Pre-Liquidity Planning for Venture-Backed Founders
Maximize Your After-Tax Exit in the Critical 0-3 Year Window
The 0 to 36-month window before your exit represents a significant opportunity to implement strategies that can save millions in taxes and position your wealth for generational impact and optimization. Too often, founders wait until the deal is signed. By then, many of the most powerful optimization levers are no longer available. Strategic pre-liquidity planning reshapes that outcome and maximizes your post-exit potential.
At Keystone Global Partners, we work exclusively with venture-backed tech founders anticipating $20M+ exits, providing comprehensive pre-liquidity planning that transforms your exit from a simple transaction into a tax-optimized wealth event. Through our Personal Exit Advisory® program, we serve as your Personal CFO during this critical planning window—at no charge until your exit is complete.
KEYSTONE RECOGNITION
Why Founders Choose Keystone for Pre-Liquidity Planning
A Leading QSBS Specialist Working Exclusively with Venture-Backed Tech Founders
Peyton Carr, our founder and managing director, is recognized as one of the leading QSBS specialists in the country. He knows the QSBS tax code and understands practical application and implementation. We speak your language and understand the venture ecosystem from seed through exit.
Pre-Exit Relationship Model That Aligns Our Interests
Our founder incubation model means we work with you for up to three years before your exit, at no charge, during the planning phase. We’re compensated later through a wealth management relationship post-exit, meaning we only succeed when you do. This alignment ensures our focus remains on maximizing your after-tax outcome, not generating fees.
Comprehensive Approach Beyond Tax Planning
While many advisors focus solely on tax strategy, we address every dimension of your exit: deal negotiation, tax, liquidity analysis, investment readiness, emotional transition support, and wealth management planning. You get a true Personal CFO and a tax strategist.
Award-Winning Expertise with Boutique Service
Named “Best Private Wealth Manager Under $5 Billion” and “Best Multi-Family Office Under $25 Billion” by the PAM Awards (2022-2025), we deliver institutional sophistication with the personalized attention only a boutique firm can provide.
Cutting-Edge Technology & Real-Time Modeling
We leverage advanced proprietary tax and deal modeling software to provide real-time scenario analysis. You’ll see precisely how each strategic decision impacts your after-tax proceeds so you can make informed decisions.
Proven Track Record with $20M+ Exits
Our founder clients consistently achieve optimal exit outcomes through early, proactive planning. From Series B SaaS founders to repeat entrepreneurs, we’ve guided venture-backed founders through successful exits while minimizing tax and maximizing wealth.
What Pre-Liquidity Planning Includes
Pre-liquidity planning is about far more than minimizing taxes. Our comprehensive process considers every facet of your upcoming exit, from QSBS optimization and state residency planning to deal negotiation insights, philanthropy, family office strategy, legal, and risk management.
Exit Readiness Assessment
We conduct a comprehensive financial and tax analysis of your current situation, including:
- QSBS Qualification Review: Verify stock issuance dates, holding periods, and qualification status across all equity positions to determine your federal exclusion potential (up to $15M per issuer, which can be multiplied)
- Multi-State Tax Exposure Modeling: Calculate your tax liability across current and target states, identifying potential savings from strategic relocation or trust structures
- Entity Structure Analysis: Review your current ownership structure and identify optimization opportunities before your exit
- Timeline & Milestone Mapping: Create a strategic roadmap aligned with your anticipated exit timeline, ensuring all planning strategies can be fully implemented
This assessment provides the foundation for everything that follows, giving you clarity on where you stand today and what opportunities remain available given your timeline.
Advanced Tax Modeling & Strategy Development
The difference between an optimized exit and leaving millions on the table often comes down to sophisticated tax planning executed up to 36 months in advance.
Our tax strategy services include:
- QSBS Multiplication Strategies: Implement gifting programs and non-grantor trust structures to multiply your $10M-$15M exclusion across multiple qualified taxpayers
- State Residency Planning: For California founders facing 13.3% state tax with no QSBS recognition, strategic relocation to Florida, Texas, or Nevada, for instance, can save $5M+ on a $40M exit
- Trust-Based Tax Structures: Establish non-grantor trusts in zero-tax jurisdictions to maximize QSBS exclusion and minimize state tax
- Section 1045 Rollover Strategy: Plan for potential QSBS gain reinvestment to defer or in many cases reduce taxation while accessing future exclusions
Wealth Transfer & Estate Planning: Use pre-exit valuation discounts to transfer equity to children or dynasty trusts, removing future appreciation from your estate
Multi-State Strategy Development
State tax planning represents one of the highest-ROI strategies available to pre-exit founders, particularly those in non-conforming states like California or Pennsylvania.
