SAFE: Valuation Cap, No Discount (Singapore) by Y Combinator
Updated 6 October 2025
The SAFE: Post-Money Valuation Cap (Singapore) is a Simple Agreement for Future Equity tailored for Singapore-incorporated companies. It allows investors to convert their investment into equity at the lower of the future financing price or a price based on a set valuation cap, protecting them from dilution. This is Y Combinator’s standard Singapore law version, widely used in early-stage startup financing.
THE OFFERING AND ISSUANCE OF THIS INSTRUMENT AND ANY SECURITIES ISSUABLE PURSUANT HERETO IS NOT ACCOMPANIED BY A PROSPECTUS REGISTERED WITH THE MONETARY AUTHORITY OF SINGAPORE. THESE SECURITIES MAY NOT BE RE-OFFERED OR RESOLD UNLESS THE RE-OFFER AND RESALE ARE MADE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE SECURITIES AND FUTURES ACT (CHAPTER 289) OF SINGAPORE.
THIS INSTRUMENT AND ANY SECURITIES ISSUABLE PURSUANT HERETO HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “SECURITIES ACT”), OR UNDER THE SECURITIES LAWS OF CERTAIN STATES. THESE SECURITIES MAY NOT BE OFFERED, SOLD OR OTHERWISE TRANSFERRED, PLEDGED OR HYPOTHECATED EXCEPT AS PERMITTED IN THIS SAFE AND UNDER THE ACT AND APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS PURSUANT TO AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT OR AN EXEMPTION THEREFROM.
SAFE (Simple Agreement for Future Equity)
THIS CERTIFIES THAT in exchange for the payment by [investor name] (the “Investor”) of [purchase amount] (the “Purchase Amount”) on or about [effective date], Company Registration number [company registration number], a private limited company incorporated in Singapore (the “Company”), hereby issues to the Investor the right to certain of the Company’s Capital Shares, subject to the terms described below.
This Safe is one of the forms available at http://ycombinator.com/documents and the Company and the Investor agree that neither one has modified the form, except to fill in blanks and bracketed terms.
The “Post-Money Valuation Cap” is [post-money valuation cap]. See Section 2 for certain additional defined terms.
Events
(a) Equity Financing. If there is an Equity Financing before the termination of this Safe, on the initial closing of such Equity Financing, this Safe will automatically convert into the greater of: (1) the number of Standard Preference Shares equal to the Purchase Amount divided by the lowest price per share of the Standard Preference Shares; or (2) the number of Safe Preference Shares equal to the Purchase Amount divided by the Safe Price.
In connection with the automatic conversion of this Safe into Standard Preference Shares or Safe Preference Shares, the Investor will execute and deliver to the Company all of the transaction documents related to the Equity Financing; provided, that such documents (i) are the same documents to be entered into with the purchasers of Standard Preference Shares, with appropriate variations for the Safe Preference Shares if applicable, and (ii) have customary exceptions to any drag-along applicable to the Investor, including (without limitation) limited representations, warranties, liability and indemnification obligations for the Investor.
(b) Liquidity Event. If there is a Liquidity Event before the termination of this Safe, the Investor will automatically be entitled (subject to the liquidation priority set forth in Section 1(d) below) to receive a portion of Proceeds, due and payable to the Investor immediately prior to, or concurrent with, the consummation of such Liquidity Event, equal to the greater of (i) the Purchase Amount (the “Cash-Out Amount”) or (ii) the amount payable on the number of Ordinary Shares equal to the Purchase Amount divided by the Liquidity Price (the “Conversion Amount”). If any of the Company’s securityholders are given a choice as to the form and amount of Proceeds to be received in a Liquidity Event, the Investor will be given the same choice, provided that the Investor may not choose to receive a form of consideration that the Investor would be ineligible to receive as a result of the Investor’s failure to satisfy any requirement or limitation generally applicable to the Company’s securityholders, or under any applicable laws.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, in connection with a Change of Control intended to qualify as a tax-free reorganization, the Company may reduce the cash portion of Proceeds payable to the Investor by the amount determined by its board of directors in good faith for such Change of Control to qualify as a tax-free reorganization, provided that such reduction (A) does not reduce the total Proceeds payable to such Investor and (B) is applied in the same manner and on a pro rata basis to all securityholders who have equal priority to the Investor under Section 1(d).
