ESO Fund

Profile

The Employee Stock Option Fund was formed by Stephen Roberts, Jimmy Lackie, and Scott Chou in 2012. The ESO Fund founders and team members have extensive experience in venture capital, private equity, and operations at entrepreneurial companies. ESO has developed a flexible due diligence strategy and transaction protocol to rapidly evaluate and close transactions.





Departing employees of venture backed companies are often faced with the dilemma of either exercising their stock options immediately or letting the options expire worthless. This decision can be especially complex given the high failure rate and the long holding periods for startup companies. Who knows what can go wrong down the line? Moreover, some employees will face Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) requirements as the result of exercising stock options which can create additional financial distress.