Business contractsAgreement
Startup advisor agreement template
Bring on an advisor with a clear arrangement: what help you expect and how much time, the equity or fee in return and how it vests, confidentiality, and what happens if either side wants to stop.
Opens in the Salsox editor with 6 signing fields already placed for Company and Advisor. Add their emails and send. The free plan sends 3 documents a month.
Who signs
- Company (you)
- Advisor
Preview
Advisor Agreement
This agreement is made on 24 October 2026 between Tidepool Health Inc. (the "Company") and Dr. Priya Raman (the "Advisor").
1. Services
The Advisor will advise the Company on clinical product strategy, introductions to hospital partners, and preparing for regulatory clearance. The Advisor expects to give about four hours a month, including one monthly call with the founders. The Advisor decides how to provide the advice.
2. Equity
Subject to approval by the Company's board, the Company will grant the Advisor an option to purchase 40,000 shares of common stock, about 0.4% of the company, granted under the company's equity plan. The grant vests monthly over 24 months, starting on the agreement date, with no cliff, as long as the Advisor continues to provide services. The grant is governed by the equity plan and the grant documents, which prevail over this agreement if they conflict.
3. Expenses
The Company will repay reasonable travel expenses agreed in advance. No other fees are payable.
4. Confidentiality
The Advisor will keep the Company's non-public information confidential and use it only to advise the Company, during this agreement and afterwards. This does not apply to information that is public or that the Advisor already had lawfully.
5. Work product
Anything the Advisor creates specifically for the Company under this agreement belongs to the Company. The Advisor keeps their general knowledge, skills and experience.
6. Conflicts
The Advisor will tell the Company of any role with a competitor or any other conflict of interest, now or in future. Advising other companies is otherwise not restricted.
7. Relationship
The Advisor is an independent contractor, not an employee, and has no authority to make commitments on the Company's behalf.
8. Term and ending
This agreement lasts for two years. Either party may end it earlier with 30 days' written notice. Vesting stops on the date it ends; sections 4 and 5 continue afterwards.
9. Governing law
This agreement is governed by the law of the State of Delaware, USA.
Signatures
For the Company: Signature · Company Date: Date · Company Name: Name · Company
Advisor: Signature · Advisor Date: Date · Advisor Name: Name · Advisor
These templates are general starting points, not legal advice. Laws differ between countries and states: check that a template suits your situation, or ask a lawyer, before you rely on it.
About the Startup advisor agreement template
Early-stage companies often add advisors: experienced people who give a few hours a month in exchange for a small amount of equity. The arrangement works best when it is specific. This template says what help the company expects and roughly how much time, which avoids the common outcome of an advisor holding equity for advice that never came.
Equity vests monthly while the advisor continues, so it tracks the help actually given, and vesting stops if either side ends the relationship. The equity itself is granted through the company's equity plan and its board approval, which this agreement refers to rather than replaces. The advisor keeps company information confidential, assigns to the company any work they create for it, and discloses conflicts.
Securities and tax rules apply to equity grants, and they differ by country. Have the grant approved and documented properly, and suggest the advisor takes their own tax advice.
- Signers
- 2
- Signing fields placed
- 6
- Details to fill in
- 10
How to use this template
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Fill in the details
Type your details into each blank, or start from the sample to see how it reads. Save it as your own template to reuse it.
Add signers and send
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Used in
Questions
How much equity should an advisor get?
Commonly between 0.1% and 1% for early-stage companies, depending on the advisor's expected contribution and the company's stage. Vesting matters more than the exact number.
Is an advisor an employee?
No. This agreement makes the advisor an independent contractor with no authority to bind the company. Keep the relationship consistent with that.
What if the advisor stops helping?
Either side may end the agreement with 30 days' notice, and unvested equity is forfeited, so equity matches the help actually given.
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