Latest / The Startup Exit Podcast with Fexingo: IPOs, Acquisitions, and Founder Liquidity Events
How Earnout Structures Reshape Founder Exit Payouts
In Episode 41 of The Startup Exit Podcast, Lucas and Luna break down why earnouts have become a critical tool in M&A deals for tech startups. Using the recent Rivian R2 delivery milestone and a broader market sell-off as context, they explain how earnout clauses bridge valuation gaps when acquirers and founders disagree on future growth. Lucas walks through a specific case: a SaaS company where the earnout was tied to net revenue retention metrics, and how that created alignment—or friction. Luna questions whether earnouts actually work for founders, citing data that shows roughly 40% of…
The skinny
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