Our multi-state planning includes:
- Relocation Feasibility Analysis: Evaluate timing requirements, residency establishment protocols, and family impact for target zero-tax states
- Domicile Documentation Planning: Create a comprehensive residency establishment roadmap, including home purchase, voter registration, and business operations documentation
- Trust Jurisdiction Optimization: Structure non-grantor trusts in favorable states (Nevada, Wyoming, South Dakota, Texas) to achieve tax benefits without physical relocation
Audit Defense Planning: Establish documentation protocols to defend residency changes or trust structures during state tax authority challenges
Deal Strategy & Negotiation Support
When your LOI arrives, you need someone in your corner who understands both the financial and legal implications of every term. We provide:
- Multi-Scenario Deal Modeling: Compare all-cash, stock rollover, and earnout structures showing after-tax proceeds and risk-adjusted returns
- Negotiation Data Points: Provide market benchmarks for cash vs. equity splits, vesting schedules, and founder retention packages
- Rollover Equity Analysis: Model the tax implications and risk/reward profile of rolling proceeds into the acquiring entity
- Compensation Package Optimization: Structure salary, bonuses, RSUs, and other payments to maximize after-tax value within deal parameters
Legal Counsel: We will introduce you to an attorney (personal general counsel) who will represent you and any document you touch. This is important since your corporate counsel represents the company, not you.
Implementation & Execution
Strategy without execution is worthless. We quarterback the entire implementation process:
- Entity & Account Establishment: trusts, brokerage accounts, charitable vehicles, stock transfers, etc. well before your exit closes
- Legal Team Coordination: We’ve partnered with top-tier law firms offering founder-friendly fee structures, often deferring legal fees until post-exit
- Stock Transfer Execution: Manage QSBS gifting programs, trust funding, and ownership transfers according to your tax strategy timeline
Pre-Exit Financial Infrastructure: Establish investment policy statements, asset allocation frameworks, and cash management protocols so you’re not making rushed decisions post-exit
How Keystone Compares to Other Planning Options
| Consideration | Keystone Pre-Liquidity Planning | Traditional Wealth Advisor | CPA/Tax Attorney Only | Do It Yourself |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| QSBS Specialization | Deep expertise in practical implementation. | Limited to basic exclusion. | Legal knowledge, limited strategy. | Research-dependent. |
| Fee Structure | No charge pre-exit, wealth mgmt. post-exit. | AUM fees or hourly throughout. | Hourly legal fees ($500–$3,000/hr). | Time investment only. |
| Planning Timeline | 0–3 years pre-exit engagement. | Typically post-exit only. | Transaction-specific engagement. | Ongoing research. |
| Multi-State Strategy | Comprehensive relocation + trust planning. | Generic recommendations. | Document preparation only. | State law complexity. |
| Deal Negotiation Support | Market data + modeling + coordination. | Limited involvement. | Not applicable. | No benchmarks. |
| Post-Exit Relationship | Seamless transition to full wealth mgmt. | New relationship post-exit. | No ongoing relationship. | Continued DIY. |
| Founder-Specific Focus | Exclusively venture-backed tech founders. | Generalist approach. | Industry-agnostic. | Self-education. |
The Pre-Liquidity Planning Process
Our structured six-phase process ensures nothing falls through the cracks during your critical planning window:
Discovery & Assessment
Comprehensive financial analysis, QSBS qualification review, state tax exposure modeling, and timeline assessment.
Strategy Development
Tax optimization strategy design and modeling, multi-state planning recommendations, entity structure proposals, and deal preparation framework.
Legal Team Coordination
Introduction to specialized counsel, trust document drafting, estate planning coordination, and legal fee structuring.
Implementation
Trust establishment and funding, QSBS and stock transfer execution, state residency establishment (if applicable), and entity account opening.
Pre-Exit Preparation
Deal strategy readiness, LOI analysis framework, investment infrastructure setup, and post-exit wealth management planning.
Exit Support & Transition
Real-time deal analysis, negotiation support, closing coordination, and seamless transition to a full wealth management relationship.
What Founders Say About Pre-Liquidity Planning with Keystone
Real outcomes from venture-backed founders who engaged Keystone years before their exits.
Partnering with Keystone completely transformed my exit outcome. Their team began planning years in advance, building a highly tailored QSBS and trust optimization strategy that leveraged multiple non-grantor trusts, charitable structures, and careful jurisdictional planning. Their depth of expertise meant every detail was anticipated and executed flawlessly, allowing my exit to unfold smoothly and with total confidence. We achieved more than $31 million in tax savings across multiple entities.
The QSBS, charitable, and state planning alone saved me $15M. Having Keystone in my corner starting 12 months out meant I could focus on building the company while they optimized everything on the personal side. I can't imagine going through an exit without this level of planning. I should have started working with them sooner.
Start Planning Your Optimized Exit Today
The founders who achieve the best exit outcomes share one characteristic: they started planning 18-36 months before their LOI arrived. The strategies that save $5M-$15M+ in taxes require time to implement properly. If you’re a venture-backed tech founder anticipating a $20M+ exit in the next 0-36 months, feel free to reach out.
Schedule a confidential conversation with our founder to discuss your specific exit timeline and explore how pre-liquidity planning can maximize your after-tax proceeds.
