The term sheet. Our standard terms, in public.
What each side commits to, and what happens if either side falls short. Read it before you apply. Final terms are tailored to each product and signed with independent legal advice on both sides.
- You pay 30 to 50 percent of the build cost in milestones, the first before kickoff. We carry the rest as our investment. Section 6
- Your marketing capital is at least half the build cost, deposited in a separate company account before kickoff and spent on an agreed schedule within 180 days of launch. Section 7
- We take 10 to 15 percent equity and lose half of it if we fail to deliver the MVP on time. Section 10
- If the marketing commitment is not kept, our stake can rise to a maximum of 25 percent, or we can exit at the build value we funded. Section 18
- You keep control. We hold one board seat or observer right and a short list of reserved matters. Section 13
This term sheet sets out the standard terms on which Digitechnique co-founds a product with a founder's registered company. It is indicative and non-binding, except for Section 23 (Confidentiality), Section 24 (Exclusivity), Section 28 (Costs) and Section 29 (Governing Law and Disputes), which bind both parties once this term sheet is countersigned. Final terms are tailored to each product and recorded in the Definitive Agreements. Where this term sheet and the Definitive Agreements differ, the Definitive Agreements prevail.
1. Definitions
In this term sheet, these words have the meanings below.
Build Cost means the total value of the work in the Scope Contract, priced at Digitechnique's standard rates.
Business Day means a day other than a Saturday, a Sunday or a public holiday where the Company is registered.
Company means the Founder's registered company, which will own the Product.
Contributed Build Value means the part of the Build Cost that Digitechnique carries as its investment, as stated in the Scope Contract.
Cycle means one program cycle of about four (4) months, from Kickoff to Launch.
Definitive Agreements means the shareholders' agreement, the subscription agreement, the Scope Contract and any other agreement that gives legal effect to this term sheet.
Founder means the individual or individuals who control the Company and hold the majority of its shares.
Founder Cash Contribution means the part of the Build Cost that the Company pays in cash.
Kickoff means the first working day of the Cycle.
Launch means the date the MVP is first made available to the public or to paying customers.
Marketing Account means a bank account in the Company's name that holds only the Marketing Capital.
Marketing Capital means the money the Company commits to customer acquisition after Launch, under Section 7.
Marketing Plan means the written plan, agreed before Kickoff, for how and when the Marketing Capital is spent.
MVP means the first public version of the Product, as defined in the Scope Contract.
Product means the single product defined in the Scope Contract.
Scope Contract means the signed document that defines the MVP, the Build Cost, the cost split, the milestones, the payment schedule and the minimum Marketing Capital.
2. The Parties
a) The Company, acting through the Founder.
b) The Founder personally, for the obligations in this term sheet that apply to the Founder.
c) Digitechnique, acting as technical co-founder.
3. Eligibility and Selection
a) The Company must be registered in a recognised jurisdiction and in good standing before the Definitive Agreements are signed.
b) Digitechnique co-founds no more than three (3) products a year, one per Cycle. A place may be filled before the published closing date.
c) Selection is at Digitechnique's sole discretion. An application creates no obligation for either party.
d) Every applicant is told whether they were selected, with brief reasons.
4. The Product and the Cycle
a) One Product, defined in the Scope Contract, is built over one Cycle from Kickoff to Launch.
b) The Scope Contract is agreed and signed before Kickoff. No work starts without it.
c) After signing, the MVP changes only through a written change request. Before a change is approved, Digitechnique states its effect on cost and timeline. An approved change may extend the Cycle and adjust the cost split.
5. Contributions
The Company and the Founder contribute:
a) A registered company in good standing.
b) The product concept, domain expertise and market relationships.
c) The Founder Cash Contribution of thirty to fifty percent (30% to 50%) of the Build Cost, paid under Section 6.
d) The Marketing Capital, under Section 7.
e) Founder time, under Section 8.
f) All third-party costs of running the Product, including hosting, domains, software licences, paid services and app store fees. These are not part of the Build Cost.
