Equidam and Share Council merger is set to create 1 million co-owners by 2030.
Amsterdam, 12 February 2026 — Over the last decade, European companies have undergone a profound shift. Venture capital has grown fivefold, over 40% of start-ups now generate international revenue early on and crossboarder teams are the norm. At the same time, a majority of professionals say they expect ownership and not just salary. Talent is asking: “If we build the value, shouldn’t we share in it?”
Yet the infrastructure that makes employee ownership actually work, has not been able to keep up.
Across Europe, equity is still managed through fragmented spreadsheets, one‑off valuations, local advisors, and manual processes that were never designed for distributed teams or cross‑border growth. As a result, employee ownership, one of the most powerful tools for alignment, retention, and long‑term competitiveness, is often underused, delayed, or avoided altogether. Not because the need isn’t there, but because the system makes it unnecessarily hard.
Today, Equidam and Share Council announced their merger to address that structural problem.
The combined companies are joining forces to deliver something essential: ownership without the weight of complexity. They do this through a unified platform that brings together startup valuation, cap table management, and compliant equity administration; all tailored for Europe’s diverse legal landscapes and crossboarder teams.
“Europe talks a lot about employee ownership, but we’ve made it operationally hard to do well,” said Daniel Faloppa, founder of Equidam. “If we want European startups to compete globally, equity has to be something founders can actually use — not something they postpone because it’s too complex or too risky.”
Why employee ownership is becoming a competitive issue
Employees today are increasingly demanding ownership. For startups competing with U.S. companies on speed, ambition and innovation, ownership is foundational.
And the pressure on traditional equity systems is intensifying:
- Teams are international from day one
- Employees expect transparency around ownership and value
- Regulators expect accuracy, traceability, and compliance
- AI enables smaller teams to build larger outcomes
When equity infrastructure breaks under this pressure, companies don’t just face administrative headaches. They lose trust. They lose alignment. And ultimately, they weaken one of the most powerful engines of long-term competitiveness: shared ownership.
From fragmented tools to shared infrastructure
By connecting valuation, cap table data, and equity operations into one integrated system, the Equidam–Share Council platform aims to transform employee ownership from a periodic legal exercise into a continuous, reliable infrastructure. One that scales with the company instead of slowing it down.
During the integration phase, both platforms will continue to operate independently, with joint capabilities rolling out progressively.
“Our customers aren’t asking for more features,” said Quintus Willemse, founder of Share Council. “They’re asking for fewer hurdles in the process, especially when it comes to employee participation. This merger lets us remove entire classes of friction that make ownership harder than it needs to be.”
Building European equity infrastructure
The merger comes at a pivotal moment. In January 2026, the European Parliament voted overwhelmingly in favour of EU Inc, a proposal for a unified European company form that includes standardised employee stock option plans (EU-ESOP) across all member states. The European Commission is expected to present a formal legislative proposal by the end of March 2026.
While EU Inc focuses on harmonizing regulation, the Equidam–Share Council merger addresses the operational reality: the tools, workflows, and compliance systems that companies need to actually manage equity across borders. As Europe moves toward a common legal framework, scalable infrastructure is no longer optional.
“The direction is clear. Europe wants to make employee ownership easier and more standardised,” Willemse said. “But regulation alone won’t get us there. Companies also need the operational infrastructure to manage equity plans, cap tables, and valuations across jurisdictions. That’s what we’re building.”
The company’s ambition is bold: to help create one million co‑owners by 2030. The belief is simple. Broad, well‑functioning employee ownership is not just good for companies; it is critical for Europe’s startup ecosystem to remain globally competitive.
“Equity only fulfills its promise if people can understand it, trust it, and rely on it,” Faloppa added. “Our aim is to make employee ownership boring in the best possible way. Dependable, compliant, and accessible, so founders and teams can focus on building great companies.”
About Equidam
Equidam is an online valuation platform that helps startups, advisors, and investors arrive at defensible startup valuations. Using multiple valuation methodologies, benchmarking, and transparent reporting, Equidam supports equity planning, fundraising, and M\&A decisions for companies worldwide.
About Share Council
Share Council is the European platform for shared ownership, helping companies structure, manage, and scale employee participation with clarity, compliance, and purpose. From cap table management to governance and profit sharing, enabling businesses to build ownership cultures that drive long-term value, transparency, and inclusive growth.
The proposed merger is subject to shareholder and regulatory approval.
Media contact
Daniel Faloppa CEO, Equidam df@equidam.com
Quintus Willemse CEO, Share Council quintus@sharecouncil.co