Build Boldly. Plan Strategically.
You’re scaling a company, managing investors, and navigating equity, all while trying to protect your personal financial future. At Mercer Advisors, our in-house team of planners, tax professionals, investors, and estate attorneys works together to help you:
- Maximize your equity’s value
- Minimize your tax exposure
- Protect your upside before and after liquidity
This is wealth management for tech entrepreneurs: built for complexity, speed, and scale.
Why Founders Need a Specialist Advisor
Tech founders face a unique set of financial challenges, from complex equity structures to unpredictable liquidity events. Traditional wealth management often falls short. You need an advisor who understands the startup lifecycle, speaks your language, and plans for both your business and personal future.
Why We’re Different:
- We Understand Equity
From ISOs and RSUs to QSBS, we help you navigate the tax and timing implications of your equity, not just manage your portfolio.
- We Plan for Liquidity Before It Happens
Whether it’s a tender offer, strategic acquisition, or IPO, we help you prepare early so you don’t miss critical windows for tax efficiency and wealth protection.
- We Integrate Business and Personal Planning
Your company is your biggest asset. We align your cap table, compensation, and exit strategy with your personal financial goals.
- We Know What’s at Stake
Founders often delay planning because they’re “not wealthy yet.” But smart planning now can mean millions saved later in taxes, dilution, and missed opportunities.
- We’re Built for Founders
Our team includes planners, investors, tax strategists, and estate specialists, all working together to support your journey from startup to exit and beyond.
Specialized Services for Tech Founders
- Cap Table & Dilution Risk Scenario Planning: Future round modeling, equity pool design, founder protection.
- Integrated Business & Personal Liquidity Planning: Burn rate, bridge funding, and compensation structuring.
- QSBS Qualification: C-Corp conversion, asset tests, and multi-beneficiary planning.
- Multi-Grant Equity Compensation Optimization: ISOs, NSOs, RSUs timing and tax strategy.
- Pre-IPO Gifting & Irrevocable Trust Setup: Valuation discounts, gift tax avoidance, and legacy planning.
- IPO Readiness & 10b5-1 Plan Design: Insider compliance, lockup liquidity, and trading automation.
- Equity Exit Strategy Coordination with Legal Teams: M&A, IPO, and secondary sale alignment across advisors.
- Post-Exit Rollover Equity & Earn-Out Management: Risk modeling, diversification, and contingent payout planning.
Equity Compensation for Tech Founders
Your equity is your biggest asset, and your biggest risk. We help you make the most of it by turning complex compensation into clear, actionable strategy.
ISOs, NSOs, RSUs
We guide you through the tax treatment, timing, and liquidity implications of each grant type, including early exercise strategies, vesting schedules, and blackout windows.AMT Mitigation & Capital Gains Planning
We model your exposure to the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) and help you optimize holding periods to qualify for long-term capital gains, potentially saving hundreds of thousands in taxes.QSBS Optimization
We assess your eligibility for Qualified Small Business Stock (QSBS) and help you structure ownership to maximize tax-free gains, including stacking strategies using irrevocable trusts and family members.83(b) Elections
We help founders file and track 83(b) elections for early-stage equity grants, helping ensure you lock in low valuations and shift future appreciation to capital gains.Tender Offers & Secondary Sales
We model the tax impact of private liquidity events, including tender offers and secondary sales, and coordinate with legal and investor teams to execute tax-efficient transactions.Why It Matters
Most founders delay planning until liquidity feels “real.” But equity compensation is where early decisions have the biggest long-term impact. Without proactive strategy, you risk:
- Triggering unexpected tax bills (AMT, ordinary income)
- Missing QSBS eligibility windows
- Losing control over liquidity timing
- Overpaying on secondary sales
- Leaving money on the table during exit
Wealth Management for
Tech Entrepreneurs At Every Stage
Pre-Seed & Seed
Build Boldly. Plan Early. We help founders protect their upside from day one with equity structuring, personal runway planning, and early trust strategies.
Series A–B
Your Company Is Growing. Your Financial Strategy Should Too. We help you navigate equity compensation, tax exposure, and liquidity planning so that you can stay focused on scaling.
Series C+ / Pre-Exit
Exit-Ready. Equity-Smart. Personally Protected. Whether you’re fielding acquisition offers or prepping for IPO, we help you plan for liquidity, minimize taxes, and protect your personal wealth.
Post-Exit
You’ve Built It. Now Let’s Protect It. We help founders reallocate capital, manage rollover equity, and build a legacy that lasts beyond the business.Ready to Talk?
FAQs for Tech Founders
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Yes. Many of the most valuable planning strategies like QSBS qualification, 83(b) elections, and trust structuring must be done before a liquidity event. Waiting until the money is “real” can mean missing out on significant tax savings and wealth protection.
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Your CFO manages company finances. Your CPA handles tax filings. We coordinate with both, but our role is to integrate your business and personal financial strategy, model scenarios, and proactively plan for what’s next.
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We don’t take control; we help you stay in control. Our job is to make sure you understand your options, avoid costly mistakes, and make informed decisions that align with your goals.
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We get it. That’s why we streamline everything, from onboarding to execution. Our unified in-house team handles the complexity so you can stay focused on building your company.
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Planning isn’t just for unicorns. It’s for anyone who wants to protect what they’re building. Whether you exit, pivot, or start again, we help you make the most of every stage.