(c) Dissolution Event. If there is a Dissolution Event before the termination of this Safe, the Investor will automatically be entitled (subject to the liquidation priority set forth in Section 1(d) below) to receive a portion of Proceeds equal to the Cash-Out Amount, due and payable to the Investor immediately prior to the consummation of the Dissolution Event.
(d) Liquidation Priority. In a Liquidity Event or Dissolution Event, this Safe is intended to operate like standard non-participating Preference Shares. The Investor’s right to receive its Cash-Out Amount is:
(i) Junior to payment of outstanding indebtedness and creditor claims, including contractual claims for payment and convertible promissory notes (to the extent such convertible promissory notes are not actually or notionally converted into Capital Shares);
(ii) On par with payments for other Safes and/or Preference Shares, and if the applicable Proceeds are insufficient to permit full payments to the Investor and such other Safes and/or Preference Shares, the applicable Proceeds will be distributed pro rata to the Investor and such other Safes and/or Preference Shares in proportion to the full payments that would otherwise be due; and
(iii) Senior to payments for Ordinary Shares.
The Investor’s right to receive its Conversion Amount is (A) on par with payments for Ordinary Shares and other Safes and/or Preference Shares who are also receiving Conversion Amounts or Proceeds on a similar as-converted to Ordinary Shares basis, and (B) junior to payments described in clauses (i) and (ii) above (in the latter case, to the extent such payments are Cash-Out Amounts or similar liquidation preferences).
(e) Termination. This Safe will automatically terminate (without relieving the Company of any obligations arising from a prior breach of or non-compliance with this Safe) immediately following the earliest to occur of: (i) the issuance of Capital Shares to the Investor pursuant to the automatic conversion of this Safe under Section 1(a); or (ii) the payment, or setting aside for payment, of amounts due the Investor pursuant to Section 1(b) or Section 1(c).
Definitions
“Capital Shares” means the shares in the capital of the Company, including, without limitation, the “Ordinary Shares” and the “Preference Shares.”
“Change of Control” means (i) a transfer (whether by merger, consolidation, exchange or otherwise), in one transaction or a series of related transactions, to a person or group of affiliated persons (other than an underwriter of the Company’s securities), of the Company’s securities or Capital Shares if, after such closing, such person or group of affiliated persons would hold at least a majority of the total voting power represented by the outstanding voting securities of the Company or such other surviving or resulting entity, (ii) any reorganization, scheme of arrangement, merger, amalgamation or other consolidation of the Company, other than a transaction or series of related transactions in which the holders of the voting securities of the Company outstanding immediately prior to such transaction or series of related transactions retain, immediately after such transaction or series of related transactions, at least a majority of the total voting power represented by the outstanding voting securities of the Company or such other surviving or resulting entity or (iii) a sale, lease or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Group Companies.
“Company Capitalization” is calculated as of immediately prior to the Equity Financing and (without double-counting, in each case calculated on an as-converted to Ordinary Shares basis):
Includes all Capital Shares issued and outstanding;
Includes all Converting Securities;
Includes all (i) issued and outstanding Options and (ii) Promised Options; and
Includes the Unissued Option Pool, except that any increase to the Unissued Option Pool in connection with the Equity Financing will only be included to the extent that the number of Promised Options exceeds the Unissued Option Pool prior to such increase.
“Converting Securities” includes this Safe and other convertible securities issued by the Company, including but not limited to: (i) other Safes; (ii) convertible promissory notes and other convertible debt instruments; and (iii) convertible securities that have the right to convert into Capital Shares.
“Direct Listing” means (i) the Company’s initial listing of its Ordinary Shares (other than Ordinary Shares not eligible for resale under Rule 144 under the Securities Act) on a national securities exchange in the United States by means of an effective registration statement on Form F-1 or Form S-1 filed by the Company with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission that registers the Company’s existing Capital Shares for resale, as approved by the Company’s board of directors, or (ii) any analogous listing not involving any underwritten offering of securities in any exchange located in a jurisdiction other than the United States. For the avoidance of doubt, a Direct Listing will not be deemed to be an underwritten offering and will not involve any underwriting services.
“Dissolution Event” means (i) a voluntary termination of operations, (ii) a general assignment for the benefit of the Company’s creditors or (iii) any other liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company (excluding a Liquidity Event), whether voluntary or involuntary.