Digitechnique contributes:
a) A dedicated senior product and engineering team for the full Cycle.
b) The Contributed Build Value of fifty to seventy percent (50% to 70%) of the Build Cost, carried as investment in kind.
c) Architecture, design, development, testing, security review, launch engineering, analytics and structured data.
d) Post-launch technical stewardship under Section 17.
6. Build Cost and Payments
a) The Build Cost, the cost split and the payment schedule are fixed in the Scope Contract.
b) The Founder Cash Contribution is paid in milestones. The first milestone is due when the Scope Contract is signed, before Kickoff. Each later milestone is invoiced when the work it covers has been shown working.
c) Invoices are due within fourteen (14) days.
d) A milestone payment cannot be refunded once the work it covers has started, except as set out in Sections 18, 20 and 26.
e) If a payment is more than fourteen (14) days late, Digitechnique may pause work until it is paid. The Cycle is extended by the length of the pause.
7. Marketing Capital
a) Why this matters. A product that customers never hear about fails, however well it is built. The Marketing Capital is a condition of the program, not an option.
b) Minimum amount. The Marketing Capital is at least fifty percent (50%) of the Build Cost, or a higher amount agreed in the Scope Contract.
c) Deposit before Kickoff. The full Marketing Capital is deposited in the Marketing Account before Kickoff. The Company gives Digitechnique a bank statement, dated no more than ten (10) Business Days before Kickoff, that shows the balance. Kickoff does not take place until this is done.
d) Ring-fenced. The Marketing Capital is used only for customer acquisition for the Product, as set out in the Marketing Plan. It is not used for salaries, loans, other products or any other purpose, and it is not withdrawn, lent or pledged.
e) Marketing Plan. Before Kickoff, the Founder and Digitechnique agree a written Marketing Plan that names the channels, the monthly budget, the person or agency responsible, and the targets. The Founder may change the plan after giving notice to Digitechnique, as long as the spending schedule in paragraph (f) is still met.
f) Spending schedule. Unless the Scope Contract sets a different schedule, the Company spends at least twenty-five percent (25%) of the Marketing Capital within sixty (60) days after Launch, at least sixty percent (60%) within one hundred and twenty (120) days, and all of it within one hundred and eighty (180) days.
g) Responsibility. The Company is responsible for marketing and customer acquisition, and may use its own team or any agency it chooses. Digitechnique provides launch engineering, analytics and structured data, and may comment on the Marketing Plan. Digitechnique does not provide marketing services and does not guarantee commercial results.
8. Founder Commitments
a) The Founder attends a weekly product session throughout the Cycle.
b) The Founder answers questions and approves designs and deliverables within three (3) Business Days.
c) Delays caused by the Founder extend the Cycle day for day. If those delays add up to more than thirty (30) days, Digitechnique may move the remaining work to a later Cycle.
d) The Founder keeps working actively on the Company for at least the vesting period in Section 10.
9. Equity
a) Digitechnique receives ten to fifteen percent (10% to 15%) of the Company's fully diluted share capital. The exact figure is fixed in the Definitive Agreements, based on scope, risk and the cost split.
b) The shares are ordinary shares, or the closest equivalent in the Company's jurisdiction, issued when the Definitive Agreements are signed.
c) Digitechnique's stake dilutes pro rata with all shareholders in later funding rounds. Digitechnique takes no special anti-dilution protection.
d) Digitechnique's stake may increase under Section 18 if a Marketing Default is not cured.
10. Vesting
a) Delivery vesting for Digitechnique. Fifty percent (50%) of Digitechnique's shares are forfeited if Digitechnique fails to deliver the MVP within the Cycle plus a grace period of thirty (30) days. Delays caused by the Founder and approved change requests extend this deadline. This protects the Founder.
b) Founder vesting. The Founder's shares vest over four (4) years with a one (1) year cliff, from the date of the Definitive Agreements. This protects the Product if a founder walks away.
c) Leaver terms. If the Founder stops working actively on the Company before their shares have vested, the Company may buy back the unvested shares. A good leaver, for example through ill health, is paid fair market value. A bad leaver, for example through resignation within the cliff period or a serious breach, is paid nominal value.
