap table audit, forensic reconciliation, and cleanup services: [1][2] - **Specialized Equity Administration & Cap…
Verifying fully diluted share counts and auditing capitalization tables requires specialized knowledge spanning corporate law, equity accounting, and securities history . Several types of providers offer cap table audit, forensic reconciliation, and cleanup services: [1][2]
If you'd like to narrow this down, please let me know:
I can help recommend the right tier of service for your situation.