“Dividend Amount” means, with respect to any date on which the Company pays a dividend on its outstanding Ordinary Shares, the amount of such dividend that is paid per Ordinary Share multiplied by (x) the Purchase Amount divided by (y) the Liquidity Price (treating the dividend date as a Liquidity Event solely for purposes of calculating such Liquidity Price).
“Equity Financing” means a bona fide transaction or series of transactions with the principal purpose of raising capital, pursuant to which the Company issues and sells Preference Shares at a fixed valuation, including but not limited to, a pre-money or post-money valuation.
“Group Companies” means the Company and the Company’s subsidiaries from time to time.
“Initial Public Offering” means the closing of the Company’s first firm commitment underwritten initial public offering of Ordinary Shares in conjunction with the listing of such Ordinary Shares on any securities exchange, which will be deemed to have occurred upon the consummation of the listing transaction as prescribed under the listing rules of the applicable securities exchange.
“Liquidity Capitalization” is calculated as of immediately prior to the Liquidity Event, and (without double- counting, in each case calculated on an as-converted to Ordinary Shares basis):
Includes all Capital Shares issued and outstanding;
Includes all (i) issued and outstanding Options and (ii) to the extent receiving Proceeds, Promised Options;
Includes all Converting Securities, other than any Safes and other convertible securities (including without limitation Preference Shares) where the holders of such securities are receiving Cash-Out Amounts or similar liquidation preference payments in lieu of Conversion Amounts or similar “as-converted” payments; and
Excludes the Unissued Option Pool.
“Liquidity Event” means a Change of Control, a Direct Listing or an Initial Public Offering.
“Liquidity Price” means the price per share equal to the Post-Money Valuation Cap divided by the Liquidity Capitalization.
“Options” includes options, restricted share awards or purchases, restricted share units, share appreciation rights, warrants or similar securities, vested or unvested.
“Ordinary Shares” means the Company's ordinary shares.
“Preference Shares” means the Company's preference shares.
“Proceeds” means cash and other assets (including without limitation share consideration) that are proceeds from the Liquidity Event or the Dissolution Event, as applicable, and legally available for distribution.
“Promised Options” means promised but ungranted Options that are the greater of those (i) promised pursuant to agreements or understandings made prior to the execution of, or in connection with, the term sheet or letter of intent for the Equity Financing or Liquidity Event, as applicable (or the initial closing of the Equity Financing or the consummation of the Liquidity Event, if there is no term sheet or letter of intent), (ii) in the case of an Equity Financing, treated as outstanding Options in the calculation of the Standard Preference Shares’ price per share, or (iii) in the case of a Liquidity Event, treated as outstanding Options in the calculation of the distribution of the Proceeds.
“Safe” means an instrument containing a future right to Capital Shares, similar in form and content to this instrument, purchased by investors for the purpose of funding the Company’s business operations. References to “this Safe” mean this specific instrument.
“Safe Preference Shares” means shares of the series of Preference Shares issued to the Investor in an Equity Financing, having the identical rights, privileges, preferences, seniority, liquidation multiple and restrictions as the shares of Standard Preference Shares, except that any price-based preferences (such as the per share liquidation amount, initial conversion price and per share dividend amount) will be based on the Safe Price.
“Safe Price” means the price per share equal to the Post-Money Valuation Cap divided by the Company Capitalization.
“Standard Preference Shares” means the shares of the series of Preference Shares issued to the investors investing new money in the Company in connection with the initial closing of the Equity Financing.
“Unissued Option Pool” means all Capital Shares that are reserved, available for future grant and not subject to any outstanding Options or Promised Options (but in the case of a Liquidity Event, only to the extent Proceeds are payable on such Promised Options) under any equity incentive or similar Company plan.
Company Representations
(a) The Company is a private limited company, duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of Singapore, and has the power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and carry on its business as now conducted.
(b) The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Safe is within the power of the Company and has been duly authorized by all necessary actions on the part of the Company (subject to Section 3(d)). This Safe constitutes a legal, valid and binding obligation of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except as limited by bankruptcy, insolvency or other laws of general application relating to or affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally and general principles of equity. To its knowledge, the Company is not in violation of (i) its current constitution, (ii) any material statute, rule or regulation applicable to the Company or (iii) any material debt or contract to which the Company is a party or by which it is bound, where, in each case, such violation or default, individually, or together with all such violations or defaults, could reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the Company.
