Launch a Delaware C-Corp: the startup quick start
Updated 2 November 2026
Dealroom's startup quick start prepares the founding documents of a Delaware C corporation from one company profile: the Certificate of Incorporation, and a Founders' Agreement and an IP Assignment for each founder. It prepares documents. It does not file anything with the State of Delaware. This page explains the steps, the price, the time needed and what you still do elsewhere.
The steps
Sign in and open the quick start
Sign in to Dealroom and open the startup quick start at /launch. The entity is a Delaware C-Corp.
Enter the company profile
Type the company name with its corporate designator (such as "Inc."), an optional business address, and up to six founders with their e-mail addresses. You may give each founder a share of the equity; the shares must add up to 100 percent, or be left blank for every founder. The first founder listed is the incorporator.
Answer two questions
Answer two plain-language questions: whether a founder who leaves in the first year keeps unearned shares, and which inventions the founders assign to the company.
Generate the documents
Dealroom creates the Certificate of Incorporation and, for each founder, a Founders' Agreement and an IP Assignment, each filled in from the company profile.
Review each document
Open each document, check the details and choose its options, such as the number of authorized shares in the certificate. You can complete every step on your own; a lawyer is optional.
Download or sign
Download each document as PDF, Word (DOCX) or plain text, or start its signature. Each document is paid once, at that moment.
File and finish outside Dealroom
File the certificate with the Delaware Division of Corporations, usually through your registered agent. Then obtain an EIN from the IRS and open a bank account. Dealroom does not do these steps.
What the package is
The startup quick start is a guided flow in Dealroom for founders who want to form a Delaware C corporation (a "C-Corp"). You enter the company and its founders once, and Dealroom fills in every founding document from that profile, so the same names, e-mail addresses and equity shares appear in each one.
Today the flow covers the first step, forming the company. It prepares documents for you to review, download, sign and file. It is not a filing service, a registered agent or a law firm.
Who it is for
- Founders forming a new Delaware C-Corp, the structure that US venture investors commonly expect.
- Founders outside the United States. The flow asks for no US address, US phone number or US tax number, and Delaware does not require founders, directors or stockholders to live in the United States.
- Teams of one to six founders.
If you have already formed the company, you can mark the step as done on your launch page and go on to the later steps.
What you get
For a company with two founders, the flow creates five documents:
- One Certificate of Incorporation, the document filed with Delaware to form the corporation. It sets the company's name, registered agent, purpose, authorized shares, par value (by default $0.00001 per share), the limit on directors' liability and the incorporator. Read the guide to the certificate.
- One Founders' Agreement for each founder, covering the founder's equity and vesting. The draft starts from four-year vesting with a one-year cliff, which you can review in the document. Read the guide to the founders' agreement.
- One IP Assignment for each founder, which transfers to the company the founder's rights in work and inventions that relate to the business. Read the guide to the IP assignment.
Each document opens in Dealroom as its own draft, where you check the details and choose the options before you download it.
Time needed
The questions take about eight minutes. Reading and reviewing the documents takes longer, depending on the number of founders and on whether a lawyer reviews them. Filing with Delaware, obtaining an EIN and opening a bank account happen outside Dealroom, and their timing depends on the state, the IRS and the bank.
What it does not do
Dealroom prepares the documents. You, your registered agent or your lawyer do the rest:
- Filing with Delaware. Dealroom does not file the certificate. It is filed with the Delaware Division of Corporations, usually through a registered agent, and the state charges a filing fee.
- Registered agent. Dealroom is not a registered agent. Every Delaware corporation needs one, with a street address in Delaware. Before filing, check that the certificate names your agent and its Delaware address.
- EIN. Dealroom does not apply for the company's federal tax number. The IRS online application needs a US taxpayer number for the responsible person; founders without one apply with Form SS-4.
- Bank account. Dealroom does not open accounts.
- Bylaws and board consents. The quick start does not prepare the bylaws or the initial board consent.
- Tax elections and filings. Founders whose shares vest may need to file an 83(b) election with the IRS within 30 days of receiving the shares. Delaware corporations also owe an annual franchise tax and annual report, due March 1. Dealroom does not file these.
- Advice. Dealroom does not give legal or tax advice, including advice on how a US company affects you in your home country.
Language
The quick start is in English only, because the Certificate of Incorporation is a Delaware filing prepared in English. The Spanish version of Dealroom does not show it.
The price
Drafting and negotiating are free. Each contract costs $29, paid once, when it is first downloaded or its signature starts.
Each document in the package counts as one contract. A company with two founders has five documents, and you pay only for the documents you download or send for signature.
Fees charged by the State of Delaware, by your registered agent and by any lawyer you invite are separate and are not paid to Dealroom.
Frequently asked questions
Does Dealroom file my certificate of incorporation with Delaware?
No. Dealroom prepares the certificate; it does not file it. You, or your registered agent, file it with the Delaware Division of Corporations and pay the state's filing fee. The company exists once Delaware accepts the filing.
Can I use it if I live outside the United States?
Yes. The quick start asks for no US address, US phone number or US tax number. Delaware does not require founders, directors or stockholders to live in the United States, but the company must have a registered agent with a street address in Delaware.
What does the package cost?
Preparing and reviewing the documents is free. Each document is a separate contract, paid once at the per-contract price shown on the pricing page, when it is first downloaded or its signature starts. A company with two founders has five documents. The state's fees, the registered agent and any lawyer you invite are paid to them, not to Dealroom.
Which law governs the documents?
The Certificate of Incorporation is a Delaware filing under the Delaware General Corporation Law. The Founders' Agreements and IP Assignments that the quick start prepares are governed by California law.
Can a lawyer review the documents?
Yes, if you wish; you can complete every step on your own. If you want a lawyer to check the documents before you file, North End Law, a law firm under the same ownership as Dealroom, can review them. You can also invite a lawyer of your choice by e-mail from your launch page. Any lawyer works for you and bills you directly; Dealroom takes no fee.
Is the quick start available in Spanish?
No. It is in English only, because the Certificate of Incorporation is a Delaware filing prepared in English. The Spanish version of Dealroom does not show it, and the button on this page opens it in English. Spanish guides to the documents themselves are available, such as the guide to the Delaware certificate of incorporation.
What about the option pool, first hires and the first funding round?
Your launch page lists these as later steps. Their guided flows are not built yet. For now, each one links to the matching templates, such as the equity incentive plan or the SAFE, which you prepare one at a time.
Start your company
The quick start runs in your Dealroom account. Sign in, enter the company profile and answer the questions. You can stop and come back to it later.
Start my companyThis page explains how Dealroom's startup quick start works. It is general information, not legal or tax advice.