11. Intellectual Property
a) All intellectual property created for the Product during the collaboration belongs to the Company.
b) Ownership passes to the Company milestone by milestone, as each Founder Cash Contribution milestone is paid. Until then, Digitechnique holds that work for the Company.
c) Code repositories, design files and service accounts are held in the Company's name from Kickoff, with administrator access for both parties.
d) Digitechnique keeps ownership of its pre-existing tools, libraries and frameworks. The Company receives a perpetual, royalty-free licence to use them within the Product, which transfers with the Product if it is sold.
e) The Founder confirms that, to their knowledge, the Product concept does not infringe anyone else's rights.
12. Acceptance of the MVP
a) The MVP is accepted when the Founder approves it in writing, when it is used live with customers, or ten (10) Business Days after delivery, whichever comes first, unless the Founder has sent a written list of defects against the Scope Contract within that time.
b) Digitechnique fixes listed defects at no extra cost.
13. Governance
a) The Founder keeps operational control and the majority of the board.
b) Digitechnique holds one board seat or a board observer right, at the Founder's choice at signing.
c) Reserved matters. While Digitechnique holds ten percent (10%) or more, the Company needs Digitechnique's written consent to sell the Company or its core intellectual property, issue shares that rank ahead of ordinary shares, enter related-party transactions above an agreed threshold, change the Company's main business, wind up the Company, or replace the Product's technology stack without consultation.
d) Everything else is the Founder's decision. We co-found. We do not co-manage.
14. Information Rights
a) For twelve (12) months after Launch, the Company sends Digitechnique a monthly marketing report within ten (10) Business Days of each month end. The report shows the Marketing Capital spent, the channels used and the results.
b) The Company gives Digitechnique read-only access to the Product's analytics, advertising accounts and payment dashboards, and to statements for the Marketing Account.
c) The Company sends quarterly management accounts, annual accounts, and an updated capitalisation table within ten (10) Business Days of any change.
15. Funding and Share Transfers
a) Pre-emption. Digitechnique may take part in any new share issue pro rata to its holding. It has no obligation to invest further.
b) Right of first refusal. A shareholder who wants to sell shares first offers them to the other shareholders.
c) Tag-along. If the Founder sells shares that would give a buyer control of the Company, Digitechnique may sell its shares to the same buyer on the same terms.
d) Drag-along. If shareholders holding more than seventy-five percent (75%) of the shares accept an arm's-length offer for the whole Company, Digitechnique sells on the same terms, subject to the reserved matters in Section 13.
16. Economics
a) No management fees, no monthly retainers and no interest. Digitechnique's return is its equity.
b) Dividends and sale proceeds are shared pro rata to shareholding.
c) Work outside the Scope Contract, such as new feature phases, is quoted separately at partner rates. It is always optional and never bundled.
17. Post-Launch Stewardship
For as long as Digitechnique holds ten percent (10%) or more, and no Founder Default or Marketing Default is outstanding, Digitechnique provides at no charge:
a) Quarterly technical roadmap reviews.
b) Architecture and scaling guidance.
c) Security advice and first-response incident support.
d) Hiring support for the Company's first in-house technical roles, including interview participation.
18. Marketing Default
a) A Marketing Default happens if the Company fails to deposit the Marketing Capital before Kickoff, withdraws it or uses it for anything outside the Marketing Plan, misses the spending schedule in Section 7(f), or fails to send two (2) monthly reports in a row under Section 14(a).
b) Before Kickoff. If the Marketing Capital is not deposited in time, Kickoff does not take place. Digitechnique may give the place to another applicant and offer the Company a later Cycle, if one is available. The first milestone payment is refunded, less the cost of any discovery work already done.
c) After Kickoff. Digitechnique gives written notice, and the Company has thirty (30) days to cure the default.
d) If the default is not cured in time, Digitechnique may suspend stewardship and any further work, and may also choose one of these remedies:
(i) Equity adjustment. The Company issues Digitechnique additional ordinary shares at nominal value, so that Digitechnique's holding rises by five (5) percentage points for each uncured default, up to a maximum of twenty-five percent (25%) of the fully diluted share capital.