(c) The performance and consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Safe do not and will not: (i) violate any material judgment, statute, rule or regulation applicable to the Company; (ii) result in the acceleration of any material debt or contract to which the Company is a party or by which it is bound; or (iii) result in the creation or imposition of any security interest, encumbrance or lien on any property, asset or revenue of the Company or the suspension, forfeiture, or nonrenewal of any material permit, license or authorization applicable to the Company, its business or operations.
(d) No consents or approvals are required in connection with the performance of this Safe, other than: (i) the Company’s corporate approvals; (ii) any qualifications or filings under applicable securities laws; and (iii) necessary corporate approvals for the authorization of Capital Shares issuable pursuant to Section 1.
(e) To its knowledge, the Company owns or possesses (or can obtain on commercially reasonable terms) sufficient legal rights to all patents, trademarks, service marks, trade names, copyrights, trade secrets, licenses, information, processes and other intellectual property rights necessary for its business as now conducted and as currently proposed to be conducted, without any conflict with, or infringement of the rights of, others.
Investor Representations
(a) The Investor has full legal capacity, power and authority to execute and deliver this Safe and to perform its obligations hereunder. This Safe constitutes a valid and binding obligation of the Investor, enforceable in accordance with its terms, except as limited by bankruptcy, insolvency or other laws of general application relating to or affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally and general principles of equity.
(b) The Investor is an accredited investor as such term is defined in Section 4(a) of the Securities and Futures Act, (Chapter 289) of Singapore (“SFA”). The Investor has been advised that the offering and issuance of this Safe and the underlying securities is not accompanied by a prospectus that is registered with the Monetary Authority of Singapore and, therefore, cannot be resold unless such subsequent offer is made in compliance with the SFA. The Investor is purchasing this Safe and the securities to be acquired by the Investor hereunder for its own account for investment, not as a nominee or agent, and not with a view to, or for resale in connection with, the distribution thereof, and the Investor has no present intention of selling, granting any participation in, or otherwise distributing the same. The Investor has such knowledge and experience in financial and business matters that the Investor is capable of evaluating the merits and risks of such investment, is able to incur a complete loss of such investment without impairing the Investor’s financial condition and is able to bear the economic risk of such investment for an indefinite period of time.
(c) The Investor hereby agrees and acknowledges that, notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, the Company’s obligation to issue and allot the Safe Preference Shares to the Investor pursuant to the automatic conversion of this Safe under Section 1(a) may be satisfied, at the joint election of (i) the board of directors of the Company and (ii) the holders of a majority-in-interest of the purchase amount of all then-outstanding Safes, by (A) the issuance and allotment to the Investor of an identical number of an equivalent series and class of preference shares in the share capital of a special purpose vehicle incorporated for the sole purpose of holding Preference Shares (the “SPV Preference Shares”) and (B) the issuance and allotment to such special purpose vehicle of the Safe Preference Shares. In furtherance of the foregoing, the parties hereto agree and acknowledge that the SPV Preference Shares are intended to have, to the extent reasonably practicable, identical rights, privileges, preferences and restrictions as the Safe Preference Shares.
(d) The Investor hereby undertakes and covenants to the Company that the Investor will promptly provide to the Company and/or its corporate secretary all such know-your-customer and other information as is required by law for the purposes of effecting the issuance and allotment of the Safe Preference Shares or SPV Preference Shares, as applicable, pursuant to the automatic conversion of this Safe under Section 1(a). The Investor hereby irrevocably consents to any such prospective conversion of this Safe in accordance with the terms hereof. The Investor further agrees and acknowledges that the Company and/or its corporate secretary may rely on the foregoing consent and automatic conversion provisions contained herein in lieu of any signed share application forms or similar subscription documents solely for the purposes of effecting any allotment filings with the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority of Singapore and conversion of this Safe.
Miscellaneous
(a) Any provision of this Safe may be amended, waived or modified by written consent of the Company and either (i) the Investor or (ii) the majority-in-interest of all then-outstanding Safes with the same “Post-Money Valuation Cap” and “Discount Rate” as this Safe (and Safes lacking one or both of such terms will be considered to be the same with respect to such term(s)), provided that with respect to clause (ii): (A) the Purchase Amount may not be amended, waived or modified in this manner, (B) the consent of the Investor and each holder of such Safes must be solicited (even if not obtained), and (C) such amendment, waiver or modification treats all such holders in the same manner. “Majority-in-interest” refers to the holders of the applicable group of Safes whose Safes have a total Purchase Amount greater than 50% of the total Purchase Amount of all of such applicable group of Safes.
