> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.launchboard.xyz/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Manage stakeholders on your cap table

> Add and manage every equity holder in your company — founders, investors, employees, and advisors — and invite them to view their own holdings.

A stakeholder is any person or legal entity that holds equity in your company. This includes founders, early investors, employees with option grants, advisors, and institutional funds. Every security on your cap table must be linked to a stakeholder — you can't record a holding without first having someone to hold it.

Stakeholders live at **Cap Table → Stakeholders**. From there you can add new stakeholders, edit their details, and invite them to view their own holdings on Launchboard.

## What's on a stakeholder record

| Field         | Description                                                                 |
| ------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Display name  | The name shown in the cap table UI and on certificates                      |
| Legal name    | Full legal name used on documents and for OCF export                        |
| Type          | `Individual` for people; `Institution` for companies, funds, and trusts     |
| Status        | `Current` (active holder) or `Former` (no longer holds equity)              |
| Email         | Used to send document signature requests and Launchboard invitations        |
| Relationships | One or more roles: Founder, Investor, Employee, Advisor, Board Member, etc. |
| Comments      | Internal notes visible only to admins and editors                           |

## Adding a stakeholder manually

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the Stakeholders page">
    Navigate to **Cap Table → Stakeholders** in the left sidebar.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click Add stakeholder">
    Select **Add stakeholder** from the top-right action area. A dialog will open.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Fill in the required fields">
    Enter the stakeholder's **display name**, **legal name**, and **type** (Individual or Institution). Add their email address if you plan to send them documents or invite them to Launchboard.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set their relationship">
    Select one or more relationships that describe how they relate to the company — Founder, Investor, Employee, Advisor, and so on. You can select multiple.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save the stakeholder">
    Click **Create**. The stakeholder now appears in the list and can be assigned securities.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Tip>
  If you've already uploaded a legal document — such as a SAFE or a stock certificate — to the Dataroom, Launchboard may have already created the stakeholder record for you during the merge step. Check the list before adding a duplicate.
</Tip>

## Adding a stakeholder from a document

When you upload an executed agreement to the Dataroom and run extraction, Launchboard identifies the parties to the agreement. During the merge step, Launchboard creates a stakeholder record for each party and links it back to the source document for provenance. You'll see that document link on the stakeholder row.

## The difference between a stakeholder and a Launchboard account

A **stakeholder** is a cap table record — it exists whether or not the person has ever logged into Launchboard. A **Launchboard account** is what lets someone sign in to view their holdings, receive document signing requests, and interact with the platform.

The two are separate on purpose. You might record a 2018 SAFE investor as a stakeholder the moment you upload their agreement, long before you invite them to create an account.

## Inviting a stakeholder to view their holdings

Once you've added a stakeholder, you can send them an invitation so they can log in and see their equity position.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Find the stakeholder">
    Go to **Cap Table → Stakeholders** and locate the stakeholder you want to invite. Click their row to open the detail view, or use the action menu (⋯) on their row.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Select Invite">
    Choose **Invite to Launchboard** from the action menu. This option is only available if the stakeholder has an email address on their record.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Confirm and send">
    Review the email address and click **Send invitation**. The stakeholder receives an email with a link to accept the invite.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Stakeholder accepts">
    When the stakeholder clicks the link, they're taken to the acceptance flow. If they don't have a Launchboard account yet, they'll be prompted to create one. If they already have an account, they simply log in.
  </Step>

  <Step title="They see their holdings">
    After accepting, the stakeholder lands on their personal dashboard where they can view all securities held in your company, track vesting, and sign any pending documents.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  Sending an invitation does not give a stakeholder admin access to your cap table. Invited stakeholders can only see their own holdings — they cannot view other stakeholders, edit records, or access company-wide reports.
</Note>