Roy Pereira, a seasoned entrepreneur with four successful startups under his belt, knows the importance of strong equity management. At one of his previous startups, Roy used Carta but ultimately found it expensive and lacking in support. “Cost needs to deliver value,” Roy emphasizes. 

Seeking to find a more cost-effective solution, Roy initially managed Unified.to’s cap table on a spreadsheet. However, as the company grew and the number of stakeholders increased, the limitations became evident. “Updating the spreadsheet was a chore,” Roy admits. “Version control was a nightmare, data accuracy became a concern, and security was unreliable. It was a constant headache that distracted me from what actually mattered - growing the business.”

In 2023, while participating in Techstars, Roy discovered Mantle. This new equity management platform, created by a group of founders who had faced similar equity management challenges, resonated with him. A demo led to a chance encounter at a Toronto founder event co-hosted by Mantle, YSpace, and the Black Entrepreneurship Alliance. Impressed by their community involvement and active approach, Roy appreciated finding a team that felt “more than just a faceless corporation.” 

Mantle offered a refreshing take on equity management. Its sleek UI and innovative data visualization tools impressed Roy. "The Timeline View was a game-changer,” he says. “It provided a clear understanding of our cap table’s evolution - something I’ve never seen before among other platforms.”

Behind the scenes, Mantle’s AI engine works tirelessly to streamline and enhance the user experience. The platform’s AI-powered features integrated seamlessly into the platform, automating tasks and ensuring data accuracy, all without requiring additional effort from users. 

As a Techstars company, Unified.to benefited from Mantle’s partner promotion, which offers Techstars companies a free year of service. After the first year, Roy knew Mantle’s standard plan (flat-rate pricing of $100 per month and unlimited stakeholders) was perfect for Unified.to. “With Mantle, there are no surprise fees or additional costs based on new stakeholders,” Roy explains. “The predictable and transparent pricing is a huge weight off my shoulders.”

The true power behind the platform became immediately evident to Roy and his team during the onboarding process. Within days of signing up, they had a draft cap table ready for review. Mantle caught and flagged issues, which the Unified.to team were able to quickly resolve. “The Mantle team was incredibly helpful and knowledgeable,” Roy says. “Their proactive approach saved us potentially thousands of dollars down the road in legal fees in the heat of a financing round close.”

With a clean cap table in hand, Roy and his team were ready to begin working towards their next funding round. During the fundraising rush, founders often juggle many meetings with figuring out commitments and allocations. “Mantle understands this workflow because I can tee up SAFE drafts as I navigate the round and publish the drafts once the commitment is real,” Roy explains. 

Mantle’s SAFE management feature, combined with their clean cap table, allowed Unified.to to successfully close their $1.1M CAD pre-seed round in October 2024. “Mantle was instrumental in our fundraising success, allowing us to quickly issue and track SAFEs,” Roy explained. “Even if fundraising isn’t on your immediate horizon, I strongly recommend Mantle for streamlined equity management.”