A capitalization table (cap table) is a detailed record of all the equity ownership in a company. It lists every security holder — founders, employees holding options, angel investors, venture capital funds, and strategic partners — along with the type of security they hold (common stock, preferred stock, options, warrants, convertible notes) and the quantity.
Cap tables are essential for understanding how ownership and economic rights shift across funding rounds. They are used to model dilution, calculate liquidation preferences, and determine payout waterfalls upon an exit. In private markets platforms like Alternatives.pe, cap table data provides transparency into ownership structures for portfolio companies across the region.