(ii) Exit right. Digitechnique may require the Company or the Founder to buy all of Digitechnique's shares for a price equal to the Contributed Build Value, paid within ninety (90) days.
e) These remedies reflect the risk Digitechnique carries by funding most of the build. They do not limit any other right under the Definitive Agreements.
19. Founder Default
a) A Founder Default happens if a payment is more than thirty (30) days late, the Founder does not respond for more than thirty (30) days in a row during the Cycle, the Founder or the Company seriously breaches the Definitive Agreements, or the Company becomes insolvent.
b) Digitechnique gives written notice, and the Company has thirty (30) days to cure the default. Insolvency cannot be cured.
c) If the default is not cured, Digitechnique may stop work and end the Scope Contract. The Company keeps the work it has paid for. Work not yet paid for stays with Digitechnique until it is paid. Digitechnique keeps its shares and may use the exit right in Section 18(d)(ii).
20. Digitechnique Default
a) If Digitechnique fails to deliver the MVP by the deadline in Section 10(a), the delivery vesting forfeiture applies and Digitechnique completes the MVP at no extra cash cost to the Company.
b) If Digitechnique seriously breaches the Definitive Agreements and does not cure the breach within thirty (30) days of written notice, the Company may end the Scope Contract and receive a refund of Founder Cash Contribution paid for work not delivered.
21. Restrictions
a) Non-compete. Digitechnique does not build a directly competing product in the category defined in the Scope Contract for twenty-four (24) months after Launch.
b) Non-solicitation. Neither party solicits the other's employees or contractors for twelve (12) months after the Cycle ends.
22. Liability
a) Digitechnique's total liability under the Scope Contract is limited to the Founder Cash Contribution actually paid.
b) Neither party is liable for indirect or consequential loss, or for loss of profit, revenue or data.
c) Nothing in this term sheet limits liability that cannot be limited by law, including liability for fraud.
23. Confidentiality (binding)
Both parties keep each other's confidential information secret for five (5) years from the signature of this term sheet, and this obligation survives any termination. It does not cover information that is already public, that a party develops independently, or that a party receives lawfully from someone else.
24. Exclusivity (binding)
For sixty (60) days from the signature of this term sheet, or until the Definitive Agreements are signed or discussions end, whichever comes first, both parties negotiate exclusively with each other for this Product.
25. Conditions to the Definitive Agreements
a) Satisfactory legal, financial and identity checks on the Company and the Founder.
b) A signed Scope Contract.
c) An agreed Marketing Plan and the evidence of the Marketing Capital required by Section 7.
d) Independent legal advice for the Founder. We insist on it.
e) A program place available in the Cycle.
26. Termination Before the Definitive Agreements
Either party may withdraw in writing before the Definitive Agreements are signed. Confidentiality survives. Founder cash paid for completed milestones under an interim Scope Contract is kept against the work delivered. Payments for milestones not yet started are refunded.
27. Data Protection
Each party complies with the data protection law that applies to it. Where Digitechnique processes personal data on the Company's behalf, the parties sign a Data Processing Addendum.
28. Costs (binding)
Each party pays its own legal, accounting and advisory costs. The Company pays its registration, filing and share issue costs.
29. Governing Law and Disputes (binding)
This term sheet is governed by the law of the Company's jurisdiction, unless the parties agree otherwise in writing. The Definitive Agreements set the governing law and forum for the collaboration. A dispute is first discussed in good faith for thirty (30) days, then referred to mediation, before either party goes to court or arbitration.
This published document is indicative and for information only. It is not an offer, not legal advice, and creates no obligation on either party except under Sections 23, 24, 28 and 29 once countersigned. Final terms are set out in definitive agreements drafted and reviewed by qualified lawyers.
