Startups
Agile Framework, Built for Investment and Scale.
We provide the integrated legal, accounting, and tax foundation that turns your vision into an investable and scalable enterprise.
AI-Nover
your AI assistant
legalnova* is designed for founders:
Clear communication, transparent pricing, and a team experienced in Venture Capital that de-risks your journey so you can accelerate with confidence
The operational backbone of those rewriting the rules
Our Services: Your path to scale
- Cross-Border Corporate Design: Designing the optimal US and LATAM corporate structure to facilitate investment, growth, and tax efficiency.
- Venture Capital Strategy: Preparing your company for fundraising, including pitch deck review and strategic advice on positioning.
- Founder Equity & Cap Table Design: Structuring co-founder agreements, equity splits, and a clean capitalization table that is attractive to investors.
- International Tax Planning: Creating a forward-thinking tax strategy to protect your profitability and ensure compliance from day one.
- Disruptive Business Model Analysis: Providing the legal framework for novel and first-of-its-kind business models, especially in unregulated.
- Company Incorporation: Flawless execution of your new company registration in the United States (C-Corps, S-Corps, LLCs) or Colombia.
- Drafting of Foundational Documents: Crafting the essential legal agreements for your business, including Shareholders’ Agreements, Bylaws, and Stock Option Plans (ESOPs).
- Intellectual Property Protection: Registration and protection of your trademarks, copyrights, and other key IP assets in the US and Colombia.
- Legal Design: Transforming your core operational agreements (e.g., SaaS agreements, client contracts, KYC Forms, Internal Policies) into clear, human-centered, and effective UX tools.
- Execution of Investment Rounds: Handling the legal documentation and due diligence process for your seed, Series A, and subsequent funding rounds.
- Ongoing General Counsel (Membership): Your embedded legal team for day-to-day advice, contract negotiation, and strategic guidance.
- On-Demand Model: For flexible support. Pre-purchase a package of hours to use for specific legal, accounting, or tax tasks as they arise, giving you expert support with complete budget predictability.
- Monthly Accounting & Bookkeeping: Continuous management of your company’s financials to ensure clarity, compliance, and investor-ready reporting in COL and the US.
- Tax Compliance & Filings: Proactive management and filing of all corporate tax obligations in the US and Colombia.
- Corporate Governance & Secretary Services: Maintaining your company’s good standing, managing board minutes, and ensuring all corporate formalities are met.
- Labor & Employment Counsel: Guidance on hiring, employee contracts, and compliance with labor regulations, including execution of ESOPs and Vesting Agreements.
Clear and flexible legal structuring to grow without friction.
Tax and fiscal optimization from day one.
Accounting models aligned with your startup’s needs.
Support in fundraising and investment rounds.
The legalnova* advantage
Clarity Above All
Providing clear and actionable advice that respects your time.
A Foundation for Global Scale
Building the clean, flexible, cross-border structure required to expand and operate seamlessly across the Americas.
Proactive Tax Strategy
Creating and protecting your profitability with a forward-thinking tax strategy designed for startups.
Dedicated Venture Capital Support
Getting you “Due Diligence ready” with our VC-experienced team.
From Founders, For Founders
Delivering guidance grounded in real-world experience. We have faced the same challenges you do.
A Bridge to the VC Ecosystem
Providing strategic introductions to our curated network of VCs, key partners, and industry allies.
We transform legal complexity into agile and efficient solutions.
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FAQ
Why do so many Colombian and LATAM startups incorporate in Delaware (USA)?
Incorporating in Delaware is a strategic move, not just a formality. International Venture Capital funds, especially those from the US, prefer and often require this structure for 3 key reasons:
- i). Legal Security and Predictability: Delaware has the most developed and predictable body of corporate law in the world, with specialized courts that resolve disputes efficiently. This reduces risk for investors.
- ii). Industry Standard: The documents and structures of a Delaware C-Corp are the industry standard. Lawyers and VCs worldwide are familiar with them, which makes investment rounds faster and more efficient.
- iii). Flexibility and Privacy: Delaware law is very flexible for corporate management, especially regarding capital structure and shareholder rights, which is essential for startups.
For a LATAM startup with global ambitions, a Delaware C-Corp signals that it’s ready to compete in the big leagues and receive international capital.
What is a SAFE and how is it different from a Convertible Note for raising early-stage capital?
Both are instruments for raising capital before a company has a fixed valuation, but they have a fundamental difference:
A SAFE (Simple Agreement for Future Equity) is a warrant giving an investor the right to receive equity in a future funding round. It is not debt. It has no maturity date or interest rate, making it simpler and more founder-friendly.
A Convertible Note is a debt instrument. It carries an interest rate and a maturity date. If the startup doesn’t raise a funding round before that date, the investor could demand repayment, creating additional pressure on the company.
What is the difference between a Startup and a traditional SME (PyME)?
While both are vital, they have fundamentally different DNA. The key distinctions are:
Market & Innovation: An SME operates in an existing market (sustained innovation). A startup aims to create a new market or disrupt an existing one (disruptive innovation).
Primary Objective: An SME is built for profitability. A startup is built for scalability.
Funding: SMEs use operating revenue or debt. Startups are funded through equity from investors like VCs.
Risk & Impact: SMEs have a lower-risk model. Startups embrace high risk for the potential of high impact and exponential returns.
Legal Landscape: SMEs fit within established legal definitions. Startups often operate in a “legal gray area,” pushing the boundaries of existing law, which is where expert, innovative counsel is most critical.