This session was recorded for the NatWest Entrepreneurs Accelerator in June 2024, and it answers the question we hear most from first-time founders: how do you bring in senior people when you can't pay market salaries?

The short answer is sweat equity — people contribute their skills to your startup and are paid, partly or fully, in ownership. The longer answer, including how to do it without storing up legal and cap-table problems, is the session below.

What it covers

• What sweat equity is, in plain terms
• How to attract experienced people to work for equity
• How to value and calculate a fair deal
• The mistakes founders make with sweat equity, and how to avoid them

That last part matters as much as the rest. Equity deals that go wrong usually go wrong at the start: vague expectations, no vesting, handshake agreements. Unpicking them later is expensive, so the session spends as much time on the risks as the upside.

Who's presenting

Judy Leung, Sweqlink's founder. Judy has spent over 20 years delivering projects for corporates and startups, has done her own sweat equity deals, and won Innovate UK's Women in Innovation award in 2025. Sweqlink is backed by Innovate UK and delivers this session for accelerator partners.

Where Sweqlink fits

Sweqlink matches startups with entrepreneurial professionals and fractional talent who collaborate for equity rather than salary. Listing an opportunity starts at £39 setup and £6.99 a month. Want to see how it works in practice? See plans and pricing or create your account.