How Linear found an equity partner built for trust and growth
"We take the tools we use very seriously, whether it’s for building software or managing our company. Pulley offers a great balance: it’s easy to use, yet robust enough for our stage."
‍
Karri Saarinen
CEO, Linear
Linear Optimized Workflows and Reduced Costs with Pulley
1–2 hrs
of Linear team time to retrieve data from their previous provider
10 hours
saved monthly with Pulley's equity management features
$600
saved per hour in legal fees compared to Linear's previous solution
90.7%
of Linear's stakeholders actively using Pulley's portal
About Linear
Linear is a powerful project and issue-tracking system that streamlines workflows across the entire product development process.
Today, thousands of teams around the globe—from early-stage startups to public companies—use Linear to build their products.
Linear helps them to focus on what they do best: Crafting software experiences that feel magical again.
Pulley’s Impact
After a breach of trust with their equity management provider, Linear sought a partner they could truly trust: one committed to data security and stakeholder relationships.
And, Linear was in need of an equity management platform capable of handling increasingly sophisticated equity needs without sacrificing usability.
Pulley, with its intuitive user interface, extensive toolset, and team of experts, was able to support Linear after raising their $35M Series B for the next phase of their growth journey. Within 30 days, Linear fully migrated to Pulley, starting a long-term partnership we're proud to support.
"When you're managing equity for hundreds of stakeholders, trust isn't optional—it's fundamental. In Pulley, we found a team we can trust, particularly with data privacy and transparency. Our expectation is that equity data stays private. Pulley was able to do this."
The Challenge
Linear was outgrowing their equity management partner, and losing trust.
As a company scales, its equity management needs evolve. Back-office admin tasks, like hiring and retaining top talent, generating audit-ready 409A valuations, and managing a growing cap table, can quickly become time-consuming and expensive for a high-growth company.
Linear's $35M Series B fundraising round in 2023 marked a pivotal moment. With a growing shareholder base and increasing equity grants, the company needed a platform capable of handling sophisticated equity needs without sacrificing usability, introducing operational friction, or having to involve expensive outside counsel. While their operations were expanding, their previous equity management platform made it difficult to manage equity needs without ongoing legal assistance.
Then the challenge deepened.
Equity management providers are required to collect and store your sensitive data, which can include information from potentially hundreds or thousands of your investors, employees, and other stakeholders. Because of this, you want your equity management partner to have transparent processes in place to prevent the misuse of any sensitive data—both your and your stakeholders' information.
Linear experienced this firsthand. Their previous provider had betrayed their trust, taking the private information of their stakeholders and using it to solicit them to sell their shares. As a growing company with increasingly sophisticated equity, Linear needed a trusted equity management partner with shared values that understood the importance of data privacy.
“Equity management becomes exponentially complex as you scale. We chose Pulley because they turned that complexity into simplicity – letting us focus on building our product, not managing our cap table.”
The Solution
In Pulley, Linear found a partner sophisticated enough to scale with them, and trustworthy enough to earn their confidence.
When Linear began searching for a new equity management partner, they prioritized a simple, intuitive interface, long-term trust, and secure data handling.
Pulley, recommended by founders in their network, stood out as a company built by founders for founders, which resonated with Linear's team.
Privacy-first communications
We never contact your stakeholders without explicit permission—no marketing or upsell emails, ever.
Your ecosystem, your control
We support your investors, employees, and service providers when requested but never engage with them without your approval.
Seamless migration
Pulley handles the entire migration process. Linear onboarded in two weeks with just 1-2 hours of their time.
A trusted partner
Linear chose Pulley for secure data handling and a commitment to respecting stakeholder relationships.
The transition to Pulley took only 1-2 hours of the Linear team’s time to retrieve data from its existing provider. Pulley’s seamless onboarding process became a key differentiator, with the team handling every step, including:
Building Linear's cap table to match the existing one
Uploading incorporation and transaction documents
Adding stakeholder info and guiding each stakeholder transition
“Pulley did the work to transition us from our previous tool, it was very easy and seamless on our end.”
What Pulley delivered from day one
Hiring & Retention
Linear quickly began issuing employee equity grants and creating custom workflows, including exercise requests for employees.
409As Valuations
Linear seamlessly completed a 409A valuation with a custom report, retrieving data in their preferred format.
Engagement
Over 90% of Linear's stakeholders actively engaged with their new portals, reflecting the simplicity of the platform.
Pulley is SOC 2 compliant with ongoing audits to extend compliance through 2026.
Pulley's SOC 2 Type 2 audit was performed by Insight Assurance. For information on Pulley and GDPR, visit our GDPR page. Privacy Policy
The Impact
Linear’s partnership with Pulley reflects a relationship built on shared values.
10 hours
saved monthly with Pulley’s robust equity management features
$600
in legal fees compared to Linear’s previous solution
65
workflows completed since Linear’s migration just 5 months ago
Linear’s transition to Pulley highlights the importance of choosing platforms that not only address today’s needs, but also aligns with future growth.
Pulley’s collaboration with Linear showcases its ability to serve larger, growing companies with scalable solutions tailored to meet their evolving needs. For companies experiencing rapid growth, Pulley isn’t just a tool—it’s a partner designed to grow with them.