(b) Any notice required or permitted by this Safe will be deemed sufficient when delivered personally or by internationally recognized overnight courier or sent by email to the relevant address listed on the signature page, or 48 hours after being deposited as certified or registered mail with postage prepaid, addressed to the party to be notified at such party’s address listed on the signature page, as subsequently modified by written notice.
(c) The Investor is not entitled, as a holder of this Safe, to vote or be deemed a holder of Capital Shares for any purpose other than tax purposes, nor will anything in this Safe be construed to confer on the Investor, as such, any rights of a Company shareholder or rights to vote for the election of directors or on any matter submitted to Company shareholders, or to give or withhold consent to any corporate action or to receive notice of meetings, until shares have been issued on the terms described in Section 1. However, if the Company pays a dividend on outstanding Ordinary Shares (that is not payable in Ordinary Shares) while this Safe is outstanding, the Company will pay the Dividend Amount to the Investor at the same time.
(d) Neither this Safe nor the rights in this Safe are transferable or assignable, by operation of law or otherwise, by either party without the prior written consent of the other; provided, however, that this Safe and/or its rights may be assigned without the Company’s consent by the Investor (i) to the Investor’s estate, heirs, executors, administrators, guardians and/or successors in the event of the Investor’s death or disability, or (ii) to any other entity who directly or indirectly, controls, is controlled by or is under common control with the Investor, including, without limitation, any general partner, managing member, officer or director of the Investor, or any venture capital fund now or hereafter existing which is controlled by one or more general partners or managing members of, or shares the same management company with, the Investor.
(e) In the event any one or more of the provisions of this Safe is for any reason held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, in whole or in part or in any respect, or in the event that any one or more of the provisions of this Safe operate or would prospectively operate to invalidate this Safe, then and in any such event, such provision(s) only will be deemed null and void and will not affect any other provision of this Safe and the remaining provisions of this Safe will remain operative and in full force and effect and will not be affected, prejudiced, or disturbed thereby.
(f) The parties agree that this Safe (and all the rights and obligations hereunder) will be governed by, and construed and enforced in accordance with, the laws of the Singapore. Each party hereby submits to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the Courts of Singapore.
(g) Unless otherwise stated herein, all references to “$” or “Dollars” refers to lawful currency of the United States of America.
(h) The parties acknowledge and agree that for United States federal and state income tax purposes this Safe is, and at all times has been, intended to be characterised as “stock,” and more particularly as “common stock” for purposes of Sections 304, 305, 306, 354, 368, 1036 and 1202 of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. Accordingly, the parties agree to treat this Safe consistent with the foregoing intent for all United States federal and state income tax purposes (including, without limitation, on their respective tax returns or other informational statements).
( Signature page follows )
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have caused this Safe to be duly executed and delivered.
By: | [company signatory name] |
Name: | [company signatory name] |
Title: | [company signatory title] |
Address: | [company address] |
Email: | [company email] |
INVESTOR:
By: | |
Name: | [investor name] |
Title: | [investor signatory title] |
Address: | [investor address] |
Email: | [investor email] |
About this template
What is this template?
SAFE: Valuation Cap, No Discount (Singapore) by Y Combinator is a free, ready-to-use Pre-Seed & Seed Funding template you can open, customize, and download on GitLaw. It gives you a professionally structured starting point, so you never have to draft from a blank page. The wording is plain and modern, organized into clear sections that are easy to read, edit, and adapt to your own situation before you share or sign it.
When should you use it?
Reach for this Pre-Seed & Seed Funding template whenever you need a reliable agreement quickly and want to be sure the essentials are covered. It suits individuals, freelancers, startups, and established businesses alike. Instead of paying for a document drafted from scratch, you can start here, tailor the details to your arrangement, and have a polished draft ready in minutes. This version is drafted with Singapore in mind, though you should always review the final wording against the laws that apply to you.
What's typically included?
A well-drafted Pre-Seed & Seed Funding usually sets out the parties involved, the scope of the agreement, and each side's rights and responsibilities. Expect sections covering key terms and definitions, how long the agreement lasts, how it can be ended, and what happens if something goes wrong. This template brings those building blocks together in a sensible order, so you can focus on the specifics rather than worrying about what to include. Open it to read the full document, then sign up to edit, negotiate, and e-sign it directly in GitLaw.