What Orchestra does

Orchestra is a cloud-based equity management SaaS platform that enables private companies to manage share registries, cap tables, employee share ownership plans (ESOPs), dividend distributions, and stakeholder communications within a unified system. Founded in April 2020 and headquartered in Auckland, New Zealand, the platform serves private companies primarily across New Zealand and Australia, with native regulatory integrations to ASIC, the NZ Companies Office, and IRD for automated compliance workflows. Its core product suite centres on share registry and cap table management and an ESOP module supporting Call Options, Loan-to-Purchase, and Phantom Share schemes, complemented by dividend distribution automation, an investor portal, secondary share trading capabilities, document and valuation vaults, and stakeholder communications with engagement analytics.

The business operates on a quote-based B2B SaaS subscription model with monthly billing, distributing primarily through direct enterprise sales and a self-serve platform, supplemented by content marketing, webinars, guides, and customer stories targeting high-growth startups, dividend-paying companies, cooperatives, investors, employees, and HR/Finance/Legal teams. As of April 2024, Orchestra was acquired by Sharesies and now operates within the Sharesies family under the 'Sharesies Private' brand, gaining access to Sharesies' 450,000+ NZ investor base while retaining its core leadership team led by CEO Luke Smith. Additional integrations include DocuSign for in-platform e-signing and Xero for accounting export. The company claims to be New Zealand's largest provider of shareholder registry solutions for private companies and is trusted by thousands of companies.

Name

Orchestra

Legal name

Orchestra

Website

https://orchestra.io

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Orchestra is a New Zealand-based equity management SaaS platform that helps private companies manage share registries, cap tables, ESOPs, dividend distributions, and stakeholder communications across New Zealand and Australia, now operating as Sharesies Private following its April 2024 acquisition.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Auckland

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. SaaS Subscription: Orchestra operates as a B2B SaaS platform charging subscription fees for access to their equity management software. Pricing appears to be quote-based for enterprise customers. The platform serves as the primary revenue stream for managing share registries, ESOPs, and dividend distributions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Orchestra is a cloud-based equity management SaaS platform that helps private companies track and manage their equity ownership, share registries, cap tables, employee share option plans (ESOPs), dividend distributions, and stakeholder communications in a single unified system. The platform provides automated compliance with regulatory bodies (ASIC, NZ Companies Office, IRD), investor portal access, and document management capabilities primarily serving private companies in Australia and New Zealand.

Product overview

Orchestra is a unified equity management platform offering a comprehensive suite of modules for private companies. The core platform centres on Share Registry & Cap Table Management and an ESOP Module for managing Employee Share Ownership Plans including Call Options, Loan to Purchase, and Phantom Share schemes. These core modules are complemented by add-on features including Dividend Distribution (with AU/NZ support and DWT automation), Investor Portal for stakeholder visibility, Employee Share Purchase Loans, Secondary Share Trading for liquidity events, Document Vault for secure file storage, Stakeholder Communications with engagement analytics, Valuation Vault for share price visibility, ESOP Grant Wizard with e-signing, and Investor Data Room for capital raising. The platform integrates with NZ Companies Office and ASIC for regulatory compliance, DocuSign for document signing, and Xero for accounting export.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Employee Share Ownership Plans (ESOP) Module Comprehensive module to manage different types of Employee Share Schemes including ESOP, Share Trusts, Loan to Purchase, and Phantom Shares. Enables companies to create share schemes, allocate options or shares, choose vesting schedules, and manage the full grant-to-exercise lifecycle.
• Share Registry & Cap Table Management Unified cap table management with compliant share register, ASIC & NZ Companies Office integration, dilution impact modelling, and secure source-of-truth for all share transactions and ownership records.
• Dividend Distribution Automated dividend calculation and distribution feature for Australian and New Zealand companies. Calculates dividend payments, generates professional statements, supports multiple payment options including dividend down payments for employee share loans, and automates Dividend Withholding Tax (DWT) filing.
• Investor Portal Platform for investors to view their holdings, access documents, track company valuation, and receive communications. Includes Investment Overview dashboard displaying shares, associate details, ESOP and options.
• Employee Share Purchase Loans Loan-to-purchase share scheme management feature that enables companies to issue and manage loans for employees to purchase shares, with automatic tracking of loan balances, payments, and dividend down payments.
• Secondary Share Trading Platform enabling private companies to run trading events where investors can participate in buying and selling their shares, creating liquidity for shareholders.
• ESOP Grant Wizard Streamlined grant letter creation tool for company administrators with e-signing capabilities for each participant.
• AI Agent Support In-app AI chatbot agent for customer support that helps users get answers quickly, with fallback to human support agents when queries cannot be answered.

Quantifiable outcome

• Save 4 days per month in dividend administration
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

AI capability2 records

Feature8 records

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Eqvista: Cap table management and 409A valuation provider serving US private companies. Directly comparable to Orchestra's cap table, valuation, and equity management modules.
• Carta: Largest global cap table and equity management SaaS platform serving private companies, investors, and employees. Directly comparable to Orchestra across cap table, ESOP, and investor portal functionality, with a much larger global footprint and capital base.
• Pulley: Cap table and equity management platform focused on startups and growth-stage companies. Competes head-to-head with Orchestra in share registry, 409A valuations, and investor reporting for high-growth private companies.
• Ledgy: European equity management platform with strong ESOP and stakeholder communication focus. Comparable to Orchestra's product suite targeting private companies managing complex cap tables and employee participation schemes.
• Cake Equity: Australia-based equity management and cap table platform. The closest geographic peer to Orchestra, serving the ANZ startup and growth-stage market with cap table, ESOP, and investor management functionality.
• Capdesk: UK-based cap table and equity management platform for private companies and investors. Comparable offering to Orchestra across cap table, reporting, and shareholder management for private markets.
• Vestd: UK equity management platform specialising in EMI schemes, growth shares, and employee share plans. Comparable to Orchestra's ESOP and share scheme administration functionality for private companies.

Broad incumbents

• JP Morgan Workplace Solutions: Large incumbent equity plan administration platform from JP Morgan. Competes in adjacent segments (share plan administration) with Orchestra's ESOP and stakeholder management offerings, but at much larger enterprise scale.
• AngelList (Stack / Roll): Broader private markets platform offering cap table, fund management, and roll-up vehicles for startups. Overlaps with Orchestra on cap table management but bundles it with fundraising and investor syndication services.
• Shareworks (Morgan Stanley): Enterprise equity management solution owned by Morgan Stanley, serving public and large private companies. Wider portfolio player offering overlapping capabilities to Orchestra's cap table and equity administration modules.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Orchestra