Legal support for NZ startups raising pre-seed investment

It is usually most useful when your startup is moving beyond informal founder discussions and into real investor conversations. That might be before a launch, during pilot activity, or when you need capital for early hires and product development. At that point, investors often expect more than a handshake understanding. They may want to see how founder roles are documented, what instrument is being used for the raise, and whether the commercial terms in a SAFE, convertible note or term sheet line up with the rest of the company setup.

Early rounds often raise questions about valuation mechanics, conversion terms, discount rates, founder equity, investor rights and whether the company records are ready for outside money. Another common issue is mismatch between a term sheet and the actual legal documents that follow. Founders also run into trouble when early promises are made in emails or pitch conversations without being properly reflected in the paperwork. This service helps address those practical issues by covering the main fundraising documents commonly used at pre-seed stage.

The service includes a consultation with a startup lawyer, a tailored convertible note or SAFE agreement, investor term sheet review, and related founder-side documents such as a founders' agreement and shareholder or subscription agreement where needed for the scope described on this page. It is broader than a single-document service because pre-seed fundraising often touches several connected issues at once. The fixed-fee does not include tax advice, investor-side representation, or open-ended support after the agreed work is completed.

Once you get in touch, we will confirm whether this service matches the stage and structure of your raise. From there, you provide the key background documents and details of the proposed investment terms, such as whether you are using a SAFE or convertible note and whether a term sheet already exists. We then carry out the agreed legal work and come back to you with the documents and any follow-up points that need your input. If you also need broader support beyond this service, that can be discussed separately.

Pre-seed rounds can evolve quickly, especially if investor feedback changes the proposed instrument or commercial terms. The fixed-fee covers the inclusions listed on this page and the usual legal work involved in that scope, including two rounds of revisions. If the matter expands into a larger capital raise, multiple investor negotiations, or ongoing support across separate transactions, that would usually sit outside this service and be scoped separately. We can flag that early so you know whether the existing scope still fits what you are trying to do.

Submit an enquiry on this page or click 'Get started'. One of our legal consultants will review it within 1 business day and get in touch to understand what you need.

Your consultant will then email you a fixed-fee quote setting out the cost, scope and timing. If you're happy with it, you can accept the quote and sign our engagement letter online.

Once you've accepted, one of our Australian-qualified lawyers will work with you to complete your project. They'll contact you by email or phone if they need anything.

Sprintlaw works on fixed-fee pricing wherever possible, so you can review the scope and cost before you decide whether to proceed. For the Pre Seed Fundraising Pack service, pricing starts from $1,200.00.

After you enquire, a legal consultant will confirm what is included, the expected timing and whether any extra work is needed before you engage us.

We work online, so we can help wherever you are in New Zealand. Our team works remotely, mainly from Australia.

Your work is done by our Australian-qualified lawyers, who hold Australian practising certificates and specialise in business law. None of them are New Zealand lawyers or hold a New Zealand practising certificate.

Sprintlaw NZ Limited is a legal consultancy, not a law firm, and is not regulated by the New Zealand Law Society. We don't act in court or tribunal matters, conveyancing (including leases and business sales) or other reserved areas of work. Communications with Sprintlaw are unlikely to be protected by legal professional privilege. We still keep everything confidential under our engagement letter.